The Hottest Buzz Movies For Fall

It's September 2011, so let the games begin! The awards game in Hollywood, we mean, as Tinseltown's heavy hitters line up to release their films at the "serious" time of year. Winning the Academy Award on February 26, 2012, is the ultimate goal, but there are a series of milestones along the way that pave a path to Oscar, including the Critics' Choice Award and the Golden Globes. Entertainment reporter Jenny Peters talks about the high-profile flicks that hit the screens this fall.

Contagion Matt Damon's "Contagion" is out on September 9, and it's a truly chilling look at how a deadly virus moves quickly around the globe. Directed by Oscar winner Steven Soderbergh and packed with awards darlings like Gwyneth Paltrow, Kate Winslet, Jude Law, Marion Cotillard and Laurence Fishburne, it's a movie that will keep you up at night, worrying.

Moneyball; The Ides Of March Brad Pitt's fact-based "Moneyball" (9/23) heads into the world of baseball, along with Oscar winner Philip Seymour Hoffman; Hoffman has hedged his bets, as he also stars in Clooney's latest directorial effort, "The Ides Of March" (10/2). Clooney also stars in the political thriller about a presidential candidate whose methods for reaching the White House dash the idealism of one of his young staffers (Ryan Gosling).

Drive, Dream House Ryan Gosling has a hot flick, with "Drive" (9/16). That ultra-violent tale of a stunt driver who gets mixed up the Mob may just garner Albert Brooks his first Oscar, as he chews up the scenery in a truly memorable performance. Daniel Craig, Rachel Weisz and Naomi Watts take getting scared to a fever pitch in the thriller "Dream House" (9/30), the latest from director Jim Sheridan. The fact that Sheridan, whose credits include numerous Oscar nominations for films like "My Left Foot," "In America" and "In the Name Of The Father," has never taken home a trophy is a crime.

J. Edgar, Hugo Other heavy-hitting directors return this fall, too, with much-anticipated films. Clint Eastwood leads the pack with "J. Edgar" (11/9) his biopic starring Leonardo DiCaprio as Hoover, the legendary original head of the FBI. We feel confident in saying that Leo will wear a dress at some point in the story! Martin Scorsese brings "Hugo" (11/23) to life just in time for Thanksgiving; it's a family flick from the master, set in 1930s Paris. Hard to imagine, coming from the auteur who created "The Departed," "Goodfellas" and "Taxi Driver," but we're willing to watch anything he helms.

The Descendants, Carnage Sideways director Alexander Payne returns with "The Descendants" (11/23), casting George Clooney as a husband and father whose world is shaken when his wife suffers a bad accident. And no matter what you think of exiled Hollywood director Roman Polanski's guilt or innocence in his long-ago conviction of rape of a minor, he remains one of the world's best directors. The Chinatown auteur will try to prove that again with "Carnage" (12/16), which shouldn't be too hard considering his Oscar-winning cast of Jodie Foster, Kate Winslet and Christoph Waltz.

The Iron Lady And no hot buzz look at 2011's awards season would be complete without the ultimate actress' latest, and this one is a doozy. Meryl Streep stars as British prime minister Margaret Thatcher in "The Iron Lady" (12/16), reuniting with Phyllida Law, her "Mamma Mia!" helmer. In stills and previews for the film, Streep is a dead ringer for Maggie. How does she do it? It's easy to predict that she'll garner her 17th Academy Award nomination for the role, but she'll likely be in a fight to the finish with Viola Davis' masterwork in The Help. --Jenny Peters