With so many of the year’s biggest films released in the last few weeks before 2013, it's impossible to pick just one to see. In fact, for movie-goers, sorting through the season's film offerings is probably the most stressful thing about the holidays.
Don’t worry — we want to help you make the all-important decision. Here’s a look at what your cinema has in store this season.
A Diva Face-Off
It’s a battle of dueling divas — hide the hairspray. Barbra Streisand takes a road trip with her son, played by Seth Rogen, in the comedic film, “The Guilt Trip.” In “Parental Guidance,” Bette Midler partners with Billy Crystal to not-so-successfully babysit the grandkids.
Hot off the Presses
A flurry of headlines have made their way onto film — starting with Kathryn Bigelow’s “Zero Dark Thirty” about the hunt for Osama Bin Laden. “The Impossible” also draws from the news. It’s based on the real life story of a family that managed to survive the 2004 tsunami while vacationing in Thailand. “Promised Land” doesn't have a plot ripped from the headlines — but accusations about the film's political bias are fueling some headlines of their own. Matt Damon stars in this fictional account of families torn apart by a natural gas company's hopes to drill in their town.
Holiday Blockbusters
It wouldn’t be the holidays without big films and big stars. Tom Cruise headlines "Jack Reacher," an action film based on a book by Lee Child. Musical fans will rejoice at the long-awaited film adaptation of "Les Miserables," starring Hugh Jackman and Anne Hathaway — it is truly superb.
Sequels vs. Prequels
Fans of Middle Earth will rejoice with another opportunity to see Golem and Gandalf in "The Hobbit", the first film in a new Peter Jackson trilogy. And it seems everything is in decline for a middle-aged couple in Judd Apatow’s latest dramedy, "This Is 40" — which Apatow dubbed “a sort-of-sequel to ‘Knocked Up.’”
Lover’s Lament
Nothing says the holidays like infidelity — at least for the distributors of "Hyde Park on Hudson," which details the dalliances of FDR, played by Bill Murray, at the Roosevelt family country home. A more sincere romance, "Amour," is racking up raves for portraying the understated love story of an elderly couple contending with the wife’s declining health.
The Best for Last
Quentin Tarantino’s "Django Unchained," which stars Christoph Waltz and Jamie Foxx as a bounty hunter and his former-slave, is a masterpiece. Waltz and Foxx rampage their way through the South — bringing tidings of comfort, and revenge, to the holiday season.
