Coming Soon: A Moviegoer’s Guide to November

“Foxcatcher”

Who: Steve Carell, Channing Tatum, Mark Ruffalo and Vanessa Redgrave
What: Based on the true story of Mark Schultz, an Olympic wrestler whose relationship with sponsor John du Pont led to unlikely circumstances.
When: November 14th
Why: After being removed from its original December 2013 release date so that director Bennett Miller could fine-tune the movie, “Foxcatcher” is finally coming to theaters nearly a year later. Not because Sony Pictures Classics didn’t know what to do with it, mind you, but because the studio wanted to capitalize on the film’s awards potential. Steve Carell is certain to earn a nomination for his transformative performance (even if he looks more like Gru from “Despicable Me” than the real-life du Pont), while both Channing Tatum and Mark Ruffalo are rumored to deliver solid work as well. Though it’s always tricky when adapting a true story to preserve suspense, Miller appears to have crafted a really intense thriller that’s as chilling as the actual events.

“Dumb and Dumber To”

Who: Jim Carrey, Jeff Daniels, Laurie Holden and Kathleen Turner
What: 20 years after their first adventure, Lloyd and Harry head out in search of Lloyd’s long-lost daughter in the hope of gaining a new kidney.
When: November 14th
Why: A sequel to the Farrelly brothers’ 1994 comedy may have been a good idea 10 years ago, but two decades seems like far too long for anyone to care. It doesn’t help that the Farrellys haven’t made a good movie since 1998’s “There’s Something About Marry” (though “Shallow Hal” and “Fever Pitch” have their merits), lending credence to the theory that audiences are tired of the duo’s brand of slapstick humor. With that said, it’s hard to imagine both Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels agreeing to reprise their roles if the script wasn’t good, as that was reportedly a major reason for its delay, and early trailers suggest that they’ve recaptured the so-dumb-its-funny tone of the original.

“Rosewater”

Who: Gael Garcia Bernal, Shohreh Aghdashloo, Claire Foy and Kim Bodnia
What: A journalist is detained in Iran for more than 100 days and brutally interrogated in prison.
When: November 14th
Why: It makes sense that Jon Stewart would choose a politically-themed movie for his directorial debut, because he spends every day embroiled in that world on Comedy Central’s “The Daily Show.” What makes his involvement in “Rosewater” so interesting, however, is the inadvertent effect that Stewart had on the real-life Maziar Bahari’s imprisonment following his 2009 appearance on the variety series. Though Stewart’s closeness to the material (he and Bahari became good friends after the incident) could actually work against the film, I’m willing to bet that Stewart would have had the good sense to step away from the project if that were an issue. Whether or not he has the talent to do Bahari’s memoir justice is a completely different story.

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