Roll Film!

As a movie buff, this is my favorite time of the year, as studios unleash a torrent of great movies in time for the holidays and Academy Awards consideration.

Our family saw the new James Bond installation “Skyfall” last week, and while I am not a fan of that much violence, I still thought the movie was very well done: great acting (Judi Dench! Ralph Fiennes! Albert Finney! Javier Bardem!), fantastic cinematography (Roger Deakins!), expert directing (Sam Mendes!), plus a ton of entertaining references to previous Bond films. (See it yourself!) My husband, a huge 007 fan, says he thinks “Skyfall” is the best Bond film since 1981’s “For Your Eyes Only.”

But “Skyfall” is just one in a long line of great current & upcoming releases. Here are the ones I can’t wait to see:

• The Great Gatsby – Leonardio DiCaprio stars. ‘Nuf said.
• Quartet – A retirement home for opera singers is disrupted by the arrival of an insufferable diva, played by the incomparable Maggie Smith.
• Les Miserables – Hugh Jackman, Anne Hathaway, Russell Crowe, Amanda Seyfried, Helen Bonham Carter, Sacha Baron Cohen star in this epic screen version of the classic musical.
• The Master – Master-ful performances by Philip Seymour Hoffman and Joaquin Phoenix in this story about a cult leader and a disturbed war veteran.
• Argo – Another solid directorial (and acting) offering by Ben Affleck, about the 1980 secret CIA-Canadian operation to rescue six Americans from Iran.
• Lincoln – Daniel Day Lewis plays the 16th President during a critical period of the Civil War. Also starring Sally Field, David Strathairn, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, James Spader, Hal Holbrook and Tommy Lee Jones. Oh, and directed by Steven Spielberg.
• The Impossible – Moving story of a family caught in the 2004 Tsunami in southeast Asia. Stars Ewan McGregor and Naomi Watts.
• Silver Linings Playbook – Bradley Cooper plays a former teacher who tries to put his life back together after spending time in a mental institution.
• Arbitrage – Currently in limited release, this movie stars Richard Gere and Susan Sarandon in this story of a hedge fund manager in trouble, loosely based on the story of Bernie Madoff.
• Hitchcock – Anthony Hopkins plays the Master of Suspense, while Helen Mirren stars as his wife. Also featuring Scarlett Johansson as Janet Leigh.
• Flight – Heralded as one of Denzel Washington’s best performances ever (and that’s saying something), as a heroic airline pilot with his own demons.

Seriously, I think 2012 could go down as one of the best movie years ever. What else should I add to the list?