Trailerblazing -- The Imitation Game/Stonehearst Asylum/Interstellar

The Imitation Game (2014) -- November 21, 2014 -- directed by Morten Tyldum -- starring Benedict Cumberbatch, Keira Knightley, Matthew Goode, Charles Dance, Mark Strong

This film about cryptanalyst and mathematician Alan Turing, who had contributed to the end of World War II by breaking the German Enigma code, is long overdue. No regard was paid to what Turing had done for history and for the world when he was prosecuted for homosexuality and convicted of indecency, and it was only last year that he was posthumously granted a pardon by the British government. His life and career make for a fascinating, albeit tragic, story and I am glad to see that Cumberbatch was chosen to portray him, since he does an incredible job with classy and eloquent dramas. He is a subtle yet intense actor, a rare combination that allows him to transform from a Star Trek villain to Sherlock Holmes to real life heroes like Turing. There are some excellent supporting players here -- Matthew Goode, Charles Dance and Mark Strong, to name but a few -- and I have to say that I am also loving Óscar Faura's cinematography. I have only heard good things about Tyldum's previous film Headhunters and noticed that he had several genres in the pipeline, so I expect that he will turn out to be one of those directors that are proficient with any type of tale. I am always interested in riveting true stories and cannot wait for Turing's narrative to take over our screens.  

Stonehearst Asylum (2014) -- release date TBA -- directed by Brad Anderson -- starring Kate Beckinsale, Brendan Gleeson, Michael Caine, Jim Sturgess, Ben Kingsley
 

Being a huge fan of Brad Anderson's work, I have been excited for this film ever since I first heard about it. Anderson does a great job with scripts that examine the darkest side of human nature -- please check out Session 9 and The Machinist if you have not yet -- and he is the perfect director for bringing Edgar Allan Poe's story about a mysterious asylum to life. This is one of those trailers, however, in which the main plot twist gets revealed, so I do hope that there are other surprises in store. The cast is impressive and the story looks gripping. On a side note, I would personally have preferred it if Stonehearst had stuck with the original title Eliza Graves, but that is a minor gripe. I look forward to any new Brad Anderson film, no matter what it is called.

Interstellar (2014) -- November 7, 2014 -- directed by Christopher Nolan -- starring Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway, Jessica Chastain, Michael Caine   

Calling Interstellar this year's Gravity might feel a little heavy-handed, but I am sure that some have already tried. The film about space explorers that journey through a wormhole looks like it combines the thrill of adventure with the power of metaphors, telling a story about love and aspirations through the lens of science fiction. Having given us such mind-bending films like Memento and Inception, Nolan's next logical frontier is space, and he is accompanied by a terrific cast on the ride. Hathaway's role seems extremely different from her previous ones, while McConaughey and Chastain have never worked with Nolan and frequent collaborator Caine always adds a dimension to the filmmaker's characters. Based on this trailer, it appears that November will bring us another contemplative hit from Nolan, one that is going to be discussed for months and years afterwards.