12 Years a Slave (2013)

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In the antebellum United States, Solomon Northup, a free black man from upstate New York, is abducted and sold into slavery.

Director:

 Steve McQueen

Stars:

 Chiwetel Ejiofor, Michael K. Williams, Michael Fassbender, Brad Pitt

THE BUZZ: While it won't be an easy watch, Chiwetel Ejiofor finally gets a leading role in a project that should artfully exhibit his range as an actor. Steve McQueen reunites with Fox Searchlight, who distributed his last work, Shame, for another brave outing from the writer/director. We're interested to see how McQueen works on a larger scale given the depth of this cast and the period setting.

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Escape Plan (2013)

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When a structural-security authority finds himself set up and incarcerated in the world's most secret and secure prison, he has to use his skills to escape with help from the inside.

Director:

 Mikael Håfström

Stars:

 Sylvester Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger, 50 Cent, Vincent D'Onofrio

THE BUZZ: Whether this is one of your most-anticipated action movies of the year, or if you think the premise sounds like a metaphor for either Stallone or Schwarzenegger's chosen profession, the real downward spiral being felt here has to be by director Mikael Häfström.

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Carrie (2013)

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A reimagining of the classic horror tale about Carrie White, a shy girl outcast by her peers and sheltered by her deeply religious mother, who unleashes telekinetic terror on her small town after being pushed too far at her senior prom.

Director:

 Kimberly Peirce

Stars:

 Chloë Grace Moretz, Julianne Moore, Judy Greer, Ansel Elgort

THE BUZZ: It's unsurprising to see Brian De Palma's creation applied to modern times, the age of heightened awareness of peer-to-peer bullying. I'll spare you any commentary on the remake trend and say: at least the casting choices are ace. Though it will be completely different in tone, I will use Chlöe Moretz's performance as Carolyn Stoddard in Dark Shadowsas the litmus test for her stepping into a character immortalized by Sissy Spacek.

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Romeo and Juliet (2013)

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When the star-crossed lovers of two enemy families meet, forbidden love ensues.

Director:

 Carlo Carlei

Writers:

 Julian Fellowes (screenplay), William Shakespeare(play)

Stars:

 Hailee Steinfeld, Douglas Booth, Damian Lewis |See full cast and crew

THE BUZZ: With a wondrous supporting cast and a screenplay by Julian Fellows, this umpeenth take on Shakespeare's doomed lovers might sway an audience who might otherwise dismiss the version as fodder for a younger generation. We love seeing how hard Hailee Steinfeld has been working since her True Grit breakthrough.

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The Fifth Estate (2013)

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A dramatic thriller based on real events that reveals the quest to expose the deceptions and corruptions of power that turned an Internet upstart into the 21st century's most fiercely debated organization.

Director:

 Bill Condon

Stars:

 Benedict Cumberbatch, Daniel Brühl, Carice van Houten, Alicia Vikander

THE BUZZ: The first Internet-maverick profile since The Social Network worked hard to create a a Zero Dark Thirty-level controversy/conversation with its marketing campaign. Julian Assange himself denounced an early version of the script, saying its structure was built on a series of lies - though it's hard to know which screenplay he saw, as DreamWorks used two different books as the basis of the filmed story. Don't expect his voice to be silent at any stage unless he wants it to be. In lighter news, director Bill Condon might find himself back in Oscar contention for the first time since his Chicago screenplay, and we will take our Benedict Cumberbatch starring roles in any form.

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Machete Kills (2013)

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The U.S. government recruits Machete to battle his way through Mexico in order to take down an arms dealer who looks to launch a weapon into space.

Director:

 Robert Rodriguez

Stars:

 Danny Trejo, Alexa Vega, Mel Gibson, Jessica Alba

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Captain Phillips (2013)

The true story of Captain Richard Phillips and the 2009 hijacking by Somali pirates of the US-flagged MV Maersk Alabama, the first American cargo ship to be hijacked in two hundred years.

Director:

 Paul Greengrass

Writers:

 Billy Ray (screenplay), Richard Phillips (based upon the book "A Captain's Duty: Somali Pirates, Navy SEALS, and Dangerous Days at Sea" by)

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