Paul Whiitington previews the big movies that will be coming to a cinema near you this festive season

In a year where Hollywood has been hit by both recessionary winds and the aftermath of the 2008 writers' strike, there have been markedly fewer spectacular releases than usual. But Christmas is Christmas, and the studios have held back some of their big-budget spectaculars and most of the classy films they hope will bring them Oscar success.

The 2009 festive period will inevitably be dominated by the arrival of James Cameron's Avatar, the $3m sci-fi behemoth that will make the news whether it flies or flops. But there are plenty of other films to look forward to, and here are the highlights.

Where The Wild Things Are

Reviews of this Spike Jonze adaptation of the classic children's story by Maurice Sendak have been mainly favourable in the US, and it looks set to be the dominant kid's film of the Christmas period. Younger nippers, however, may be put off by its sombre tone.

Max Records stars as Max (above), a lonely boy with an overactive imagination who conjures up an entire world of strange and colourful creatures. And when Max succeeds in impressing the "wild things" by calmly returning their gaze, he becomes their king. Catherine Keener, Mark Ruffalo and the voices of James Gandolfini and Forest Whitaker star.

Out on December 11

The Red Shoes

Film buffs are in for something of a treat over the festive period as a sumptuous restored print of Powell and Pressburger's 1948 classic gets an Irish release.

Lovingly nursed back to health over a seven-year period by a team including Martin Scorsese, The Red Shoes now looks better than ever, and is one of the most magical and visually imaginative films you'll see this year.

Moira Shearer plays a talented but naïve young dancer who catches the eye of a brilliant and ruthless Russian ballet impresario. He makes her a star, but reacts furiously when her love for another dancer threatens to interrupt her rise to the top.

Out on December 11

Avatar

The big cheese of the winter releases, James Cameron's Avatar has been some 15 years in the planning and will be accompanied by a thunderous marketing campaign. With an estimated budget of anything from $230 to $300m, Fox will be desperate for it to succeed, and it's being released in both 2D and 3D format. A lavish sci-fi tale about a soldier who's paralysed from the waist down on Earth but is given a special "Avatar" body. His plan is to travel to a lush extraterrestrial moon and infiltrate a tribe of blue giants who will shortly be attacked, the film looks like nothing you've ever seen before, and is a typically grandiose James Cameron risk. We'll see if it pays off.

Out on December 17

Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel

The title says it all, but since the first of these Alvin and the Chipmunks updates was a lot less annoying than one might have expected, this harmless, tuneful sequel could do good business over Christmas.

Based on the 80s animated TV show, thefilm catches up with the three strangely harmonious rodents as they are sent off to school. Jason Lee returns as their kindly human benefactor, but so does baddie David Cross, who plays their embittered former manager who trains up a team of female singing chipmunks to get his own back on them. Following so far? I didn't think so. Anna Faris and Christina Applegate provide two of the voices.

Out on December 21

Sherlock Holmes

Having made something of a critical comeback after a string of flops with 2008's Rocknrolla, Guy Ritchie will be hoping for even better things from his big budget cinematic revival of Arthur Conan Doyle's much-loved Victorian sleuth. Indeed, if the former Mr Madonna gets this right, it could be the beginning of a very profitable franchise. Robert Downey Jr (right) stars as the eccentric London detective, while Jude Law plays his faithful sidekick Watson, and together they take on a threat to Britain itself after a devil-worshipping cult leader makes a sinister threat as he is being led to the gallows. The film will endeavour to mix action and humour much in the manner of the Indiana Jones movies, and you will decide if it succeeds or not.

Out on December26

Nowhere Boy

This ambitious British drama will attempt to enlighten us as to the inner workings of John Winston Lennon's troubled soul. Aaron Johnston (above) will take on the role of the teenage John, who is funny, sarcastic and hugely talented, but has been raised among secrets and lies. The woman he thinks is his mother is actually his Aunt Mimi, and when his errant real mother, Julia, turns up, the two sisters battle for John's love.

Thomas Sangster plays Lennon's mucker Paul McCartney, Kristin Scott Thomas and Anne-Marie Duff play the warring women, and English conceptual artist Sam Taylor-Wood directs her first feature.

Out on December26

Happy Ever Afters

An ambitious Irish romantic comedy from writer/director Stephen Burke, Happy Ever Afters imagines what might happen when two wedding parties collide at the same reception venue. English actress Sally Hawkins stars as Maura, a feisty single mother who's marrying for financial security rather than love, much to the displeasure of her eight-year-old daughter. In the other party, second-time groom Freddie (Tom Riley) is about to enter an ill-advised liaison with a demanding neurotic, but confusion reigns when the receptions get mixed up, and it looks like all bets might be off. We wish it well.

Out on December26

Did You Hear About The Morgans?

Not a screen couple you would instantly put together, Hugh Grant and Sarah Jessica Parker (below) star in this rather contrived-sounding romcom from Marc Lawrence, and perhaps their combined comedic talents will be enough to make it work. They play a driven and affluent Manhattan couple who are successful in every area of their lives except their marriage. In fact, they're about to separate when they witness a mob killing and are placed in a witness protection programme by the FBI. This entails moving to the wilds of Wyoming, abandoning their BlackBerry-dominated lifestyle and actually getting to know one another. Sam Elliott and Mary Steenburgen co-star.

Out onJanuary 1

Nine

Likely to trouble the scorers come Oscar time, Rob Marshall's Nine is a star-studded adaptation of an acclaimed 80s musical, itself loosely based on Federico Fellini's 8½. Mr Oscar himself, Daniel Day Lewis, stars as Guido Contini, a harried film director who's in the throws of a midlife crisis that's affecting his work and playing havoc with his private life. As he attempts to finish his latest film, he has to balance his time between numerous women, including his wife (Marion Cotillard), his mistress (Penelope Cruz), his artistic muse (Nicole Kidman) and an American journalist (Kate Hudson).

Out onJanuary 1

The Road

This eagerly awaited adaptation of the acclaimed 2006 novel by Cormac McCarthy was originally due to be released late last year, but was put back several times because of post-production issues. The fact that the Weinsteins are releasing it in early January suggests they think it has got Oscar potential, and it certainly has a wonderfully bleak story. Viggo Mortensen (above) plays a father who attempts to make his way across northeastern America with his son in the aftermath of an apocalypse, and they encounter roving gangs of cannibals. Charlize Theron and Guy Pearce co-star.

Out onJanuary 8

It's Complicated

This promising romantic comedy, written and directed by Nancy Meyers, boasts a refreshingly mature cast. Meryl Streep plays Jane Leisfield, a self-reliant divorcee who runs a bakery in California. She and her husband Jake (Alec Baldwin) have been separated for a decade, and he has married a much younger woman. But when they meet at their son's college graduation they begin having an affair, and Jane finds herself in the unlikely role of the other woman. Steve Martin complicates matters as an architect who falls in love with Jane while working on her kitchen.

Out onJanuary 8

Daybreakers

Advance word on this action vampire saga from Australian filmmakers Peter and Michael Spierig has been extremely good, and it apparently includes some breathtaking and groundbreaking special effects. It's 2019, and a plague has turned most of the world's population into vampires. This makes things awkward for the few remaining humans, who are keenly sought after as light snacks. But Ethan Hawke (below) plays a vampire with a conscience who searches for a way to save mankind. Willem Dafoe co-stars

Out onJanuary 9

- Paul Whitington

Irish Independent