Hollywood movies to watch out for

We pick out the imports you should absolutely not miss during the latter half of 2011

The second half of any year is always the most exciting for cinephiles. This is the time of the year studios choose to release their top Oscar-bait films: the ones that end up receiving award nominations.

The latter half of 2011 has an exciting mix of films.

Offerings from A-list directors like Steven Spielberg and Martin Scorsese (who makes his 3D debut with Hugo later this year), which could very well attain both critical as well as commercial success.
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Without further ado, here's a look at some Hollywood movies any self-respecting cineaste should watch out for during the remainder of this year:

The Tree Of Life (July 29)
Terence Malick's sweeping new drama, which was originally scheduled to release this week, shall (hopefully) arrive in Indian theatres next Friday.



This year's Palme D'Or winner at Cannes, The Tree Of Life is an impressionistic tale of, well, life, as it follows the journey of a man who traces his life from his bittersweet childhood in Midwestern America to his disillusioned adult years.

Epic and unconventional in its narrative, this film has polarised audiences (its first screening at Cannes drew simultaneous boos as well as applause) but critics everywhere seem to agree that The Tree Of Life, which stars Brad Pitt and Sean Penn, is not a film one can ignore.

Contagion (October 21)
Director Steven Soderbergh is best known to audiences for the Ocean's Eleven films and revered by film nerds for art-house favourites like Sex, Lies and Videotape and Traffic.



Now, he will attempt to break middle ground with Contagion, a smart sci-fi thriller about a killer virus with a dream cast that includes Matt Damon, Marion Cotillard, Kate Winslet and Jude Law.

The heart-stopping trailer contains shades of 2008's Blindness, a film that while equally promising initially was eventually panned by critics. Will Soderbergh deliver? Let's wait and watch.

The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn (November 11)
With Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 out of the way, this is easily the most awaited movie of the year. From director Steven Spielberg in collaboration with Peter Jackson, this motion-capture 3D animated movie has been in the making for over two years.



The Tintin comics have a sizeable following in India and initial trailers, which show Jamie Bell as Tintin and Andy Serkis as Captain Haddock, have already generated excitement amongst fans.
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The best part? Indian moviegoers will be one of the first to watch it in the world as The Secret Of The Unicorn releases here two whole months before it does so in the United States.

The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo
(December; date not fixed yet)
The first adaptation of Swedish author Stieg Larsson's sexually violent Millenium series opener, directed by Swedish filmmaker Niels Arden Oplev in 2009, received overwhelming critical acclaim.
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It's only appropriate, therefore, that David Fincher, who made The Social Network last year, be chosen to direct the Hollywood adaptation of this chilling detective thriller.

With a stellar cast that includes Daniel Craig and Rooney Mara, an impressive trailer and a background score from Oscar-winner Trent 'Nine Inch Nails' Reznor, this film has 'must-watch' written all over it.

Sequels Galore
If you're a fan of franchises, you might not want to miss the following movies:
>> Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes (August 5)
>> Spy Kids: All The Time In The World in 4D (August 19)
>> Johnny English 2 (September 16)
>> Paranormal Activity 3 (October 21)
>> The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 1 (November 18)
>> Happy Feet 2 (November 18)
>> Piranha 3DD (November 25)
>> Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol aka MI-4 (December 16)
>> Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows (December 16)
(Some release dates given in this article are subject to change)