Compliance garnered a lot of interest at the Sundance Film Festival, partly because it’s inspired by such an incredible story that it would be difficult to believe the characters do what they do – simply because an authority figure tells them to – unless it had really happened. When a caller, claiming to be from the police, convinces a fast food restaurant manager to interrogate an innocent young employee, no-one is left unharmed.

The bittersweet story of Eli Smith (Jesse Eisenberg), a piano prodigy, and his mother Penny who despite her cheerful, loving disposition, struggles with drug addiction. On the day of his audition for a prestigious music program, Eli’s mother (Melissa Leo) plans to enter rehab, but a glitch in the system forces them to enlist the help of an unlikely ally, her drug dealer Sprinkles (Tracy Morgan). Circumstances conspire that turn them into a comical yet determined band of collaborators who are forced to deal with their internal demons over the course of the day.

Don’t be surprised if John Hawkes’ name comes up during awards season for The Sessions. Based on the autobiographical writings of California-based journalist and poet Mark O’Brien, The Sessions tells the story of a man confined to an iron lung who is determined – at age 38 – to lose his virginity. With the help of his therapists and the guidance of his priest, he sets out to make his dream a reality and meets a sex therapist (Helen Hunt).

It’s interesting that after a 50-year acting career, Dustin Hoffman would decide that his directorial debut should be about British retirees, but considering the success of The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, perhaps he’s onto something. Based on Ronald Harwood’s play, the film is about Cecily (Pauline Collins), Reggie (Tom Courteney) and Wilfred (Billy Connolly), who are in a home for retired opera singers. Every year, on October 10the, there is a concert to celebrate Verdi’s birthday and they take part. Jean (Maggie Smith), who used to be married to Reggie, arrives at the home and disrupts their equilibrium. She still acts like a diva, but she refuses to sing. Still, the show must go on… and it does. The film is currently due out in the UK on January 4th, 2013.

Jessica Biel has a lot of weird stuff to deal with in The Tall Man, as when her child goes missing, she must unravel the legend of the Tall Man, an entity that allegedly abducts children. As in The Woman In Black, is does make you wonder why people with kids would stick around an area where children keep mysteriously disappearing, but it certainly adds jeopardy to movie. The film should be out later this year.

 

Just yesterday we posted a new UK trailer for Looper, and now a fresh US one has arrived, giving a different and yet still very exicting look a the time-travel movie. In the film Joe (Jospeh Gordon Levitt) works as a looper, a futuristic assassin who receives and eliminates targets sent back in time by a criminal organisation. The only rule is that you do not let your target escape – even if that target is you. Looper stars Bruce Willis, Joseph Gordon Levitt and Emily Blunt and is released on September 28.