Coming Soon… July Movie Releases

July is typically a month when I think about major summer blockbusters, but the movie releases catching my eye this month are cheap on the special effects, in a good way.

They may lack the crazy explosions and 3D glasses, but these three movies have the potential to be big… Plus, how many Transformers movies do you really need to see? They all look the same (sorry, Michael Bay).

“Begin Again”

Their complementary talents and bond over being dumped—one from a relationship, the other from work—make for the start of a great friendship for Greta (Keira Knightley) and Dan (Mark Ruffalo). Greta, a singer/songwriter that’s recently been kicked to the curb by her newly successful musician boyfriend, Dave (Adam Levine), is performing at a bar where Dan is drinking away his sorrows after losing his record producer job. This story has potential, but also some areas of concern. Half of “The Voice” judging panel (Levine and CeeLo Green) appear in the movie, which I love and fear simultaneously. I feel like musician-actor crossovers can go horribly wrong. What I didn’t know until recently is that Adam Levine took this role for no money. He just wanted the acting experience. That’s pretty cool.

Release Date: July 2

“A Long Way Down”

Based on Nick Hornby’s best-selling novel, “A Long Way Down” is the story of four strangers (Pierce Brosnan, Toni Collette, Imogen Poots and Aaron Paul) that meet on the roof of a  building on New Year’s Eve, ready to jump. Instead, the four form a bond as they share their stories. More importantly, they help each other realize why they shouldn’t jump.

Release Date: July 11

“Wish I Was Here”

This is the type of trailer I love. It evokes emotion with almost no dialogue and sets the tone for what seems to be a chaotically beautiful film without giving much away. “Wish I Was Here” has the potential to be another “Garden State” for Braff, coming 10 years after his directorial debut success. The story seems to be a combination of reality and fantasy, which begs the question: What makes these characters want to escape reality? The trailer left me wanting more. And you know what else I like about this? Braff took to Kickstarter to finance the film in April 2013. While it wasn’t exactly a smooth process, I like the fact that Braff used the crowdfunding platform to make his fans feel like they were part of this project.

Release Date: July 18

So what’s your pick? Tweet @litdarling with the movie you plan on checking out this month.