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A Dangerous Method Plot: Legendary psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud (Mortenson) and his protégé Carl Jung (Fassbender) have overlapping relationships with the beautiful and disturbed Sabina Spielrein. Reasoning: The Mortenson–Fassbender combo is enough to get us to see this opening weekend (maybe more than once), but it’s the recent legacy of Cronenberg’s films (A History of Violence, Eastern Promises) that has us anxious. Potential Downfall: Keira Knightly’s Russian accent.
The Skin I Live In Plot: A surgeon (Banderas) works to develop a damage-resistant synthetic skin with a test subject who is linked to his tragic past. Reasoning: Almodóvar knows how to get under our skin with past Spanish–language emotional rollercoasters like Bad Education and Talk to Her, but it’s Banderas’ ability to find the pitch–perfect balance between revenge and stoicism that creeps us out the most. Potential Downfall: Graphic home biolabs might not be for everyone.
Like Crazy Plot: The romance between a British and an American college student is torn apart when her she’s deported due to an expired visa. Reasoning: This quiet indie piqued our interest when it won the Grand Jury Dramatic Prize at Sundance, but the trailer featuring delicate and love–lorn shots of the two young stars captured our hearts without seeming cliche. Potential Downfall: We don’t need another Blue Valentine quite yet.
J. Edgar Plot: The story of FBI director J. Edgar Hoover (DiCaprio), his informants, and how he became one of the most powerful men in U.S. political history. Reasoning: Aside from a stellar cast featuring the better–with–age DiCaprio, we always are both affected and won over by Clint Eastwood’s films. In a season of biopics, it’s the Dustin Lance Black–penned screenplay that has us jumping out of our seats to see this. Potential Downfall: After Black’s phenomenal Milk, J. Edgar could be a sophomore slump.
Moneyball Plot: Oakland Athletics general manager Billy Beane (Pitt) organizes a team on a budget based on the statistical analysis of Yale graduate Peter Brand. Reasoning: Aaron Sorkin co-wrote this adaptation of Michael Lewis’ hit book, and we’re loving the contrast to his most recent Social Network. The potential for this baseball movie to appeal to both die–hard fans and the sports–illiterate alike has us excited. Potential Downfall: Brad Pitt’s “acting.”
