Concrete Playground’s Summer Movie Guide 2013/14

Overview

Whether it's in the insect-dappled heat of an outdoor cinema or in the sweet smack of an airconditioned theatre, summer is the season of movies. We just have more time for leisure this time of year, and not all of it can be spent running and swimming around.

Many of the year's biggest releases are coming out in the next three balmy months. These are the ones you should start getting excited for now.

The Spectacular Now

Out: Now

A teen movie about a cool guy and a dorky girl falling in love that's somehow real and honest? It's a Christmas miracle.

Kill Your Darlings

Out: Now

Daniel Radcliffe kills off the memory of Harry Potter with a convincing portrayal of US beat poet Allen Ginsberg for which he has a heady trinity of straight sex, gay sex and self-sex.

American Hustle

Out: December 12

Clearly knowing he was on to a good thing, Silver Linings Playbook director David O. Russell reunites Jennifer Lawrence and Bradley Cooper and adds Christian Bale, Amy Adams, Jeremy Renner, Robert De Niro and Louis CK. Other good omens: this screenplay once made the famous 'Black List' of unproduced screenplays and used to be more blatantly titled 'American Bullshit'.

Anchorman 2

Out: December 19

If that maxim about the strength of the marketing being inversely proportional to the quality of the film holds true, Anchorman 2 will be the worst movie ever. Still, we've got our fingers crossed for this sequel ten years in the making.

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug

Out: December 26

There's nothing like Boxing Day tradition, and Peter Jackson and Warner Bros. Pictures are hoping that yours only grows stronger with a fifth year of epic Tolkien adventure. It's a no brainer.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=ksrkKXoEJbM

The Railway Man

Out: December 26

The combination of Colin Firth and Burning Man director Jonathan Teplitzky make The Railway Man worth seeing. It's also the go-to Boxing Day film for people who like crying and catharsis around the holidays.

The Secret Life of Walter Mitty

Out: December 26

The Secret Life of Walter Mitty is Hollywood at its best. Deeply funny, optimistic, life-affirming and full of pretty pictures, the film follows a quiet LIFE magazine staffer, played by Ben Stiller, who learns to seize the day. Kristen Wiig is in it, too, so yay.

Short Term 12

Out: December 26

Hot for: This is all a bit deep and wounded for a Boxing Day release, but try it, okay? With one of those hard-to-summarise plots centring around the kids and their barely adult supervisors at a temporary foster care facility, it's compulsively watchable and super emotional.

Philomena

Out: December 26.

On the one hand, Philomena looks a bit fusty and British. On the other, it's written by Steve Coogan, directed by the indomitable Stephen Frears (The Queen, High Fidelity, Dangerous Liaisons, etc etc), stars Dame Judi Dench and will probably kick arse if you give it a chance.

August: Osage County

Out: January 1

This may look like blatant Oscar bait, but it's too fucked up for that. Which isn't to say it won't win anyway, with incredible performances from Meryl Streep and Julia Roberts, among a star-studded ensemble cast. Based on probably the best play of the last decade, it's genius-level hilarious.

The Book Thief

Out: January 9

Your favourite adorable Nazi Germany bibliophilic bildungsroman has been made into a film. Now with extra adorableness thanks to the girl child from Monsieur Lazhar.

Saving Mr Banks

Out: January 9

Disney engages in a spot of personal myth-making with a story about the meeting of Walt Disney and PL 'Mary Poppins' Travers. A bit off-putting, but it involves Emma Thompson being excellent as the steely Travers.

Her

Out: January 16

Anticipation is through the roof for this, the dystopic love story from cult filmmaker Spike Jonze (Where the Wild Things Are, Being John Malkovich). Joaquin Phoenix is the brooding protagonist, and Scarlett Johansson is the operating system he falls in love with.

Inside Llewyn Davis

Out: January 16

You can't not pay attention to a Coen Brothers release. It's not heavy on plot, but proceedings definitely include a '60s folk singer, a cat and Carey Mulligan.

The Wolf of Wall Street

Out: January 23

If you thought Leonardo DiCaprio was draped in obscene riches in Gatsby, you ain't seen nothing yet. This three-hour Martin Scorsese comedy, of sorts, is based on a real person's memoir of pre-recession fraud and fun times.

The Great Beauty

Out: January 23

On the one hand, this is an unassuming Italian number about a one-hit wonder novelist coming down to earth in a beautiful way. On the other, it's made a lot of international critics' top ten lists for the year, so we're all ears.

Grudge Match

Out: January 30

We're not necessarily recommending you should see this. But you should most definitely be aware that a movie exists in which Sly 'Rocky' Stallone and Robert 'Raging Bull' De Niro fight each other.

12 Years a Slave

Out:January 30

Splashed on best-of lists the globe over, 12 Years a Slave is the third film from the unflinching director of Hunger and Shame, Steve McQueen. The wonderful Chiwetel Ejiofor stars in this surely harrowing slavery story you just have to sit through.

Robocop

Out: February 6

Look, this could go either way. It's summer, so let's be optimists.

Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom

Out: February 6

Reviews haven't been all positive, but it can only be worthwhile spending time with such an incredible life story. Universally praised at least is Idris Elba's performance in the lead role.

Dallas Buyers Club

Out: February 13

Matthew McConaughey gets skinny and gives a performance that no one can pay him out for. His Ron Woodroof, an '80s cowboy diagnosed with AIDS who takes to smuggling the pharmaceuticals he wants, has some cut-through lessons about the medical profession.

Wolf Creek 2

Out: February 20

It's been nearly ten years since the first instalment of this Australian 'torture porn' flick. And because its iconic status just seems to keep on building, we may as well have another.

Nebraska

Out: February 20

You can tell it's the end of summer, because, like the fashion, the movies get more monochrome. Nebraska is the latest from Alexander Payne, director of The Descendants and Sideways, and follows a quirky father-and-son road trip.