Films To See In 2011: April

Last month was a bit of a failure in terms of predicting what is most likely to be good, or at least entertaining, mostly because I haven't gotten around to seeing any of those films yet. I've seen a lot of truly pathetic filmmaking, but we're moving more towards some sort of quality. I'd like to say that I'm sure April will be a step in the right direction, but that hasn't been working out for me. There have been some entertaining films over the past few weeks, but only in the sense that general audiences will probably enjoy it. I have moved more towards a special niche of high quality films, and it's become harder and harder to please me.

I don't expect that we'll be getting a lot of that sort of feature this April, but most of the films that are shaping up to be the most promising are films that I had mixed reservations about before. I'd have Steven Soderbergh's upcoming film Haywire somewhere up here if we had gotten any sort of trailer or footage yet. I think Source Code and Scre4m have promise, but there are creeping doubts in the back of my mind. Hop and Rio are both animated films, and I've found it very hard in the past to peg these sorts of features. The trailers try to appeal to children, and somehow that always involves leaving out the emotional moments that make the films so great. The films I have in the upper most echelon of this month are the films I am relatively certain will end up being good. Your Highness almost made it in, but it was just barely edged out by...

3."Water for Elephants"
Directed by Francis Lawrence

The idea of simple entertainment or fun doesn't really apply to this film, which I initially knocked against for being another throwaway vehicle for Robert Pattinson. Since further trailers have come out, he's actually grown on me. Same goes for Reese Witherspoon, who was at first only shown with an annoying smile, but is now shown with deeper emotionality. Christoph Waltz was never a problem with me, but he's becoming more of a standout actor in this feature, as well as every film he's in. We honestly don't even care about his accent, as if we ever did. Obviously there are similarities to Titanic, a film I've widely called out as overrated, but there's something vibrant that just grabs me in the recent trailers. (Releases nationwide on April 22nd)

2.
"Hanna"
Directed by Joe Wright

Intrigue and ambition can get you a very long way, as illustrated recently by films like WALL-E and Inception. What it takes to make it memorable is a special touch, and I feel that director Joe Wright may have that combination with his latest feature. The Soloist, his last feature, was a departure from the previous work he did on Atonement and Pride & Prejudice. Hanna is also a departure, but in a different sort of way. Wright always said that he was worried that the marketing department wouldn't know what to do with it, mostly in terms of balancing the fairy tale and action movie elements. I can't say they've done quite a great job of it, but I'll have to see the film for myself to tell. Also, it's not a bad thing to be channeling David Lynch while making your film. Not usually. (Releases Nationwide on April 8)

1.

"Meek's Cutoff"

Directed by Kelly Reichardt

I really need to stop picking limited release films as my most anticipated films each month, mostly because I don't get the chance to see them until long after their release. I still haven't seen Cedar Rapids or Jane Eyre, and my interest in Win Win is quite honestly waning. My self-assurance that this film will not be a failure is enormous, because it has a certain aesthetic that evokes There Will Be Blood. Meek's Cutoff looks to have the natural feel that made me love True Grit so much, and that's not even delving into the plot. As per usual, I am not too well informed on that matter, because the closest plot we get from the trailer is a group of people of the Oregon Trail in search of water. The deepest emotional well comes from the most simplistic of places. (Limited Release on April 8)