Story highlights
As we head into fall, dramas based on true stories come to the fore
Trailers for "13 Hours," "Black Mass" are attracting attention
Benghazi. Edward Snowden. Whitey Bulger. The Chilean miners.
As summer turns to fall, the movie schedule starts reflecting more serious, “based on a true story”-type films. Some of them may go on to Oscar gold. Others may suffer at the hands of both the box office and the critics.
But right now, when all we have are trailers, they look mighty interesting.
Here are five to watch for:
’13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi’
You wouldn’t associate a grim film about the controversial events of the Benghazi attack with “Transformers” director Michael Bay. Though he’s had a great deal of box office success, Bay isn’t exactly known for subtlety and nuance, and his films about real-life events – “Pearl Harbor” and “Pain and Gain” – aren’t the best in his oeuvre.
Still, the debut of the trailer got a lot of attention, and as more than one site observed, this may be Bay’s attempt at “Black Hawk Down.” John Krasinski stars; the film is due out January 15.
‘Snowden’
Speaking of subtlety and nuance, “Snowden” – which is due out Christmas Day – is directed and co-written by Oliver Stone, also not known for those qualities. But unlike Bay, Stone hasn’t had overwhelming success at the box office in recent years – and critics have been mixed on such films as “W.,” “Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps” and “Savages.”
Will “Snowden,” a political thriller, get him back in the Oscar race? The film stars Joseph Gordon-Levitt as leaker Edward Snowden.
‘The 33’
The story of the 33 men trapped in a Chilean mine gripped the world – and had a happy ending, with all surviving. Their tale was told in a powerful book, Hector Tobar’s “Deep Down Dark,” and now comes the movie, which stars Antonio Banderas, Juliette Binoche, James Brolin, Lou Diamond Phillips and Cote de Pablo.
“The 33,” which is directed by Patricia Riggen, opens November 13.
‘Black Mass’
So much for Jack Sparrow – or Tonto, for that matter. In “Black Mass,” Johnny Depp looks positively terrifying as gangster Whitey Bulger, the dominating Boston crime figure.
“Black Mass,” which is directed by Scott Cooper, is due out September 18. Benedict Cumberbatch plays Bulger’s brother Billy, a Massachusetts politician, and Kevin Bacon plays an FBI agent.
‘The Program’
Ben Foster (“Six Feet Under,” “Lone Survivor”) plays Lance Armstrong in this film from director Stephen Frears. It’s really not about the bike; instead, it’s about Armstrong’s drive to compete and do everything necessary to win. That included, as we now know, doping.
Chris O’Dowd plays David Walsh, the reporter who helped reveal Armstrong’s cheating. Dustin Hoffman stars as well. The film will premiere at the Toronto Film Festival in September.