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Kristen DiLemmo Assistant A’E Editor Winter Film Preview

“The Chronicles of Narnia: The… Kristen DiLemmo Assistant A’E Editor Winter Film Preview

“The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe”

Jumping on the immensely successful fantasy epic bandwagon, director Andrew Adamson tackles the work of C.S. Lewis. In “The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe,” the four Pevensie children slip through an enchanted wardrobe into the land of Narnia. The whole spectrum of magical creatures is ruled by Aslan the lion (voiced by Liam Neeson), but his kingdom has fallen under the power of an evil witch (Tilda Swinton) and needs the help of the human children. Although the enormous battles seem softened for younger audiences, there’s little doubt that Adamson matches the scope of Lewis’ vision.

Release Date: Dec. 9

“Brokeback Mountain”

Director Ang Lee’s groundbreaking project, “Brokeback Mountain,” follows the love story of two cowboys, Jack (Jake Gyllenhaal) and Ennis (Heath Ledger). Set in Wyoming in 1960, it is the story of two young men who create a powerful bond in the wilderness one summer in spite of the severe social stigmas. As the men age and start families, they cannot shake the connection formed years before. Lee’s approach appears to merge the pastoral with harsh, punctuating moments, creating an air both serene and affecting. The waves of controversy are already rippling, but Lee’s piece promises a beautiful, poignant love story that can’t be missed.

Release Date: Jan. 2006

“Syriana”

As if the current administration wasn’t taking enough heat, director Stephen Gaghan explores various facets of the international oil industry in “Syriana.” A ring of corruption is shamelessly utilized in the interests of money, and two cogs of the wheel get a glimpse of what happens when big industry doesn’t consider the human factor. As CIA operative Bob Barnes (George Clooney) and oil broker Bryan Woodman (Matt Damon) uncover the drastic consequences of their actions on mankind, the truth is sure to shock us even more than it does them.

Release Date: Dec. 9

“King Kong”

Directed by Peter Jackson In the 1930s, filmmaker Carl Denham (Jack Black), along with Ann Darrow (Naomi Watts) and Jack Driscoll (Adrien Brody), travels to Skull Island to investigate its reputed enormous gorilla, Kong. It turns out that the island hosts a slew of prehistoric beasts, and naught but the beauty of Ann can tame Kong long enough to bring the creature to New York and a dramatic end. Jackson enlisted Andy Serkis, the man behind Gollum, to bolster Kong’s movements and expressions, so the gorilla’s computer-generated performance is bound to be as stunning as the spectacle. While remaking the stop-motion classic is no small task, Jackson has more than proven his ability to tackle massive, mind-blowing projects.

Release Date: Dec. 14

“The Producers”

Like the fantasy epic, the stage-to-celluloid trend keeps upping the bar. Following closely behind the release of “Rent,” director Susan Stroman brings us the musical hit, “The Producers.” A former Broadway success and current flop, producer Max Bialystock (Nathan Lane) embraces a scheme to make some easy cash. Following the advice of his accountant, Leo (Matthew Broderick), Max puts on a ridiculously bad show featuring Ulla (Uma Thurman) called “Springtime for Hitler.” He hopes to pocket the surplus from the budget when it flops, but nothing goes according to plan in this outrageous comedy.

Release Date: Dec. 16 (limited), Jan. 13 (wide)

“Memoirs of a Geisha”

Director Rob Marshall (“Chicago”) follows a highly artistic and artificial lifestyle in Memoirs of a Geisha.” Set in 1929, young Sayuri Nitta (Ziyi Zhang) is sold to a geisha house to learn the art of entertaining men via conversation, singing and dancing. She must master the skills in order to maintain her tenuous position in society, but her spirit of independence compels her to transgress her role when she falls in love with the Chairman (Ken Watanabe). The juxtaposition of Sayuri’s surreal beauty with the cold imagery of World War II in its early stages will surely demonstrate Sayuri’s turbulent and stirring life.

Release Date: Dec. 23