Control -oh Joy Division *sniffle*
Lars and the Real Girl -Talented Ryan Gosling loves Bianca, a sex doll. Wonderful Emily Mortimer is concerned. Perfect Patty Clarkson says we should humor him: doctor's orders. And when Patty speaks, I listen. So I'll be humoring Ryan this weekend. And you?
Sleuth -Michael Caine returns to one of his earliest hits but plays the other role in this two hander. Jude Law, who previously reworked Caine's signature Alfie role, takes over the Michael Caine role opposite Michael Caine himself. Somewhere Todd Haynes and Charlie Kauffman are smiling
Terror's Advocate -Barbet Schroeder's new documentary on Jacques Vergés the French lawyer who defends terrorists
She has a hurricane in her. You're just looking @ the eye of the stormW I D E
Elizabeth: The Golden Age - I trashed it in my review but even so... if you love way over the top costume epics (and you probably do) it's a must see for the eye candy and overkill alone. One interesting note that few are talking about: Can Cate sell a movie? More on that topic if you're interested
The Final Season -an inspirational sports drama. god they make a lot of those
Tyler Perry's Why Did I Get Married? Why does this man always get his name in his own titles? Let's not make this a trend. Could you imagine...
Tony Gilroy's Michael Clayton -It opened in very limited release last week but it's fully wide now. "The Truth Can Be Adjusted" and so can this film's Oscar prospects after playing for the public. Let's see how it fares
James Gray's We Own the Night -Opening on 2,216 more screens than James Gray's The Yards ever got to despite the same director and male principals (Joaquin Phoenix & Mark Wahlberg). I guess that's the difference between Harvey Weinstein distributing you in 2000 versus Columbia Pictures (i.e. SONY) distributing you in 2007. That and its twin star risings during the intervening years
A N DTwo of the most divisive, best and longest films of 2007 just got easier to see. Ang Lee's Lust, Caution and The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford by the Director Andrew Dominik have added several cities to their nearly simultaneous creeping platform journey. Together they'll suck up 5 hours and 28 minutes of your time --but that time will be well-spent.
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Isn't there enough of a lot of movie genres? I mean the overload of Period Pieces. The overload of Romantic Comedies. The Overload of horror flicks? I mean don't act like it's just sports movie.
My prediction for Cate: $20 mil. (I'm going with, well, what used to be the "sequels gross 2/3's of the original" formula, before franchises being the norm). People just tend not to pluck down money for female-driven stories, especially those outside of the rom-com genre. I haven't seen TGA, but, despite the mixed reviews, I hope for Cate's sake I'm wrong and it makes $50+. That would be awesome and make me feel better about society.
P.S. I'm really surprised by "The Brave One"'s grosses. After Flight Plan, Panic room and another long Foster absence, you would have thought it would have done better. It makes you wonder why they even bothered with that tacky ending.
I'm just really, really, really, really, really glad that Across the Universe went wide(r) today! I still really, really, really, really, really want to see it.
And I'm really, really, really, really, really sorry that I keep saying "really, really, really, really, really". Really.
Control is so pretty.
vince --i'm not sure what happened with Brave One either. but there's a lot of possible culprits. You have to discount the quality right away since opening grosses have almost nothing to do with that.
so why did it do less well than Foster's others? I'm guessing she's bled some fans by making too many movies of the same genre and, seriously, now. Who really loved Flight Plan and thought "I can't wait to see Jodie's next thriller!!!"
grosses have less to do with quality than perceived quality so maybe people just assumed it would be throwaway... and those that care about reviews would've stayed away after all the unfavorable notices.
totally agree nat,i for one enjoyed her in the film but not the film itself often she is the best thing about her films but even when this was announced i thought it was very samey to the accused and the strong woen fights back thrillers she has been doing,jodie has said herself she can't play weak and thats what makes her less versatile than say julianne moore,maybe it is time like her turn in the inside man she did a 100% turnaround and played weak since she has not done that since maverick audiences would sit up and the academy i feel,i think her chances for a nod are gone.
You are so funny, you stormy queen. The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford by the Director Andrew Dominik... made my day.
Actually, We Own the Night already made my day. Go see it! I know it mostly got trashed or just ignored at Cannes, but I can't imagine it missing my Top 10 list.
Hoping Silent Light will make my day again in about an hour. Can one day be made three times? How am I not myself? Is it a crime, to look at Lange?
question.....what is going to be this year's "Sideways" & "Little Miss Sunshine"? I never get enough of those two....watch them over & over on on-demand.
juno
lars
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I not sure it's" Jodie Foster in Peril" fatigue. I think The Brave One was sold as an unpleasant, dark movie - as opposed to an exciting action movie, like Panic Room (which also heavily showcased Fincher's visual flourishes in the advertising), or Flight Plan, which was sold on a highly marketable hook - and a lot of people who liked - or at least went to- those other two movies looked at this one and said, "nah, not this time." I really think it's as simple as that. Though I guess we won't know for sure until the next Jodie Foster in Peril movie comes around.
I just finished seeing Lust, Caution which finally opened here in Houston and I don't understand the negative criticisms that are being made, specifically on the running time and the "lack of plot." It was long, but it sure didn't feel like it. There was always something happening, and when there wasn't, there was something interesting onscreen to engage you in. Also, I don't get why some people say that the movie has a threadbare plot. It seems pretty complicated to me, and there's a lot of individual events that happen - this movie does span four years afterall. Maybe because I've been movie deprived lately with grad school that I was just able to like it a whole lot more than the general consensus. Glad this site endorses it, though!
Everyone see Control. I doubt a film with a finer performance will come along this year (that would be Sam Riley's incredible central turn).
love your article on cate's bankability.. its about time someone point that out...
not that i dont like her, but i am so sick of how people trashing Nicole Kidman for doing something "not so right" sometimes when in fact Nicole has sold more tickets and a far more interesting actress than Cate's look at me acting...
Thank you, Nat
So, I'm one of those box office obsessed geeks. I get great pleasure examining marketing campaigns and such.
Sorry, but Cate cannot open a movie. Film lovers know who she is and will catch a movie with her, but for general audiences she alone is not a draw. A good chunk of the masses have never even seen her in a movie. I will be extremely surprised if The Golden Age breaks $8m opening weekend.
As for Jodie, it's not too hard to see why TBO hasn't done well. Warner Bros. did a really sh***y job marketing it. The campaign suggested a very violent movie featuring a woman running around killing men, thus alienating BOTH women (who stayed away because of the violence) and men (who saw it as some feminist propaganda) and others (liberals - who saw it as some vigilante right wing crap complete with killings of black stereotypes). So this movie was left virtually without an audience, except the hardcore JF fans and those who wandered in by mistake.
BTW, I don't think people have tired of seeing her in these roles,(though I am) it is her bread and butter after all. It's just the movie has got to have rave reviews or a promise of a fun two hours.
Off to see Lars - can't wait!!
re: "a good chunk of the masses have never even seen her in a movie."
Sorry forgot about LOTR! But still, my point is a good chunk of the masses won't remember who she is or where they've seen her, so won't go specifically to see her.
"You have to discount the quality right away since opening grosses have almost nothing to do with that"
Normally I would agree but The Brave One was targetted towards intellectual adults. The kind of people who read reviews and go "Hmmm, maybe we'll wait for that new George Clooney movie next weekend".
Also, people should see Control for no other reason than it's a biopic that doesn't end in alcoholism. Plus it's actually just very good in general. I keep thinking Sam Morton could make that play for best supporting actress if enough people saw the bloody thing. But I fear more Americans will, oddly, go for that sex doll movie instead.
The intellectual adults almost never show up opening weekend. They're the same kind that will wait a couple weeks so they can avoid crowded theaters and traffic.
Reason for why The Brave one didn't so well at the BO? I'm just gonna say it's becuase the same reason my friends and I got kicked out. It's rated R. Same reason why the Kingdom tanked...
Well I'm an intellectual adult and I always show up on opening weekends.
Control and Lars...I would see Lars for Emily alone
Control is indeed very pretty, like a photograhy book come to life - and gorgeously lensed by first-timer Martin Ruhe. Samantha Morton is excellent (supporting Oscar nom?), as is Sam Riley.
Finally saw "Away from Her" on on-demand last night. WOW! I really can't imagine Julie Christie not winning...
I can't understand this website's continual focus on Cate Blanchett. Do we sit around discussing the revenue of Julianne Moore or Joan Allen films? Did we really expect Veronica Guerin or Heaven to be international blockbusters? Is Kate Winslet to be criticised because Little Children didn't make more money?
the continual focus on cate blanchett is basically becaues I'M NOT THERE and THE GOLDEN AGE were both seen in the past couple of weeks.
if you'd been here a month or two ago when PFEIFFER had two films out she was the topic.
but i guarantee to slow down on the Blanchett (at least until I have to talk about her alot around Oscar time again) because I'm bored with her.
the box office article was written on a whim. I was curious about it so I investigated. The difference being that Cate Blanchett is in far higher demand than any other 30something actress so I was curious as to whether there was any box office reason. there's not. It's the intangibles she brings to the table --no harm in that. the intangibles are the reason many of the coolest or most interesting or best actors are cast.
Cate Blanchett was stunning in "The Golden Age". The film was bombastic and didn't support her the way it needed to, but she more than rose to the occasion again as Elizabeth, and I wouldn't be disappointed if she were nominated for the performance.
And I was one of the few that loved "The Brave One" and was none of those "groups" that would have been offended by the trailers coming into it. And being no real fan of Jodie Foster's to begin with (Oscars wise or the last couple of woman in peril picks she's been slumming in), I just liked the premise of "The Brave One" and bought a ticket. I thought it was great, and the audience I was with cheered at the "twist" of the ending. Oh well. The box office is a fickle beast.
saw Elizabeth - not the film I hoped it would be - but - costumes gorgeous - visuals gorgeous - Owen in a codpiece - gorgeous - and Cate's speech to the troops - shivers -
Just a point here - this film is being touted as another example of woman being unable to carry a lead and make money - tsk tsk - we all know many films make most of their money in international release - we also all know that older viewers - ones more likely to see a film like this - won't go to the theater and will get the dvd - we also all know that many films make most of their profit in dvd and cable - so why do we still obsess over opening weekend box office - and then use such an inaccurate measure of financial success as a way to say - woman in leads can't open a film ??? You want to talk about how much money a film makes - dont just use box office - use international, dvd and cable figures - cause by that standard many films that were losers at the box office have done just fine later on. If GA ends up being profitable after all is counted - will someone come back and write a column saying - oh I was wrong - woman leads can carry a film??
thats a good point --box office reportage (to which i am only a mildly curious newbie) does, in general, obsess over only one piece of it
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