One of the most anticipated movies of 2014 is a strange little film from Jason Reitman (Juno, Up in the Air) called Labor Day.
While the name evokes some kind of horrific anthology film where B-list actors and actresses pair up in a series of vignettes about finding quirky soul-mates a la Valentines Day or New Years Eve, it’s actually a film about a different kind of love story. Kate Winslet stars as a skittish, anxious single mother of a young boy, who is taken hostage by a man who appears to be the world’s kindest criminal, Josh Brolin. Over the course of the long weekend, as Brolin’s character hides out from the law in their suburban sanctuary, Winslet comes out of her shell and falls in love with this man who has inserted himself into her and her son’s lives. Hey, the heart wants what it wants.
While critics have had mixed feelings about the film (is it a thriller? a melodrama? both?), it’s clear that Reitman is taking a different approach to his filmmaking than he has with his last few hits — and that’s something noteworthy. We can all find out what that might be when the film hits theaters at the very end of the month on January 31st. Until then, here are plenty of new stills, courtesy of The Playlist, to tide you over:
