Fall Film Preview

Target audiences change with the seasons. Thankfully, summer is behind us and more mature films are on the horizon. Paving the way for the Oscar nominations, the following films look as though they may be headed in the right direction.

‘GONE GIRL’
Edgy director David Fincher adapts the bestselling novel about a man whose pregnant wife has suddenly disappeared. Is she dead or just gone? If “homicide begins at home,” hubby’s on the hot seat. Rosamund Pike stars as the wife and comments, “The dread is overpowering.” Ben Affleck portrays the husband whose identity becomes defined by massive media attention. Oct. 3

‘WHIPLASH’
Director Damien Chazelle manages to make the world of competitive bands exhilarating and electrifying. The always-wonderful J.K. Simmons plays a relentless, intimidating and abusive band conductor who mentors a new drum prodigy (Miles Teller). Chazelle’s extraordinary ability to inject “thriller-level tension” into musical education sounds fetching. It was a smash at Sundance. Oct. 10

‘BIRDMAN’
A dark comedy starring Michael Keaton as a washed-up actor once celebrated for playing the superhero, Birdman. In an effort to resuscitate his career he embarks upon an overly zealous project to write, direct and star in a Broadway play. Go-for-the-jugular Alejandro Inarritu directs this “showbiz satire” that sports an all-star cast including Edward Norton, Emma Stone and Naomi Watts. Could it be art imitating life for former “Batman” Keaton? Hmm. Oct. 17

‘FURY’
A fictional World War II story directed by David Ayer, who’s obsessed with historical accuracy. Set in 1945, the commander of a Sherman tank (“Fury”) and his crew take on a deadly mission behind enemy lines. Rumored to be an “unfiltered look at what it’s like to be a soldier.” Brad Pitt stars as the sergeant-in-charge (“Wardaddy”) while Michael Pena, Shia LaBeouf, Logan Lerman and Jon Bernthal bring up the rear (all of whom went through a week of rigorous boot camp). Oct. 17

‘FORCE MAJEURE’
 In this “unsettling psychological thriller” a married couple’s vision of one another is altered by a reaction to a perceived catastrophe. When an approaching avalanche threatens a vacationing Swedish family, the father abandons them to take cover. His act of self preservation changes the entire landscape of his familial relationships. Director Ruben Ostlund captures stunning footage of a real-life avalanche in British Colombia. Not your traditional disaster movie. Oct. 24

‘BEFORE I GO TO SLEEP’
Nicole Kidman and Colin Firth also have some unusual marital problems in this all-is-not-what-it-seems thriller. Kidman’s character wakes up every day with no memory of her life after having been in an accident years ago. Her supposedly supportive husband and her neurologist (Mark Strong) are becoming suspect. Or is she truly unraveling? Rowan Joffe directs and scripts this “unsettling and tension-filled film.” Oct. 31

‘ROSEWATER’
Comedian Jon Stewart gets dead serious in his directorial debut. In 2009, Iranian journalist Mazir Bahari made an appearance on “The Daily Show.” A satirical sketch with Jason Jones was used as evidence of treason by the Iranian government and, subsequently, Bahari was arrested, imprisoned and tortured for 118 days. Stewart documents his ordeal (after his release) and exposes the risks faced by journalists “for the crimes of bearing witness.” The excellent Gael Garcia Bernal stars. Filmed in Jordan. Nov. 7

‘INTERSTELLAR’
Sometimes sci-fi action flicks can unexpectedly excel (think: “Gravity”). When director Christopher Nolan and Matthew McConaughey team up for a cinematic space odyssey, things could get incredibly spectacular. The story is set in the near future when Earth is running out of food, which requires space travel in search of solutions. A “stellar” cast that includes Jessica Chastain, Ann Hathaway, Michael Caine and Casey Affleck should guarantee huge box office appeal. Nov. 7

‘FOXCATCHER’
Steve Carell gets uncharacteristically dark as the eccentric millionaire John DuPont in this true crime story. In 1988, DuPont decides to bankroll the training of wrestling brothers Mark and Dave Shultz (Channing Tatum and Mark Ruffalo) who are destined to compete in the Seoul Olympic Games. Things get horribly out of hand in this psychological thriller based on a “sick, twisted story” of victimization. Bennett Miller won for “Best Director” at Cannes this year. Look for an Oscar in 2015. Nov. 14