Christmas galore! December movie gala


December is the month when almost every industry flourishes and takes its best step forward. The same goes for the movie industry, which Hollywood has a long tradition of bringing their best movies of the year in December. It's just something about Christmas that makes people shine more, joyful, or just want to spend some money. This time, we've made our minds about the most deliciously, positively irresistible movies that we just have to see in December and here's a list to suit all tastes and flavors in the family, be they children movies, Sci-Fi, love, and so on.

Starring: Meg Ryan, Timothy Hutton, Kristen Bell, Justin Long
Director: Cheryl Hines
Release date: December 4

Again a movie where Meg Ryan has to cope with a bad break up, where her husband or lover suffers from bad-choice syndrome and she is left to pick up the pieces of their relationship. Not a heart warming feeling for Christmas, but at least it's Meg. And whatever Meg does it's funny. In Serious Moonlight, Meg Ryan is a serious attorney who faces her husband's wish of dumping her for another woman with the serious plan of confining him within house limits (or duct taping him in the bathroom).  Complications follow as the house is targeted by burglars. Thanks to Meg,  this movie will be fun and fresh.

Everybody's Fine

Starring: Robert De Niro, Drew Barrymore, Kate Beckinsale, Sam Rockwell
Director: Kirk Jones
Release date: December 4

With an all star line-up, this mellow drama is sure to fit right in the Christmas mood. Robert De Niro stars as a widower who decides to go on a surprise trip to see how his kids have been doing, and of course, he strolls right into deeper problems he ever thought of. This movie is the English remake of Giuseppe Tornatore's “Stanno Tutti Bene”, where you can bask in the soft glow of British humor, a guarantee for holiday relaxation.

Starring: Mark Wahlberg, Rachel Weisz, Susan Sarandon, Saoirse Ronan
Director: Peter Jackson
Release date: December 11

Director Peter Jackson uses special CGI effects to picture the young teenager Susie Salmon (Soairse Ronan) which narrates her afterlife story, after she dies being raped and dismembered. This is a hard to digest morality story, as the girl struggles to balance her emotions between hate and vengeance for her killer and sympathy for her remaining family. Although the movie is nothing short of a dark drama, Lovely Bones might bring some light and spur serious emotions in viewers this close to Christmas.
 
 

Starring: Anika Noni Rose, John Goodman, Keith David, Jim Cummings
Director: John Musker, Ron Clements
Release date: December 11

After such a rich year full of 3D animated movies like Up, Coraline, Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs, Ponyo etc., the grand finale is brought by Disney's 2D tale of Princess and the Frog. At last, Disney returns to the sacred and traditional 2D animation, and directors such as John Musker and Ron Clements known for their Little Mermaid masterpiece, are sure to create a wonderful and rich “princess” movie as all Walt Disney's long trail of experiences, like Sleeping Beauty, Snow White, Beauty and the Beast and Little Mermaid have proven. As for this movie's plot, well, it's nothing but the traditional line of girl meets frog, makes odd choice of kissing a yucky frog, and things go wrong and fun from here. 
 
 

Starring: Morgan Freeman, Matt Damon, Clint Eastwood
Director: Clint Eastwood
Release date: December 11

Clint Eastwood proves once more that he is a never ending stream of creativity, skill, and talent. Although he is close to 80 years old he still has a good vibe going on, and Invictus proves just that. Not only it looks like it's going to be a hell of a good movie, it might also claim some Oscars, as it tells the tale of Nelson Mandela's brilliant idea of using the Rugby World Cup from South Africa to unite the country torn apart by apartheid. Morgan Freeman plays Nelson Mandela, and Matt Damon plays the main star rugby player. As Client Eastwood for director, the movie is sure to bring about a deep human drama (as in Gran Torino), and a valuable past-time for the whole family. 
 
 

Starring: Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Stephen Lang, Sigourney Weaver
Director: James Cameron
Release date: December 18

We've kept writing about Avatar, here at Tuvabox, constantly feeding back trailers and news about this long awaited movie. As we know, James Cameron started working at this movie years ago, in 1994, and has eaten up a whooping budget of $300 million for CGI scenery and state of the art graphic work. Cameron took advantage, as years have gone by, of the advances in technology and the movie finally could look like what he had envisioned. Meaning a completely alien world, inhabited by a strange humanoid race who has to deal with war and destruction of their world brought about by greedy humans. The movie is in 3D and by now, everyone can identify the ten foot tall graceful blue aliens from the Avatar trailers. This movie also broke the record for the highest budgeted movie of all times, the last two records being also held by Cameron (for Terminator, and Titanic). There's just no missing out on this one. 
 
 

Starring: Hugh Grant, Sarah Jessica Parker, Sam Elliott, Mary Steenburgen
Director: Marc Lawrence
Release date: December 18

It's clichee and it's predictable, but it's Hugh Grant plus Sarah Jessica Parker at their best. There's no confusion surrounding this movie, as it is a custom tale of re-igniting love flames. Backed up by director Marc Lawrence (Music and Lyrics, Two Weeks Notice), Hugh Grant plays a wealthy New Yorker who is in divorce terms with his wife Meryl (SJP). The two of them become unexpected witnesses of a murder and are placed under witness protection program by the police in order to stay safe. They are sent to the virgin and untamed territories of Wyoming, where the whole cowboy mood makes them remember what they once had. But are leather boots and wild horses enough to glue a marriage back together?
 
 

The Young Victoria

Starring: Emily Blunt, Jim Broadbent, Mark Strong, Paul Bettany
Release date: December 18

Emily Blunt plays a very young Queen Victoria in this historical movie depicting the social lives of British royalty in the 19th century. Teenage Victoria must tread carefully in political waters in order to survive, while managing a complicated and limited love life including Prince Albert (Rupert Friend). The cast includes names like Paul Bettany, Jim Broadbent, and Miranda Richardson, and it seems that it has succeeded in acquiring some positive reviews after it was screened earlier this year, outside of US, especially Emily Blunt, for her brilliant performance as Queen Victoria. 
 
 

Starring: Daniel Day-Lewis, Marion Cotillard, Nicole Kidman, Penelope Cruz
Director: Rob Marshall
Release date: December 25

Nine is a movie adaptation of Federico Fellini's movie from 1953, 8  ½, which is a sort of autobiographical story about a film director caught in an inspirational roadblock. The well known movie has further inspired a book and also a musical that won a Tony Award. With Nine, Fellini's work is re-adapted for the big screens by director Rob Marshall (Chicago). The center stage is filled by famous and brilliant actors and actresses such as Daniel Day-Lewis, who plays the part of the troubled director, and Judi Dench, Nicole Kidman, Marion Cotillard, Penelope Cruz, and Sophia Loren. With such a first class cast and famous plot, this movie will surely be part of the next Oscar season. 
 
 

Starring: Heath Ledger, Christopher Plummer, Lily Cole, Andrew Garfield
Director: Terry Gilliam
Release date: December 25

This movie has Terry Gilliam written all over it. Known for movies like Monty Python, 12 Monkeys, The Adventures of Baron Munchausen, and The Brothers Grimm, Gilliam takes fantasy to a whole different level in The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus. Although this is Heath Ledger's last movie, we're pretty sure that it won't be a hit just because of this infamous fact, but because Ledger will deliver as always a flawless performance. Director Gilliam managed to adapt the movie to Ledger's sad passing away, by including Heath's friends Johnny Depp, Jude Law and Colin Farrell in the cast. Each of them will portray a different version of the Ledger character, a theater man who fights a surreal battle in order to win the soul of his daughter back from the devil. 
 
 

Starring: Meryl Streep, Alec Baldwin, Steve Martin, John Krasinski
Director: Nancy Meyers
Release date: December 25

What's a Christmas without Meryl Streep? Coupled by Nancy Meyers, a renowned writer / director with a taste for smart, adult romantic comedies, this movie gives everything it advertises. Picture a funny grown-up love triangle between Meryl Streep, Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin, and an additional great cast comprising John Krasinski, Lake Bell and Rita Wilson and you've got the perfect recipe for a wonderful story telling. The beautiful scenery of Santa Barbara represents the perfect background for this Complicated love affair that will definitely provide warm funny moments for couples. 
 
 

Starring: Robert Downey, Jude Law, Rachel McAdams, Eddie Marsan
Director: Guy Ritchie
Release date: December 25

When you mix Guy Ritchie with some of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's most famous literary work, the output may be something quite... exotic. At leasts this is how this Sherlock Holmes installment looks like right now. As the original stories were full of adventure and action, Holmes actually studied Japanese martial arts as in “The Adventure of the Empty House”, this action blockbuster starring Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law as Holmes and Watson will be one thrilled experience. Good to see that Rachel McAdams is there as Irene Adler, Holmes' main competitor in wit performance, to cool down the testosterone level.

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