Today’s Warner Bros. package arrived with some nice titles. Here is what I got in alphabetical order.

HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS, PART I

Genre: Fantasy
Stars: Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, Bill Nighy, Alan Rickman, Ralph Fiennes, Helena Bonham Carter
Director: David Yates
Premise: The first part of the final chapter of the Harry Potter series finds Harry an outcast as Lord Voldemort and his Death Eaters take over the wizarding world and begin imposing their own laws.
Rating: (PG-13) for some sequences of intense action violence, frightening images and brief sensuality.
Oscar Chances: Tech: This film is sure to be a Tech contender at the Oscars in several categories including Cinematography, Original Score, Art Direction, Costume Design, Makeup, Sound Mixing, Sound Effects and Visual Effects.
Campaign-Proposed Categories:

• Best Picture
• Best Director
• Best Adapted Screenplay
• Best Cinematography
• Best Art Direction
• Best Film Editing
• Best Sound Editing
• Best Sound Mixing
• Best Costume Design
• Best Makeup
• Best Visual Effects
• Best Original Score

Rotten Tomatoes:
79% (211 critics; as of 11/23/10)
Metacritic:
67 out of 100 (41 critics; as of 11/23/10)

HEREAFTER

Genre: Fantasy, Drama
Stars: Matt Damon, Cécile de France, Jay Mohr, George McLaren, Frankie McLaren, Thierry Neuvic, Derek Jacobi, Bryce Dallas Howard, Marthe Keller, Lyndsey Marshal
Director: Clint Eastwood
Premise: A drama centered on three people — a blue-collar American, a French journalist and a London school boy — who are touched by death in different ways.
Rating: (PG-13) for mature thematic elements including disturbing disaster and accident images, and for brief strong language.
Oscar Chances: Unlikely: The film never ignited with audiences or critics, making it a was-running also-ran.
Campaign-Proposed Categories:

• Best Picture
• Best Director
• Best Original Screenplay
• Best Actor – Matt Damon
• Best Actress – Cécile de France
• Best Supporting Actor – Jay Mohr, George McLaren, Frankie McLaren, Thierry Neuvic, Derek Jacobi
• Best Supporting Actress – Bryce Dallas Howard, Marthe Keller, Lyndsey Marshal
• Best Cinematography
• Best Art Direction
• Best Film Editing
• Best Sound Editing
• Best Sound Mixing
• Best Costume Design
• Best Visual Effects
• Best Original Score

Rotten Tomatoes:
48% (161 critics; as of 11/23/10)
Metacritic:
56 out of 100 (41 critics; as of 11/23/10)

INCEPTION

Genre: Thriller
Stars: Leonardo DiCaprio, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Ellen Page, Tom Hardy, Ken Watanabe, Dileep Rao, Cillian Murphy, Tom Berenger, Marion Cotillard, Pete Postlethwaite, Michael Caine, Lukas Haas
Director: Christopher Nolan
Premise: In a world where technology exists to enter the human mind through dream invasion, a highly skilled thief is given a final chance at redemption which involves executing his toughest job till date, Inception.
Rating: (PG-13) for sequences of violence and action throughout.
Oscar Chances: Major: This film has box office prowess and critical plaudits supporting its end-of-year push for Oscar nominations.
Rotten Tomatoes:
87% (267 critics; as of 11/23/10)
Metacritic:
74 out of 100 (42 critics; as of 11/23/10)

LEGEND OF THE GUARDIANS: THE OWLS OF GA’HOOLE

Genre: Animation
Stars: Helen Mirren, Geoffrey Rush, Jim Sturgess, Hugo Weaving, Emily Barclay, Abbie Cornish, Ryan Kwanten, Anthony LaPaglia, Mirian Margolyes, Sam Neill, Richard Roxburgh, David Wenham
Director: Zach Snyder
Premise: When a young owl is abducted by an evil Owl army, he must escape with newfound friends to seek out the legendary Guardians to stop the menace.
Rating: (PG) for some sequences of scary action.
Oscar Chances: Unlikely: Too much competition for three Animated Feature slots. This one is a no-go.
Campaign-Proposed Categories:

• Best Picture
• Best Director
• Best Adapted Screenplay
• Best Art Direction
• Best Film Editing
• Best Sound Editing
• Best Sound Mixing
• Best Visual Effects
• Best Original Score
• Best Original Song – “To the Sky”

Rotten Tomatoes:
50% (104 critics; as of 11/23/10)
Metacritic:
53 out of 100 (21 critics; as of 11/23/10)

THE TOWN

Genre: Crime
Stars: Ben Affleck, Jon Hamm, Jeremy Renner, Titus Welliver, Slaine, Pete Postlethwaite, Chris Cooper, Rebecca Hall, Blake Lively
Director: Ben Affleck
Premise: As he plans his next job, a longtime thief tries to balance his feelings for a bank manager connected to one of his earlier heists, as well as the FBI agent looking to bring him and his crew down.
Rating: (R) for strong violence, pervasive language, some sexuality and drug use.
Oscar Chances: Solid: Ben Affleck’s second feature film has his best chances at nominations to date. A lot depends on how well it’s remembered at the end of the year.
Campaign-Proposed Categories:

• Best Picture
• Best Director
• Best Adapted Screenplay
• Best Actor – Ben Affleck
• Best Supporting Actor – Jon Hamm, Jeremy Renner, Titus Welliver, Slaine, Pete Postlethwaite, Chris Cooper
• Best Supporting Actress – Rebecca Hall, Blake Lively
• Best Cinematography
• Best Art Direction
• Best Film Editing
• Best Sound Editing
• Best Sound Mixing
• Best Costume Design
• Best Makeup
• Best Original Score

Rotten Tomatoes:
94% (194 critics; as of 11/23/10)
Metacritic:
74 out of 100 (42 critics; as of 11/23/10)