Weekend Forecast: 10/16/08
Hark. I hear the cannons roar. Is it the weekend approaching? It is. Let’s take a look at the new movie lineup.
- W. Generally lukewarm reviews aren’t doing much to give me hope for Oliver Stone’s treatment of George W. Bush, but I still want to see some of the performances, especially Josh Brolin’s.
- The Secret Life of Bees. I almost want to see this just to find out what the secret life of bees really is. Do you suppose it’s a drug habit? Maybe a porn addiction? Perhaps they’re closet Celine Dion fans. Whatever the secret is, Dakota Fanning plays a young girl in the Civil Rights era South on the road with Jennifer Hudson to find out about her late mother. Queen Latifah, Sophie Okonedo and Alicia Keys also star.
- Max Payne. John Moore, the director behind remakes of The Omen and Flight of the Phoenix, brings you this adaptation of the popular videogame series. Mark Wahlberg plays a widowed, justice-minded cop investigating a series of murders that may have a supernatural component. For fans, I’m sure there are subtle shadings between good videogame adaptations and bad ones, but it’s all lost on me. I like Wahlberg and Mila Kunis and in the right hands this kind of thing could be dumb fun, but nothing in John Moore’s filmography gives me any reason to hope this will be the case.
- Sex Drive. Horny teens take a road trip. Get it? Sex Drive?
Opening in limited release:
- What Just Happened? Based on the memoir by Hollywood producer Art Linson, Barry Levinson’s comedy What Just Happened? stars Robert De Niro as an aging, oft-divorced movie producer whose career is in a downward death spiral while the movie meant to save him is beset with problems. Also starring: Catherine Keener, Stanley Tucci, Robin Wright Penn, Sean Penn, Kristen Stewart, John Turturro, and Bruce Willis.
- Morning Light. Documentary about a group of teens racing a yacht across the pacific.
Opening in NY:
- FrontRunners. Documentary about the campaign for student body president at New York City’s Stuyvesant High School — because we’re just not sick enough of political campaigns. I vote for Joe the Plumber.
- Filth and Wisdom. The good thing about having Madonna behind the camera is that she’s not in front of it. Eugene Hutz (Everything is Illuminated) of the gypsy punk band Gogol Bordello stars in this comedy drama about a Ukrainian immigrant struggling to make it as a musician in London.
- Mary. Abel Ferrara’s drama starring Vincent Gallo, Sarah Polley, Juliette Binoche, Heather Graham, Forest Whitaker, Matthew Modine and Marion Cotillard made its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival in 2005. Here it is 2008 and it’s finally making its way into theaters in New York. Meanwhile, sewage like Sex Drive is pumped into theaters on a weekly basis. What is wrong with this picture?
Here are a couple of films recently reviewed by LiC that are expanding into more theaters.
- Ballast. The indie gem which opened in one theater in New York on October 10 makes inroads into Northern California this weekend. Look for it in theaters in San Francisco, Berkeley and San Raphael. Recommended.
- Rachel Getting Married. Jonathan Demme’s Altmanesque family drama starring Anne Hathaway is roughly doubling its theater count this weekend thus doubling your opportunities to see it. Recommended.
- Saving Marriage. The equal marriage documentary moves to a single theater each in Los Angeles and Boston. Recommended.
Finally, it turns out there are other places to catch new movies besides a theater this weekend.
- The Princess of Nebraska. Wayne Wang’s companion film to his recent A Thousand Years of Good Prayers premieres Friday on YouTube’s Screening Room service for the low low price of free. Check it out.
This edition of the Weekend Forecast was brought to you by The Kinks. Why? Because I said so.
Filed under: Weekend Forecast
Tags: Abel Ferrara, Alicia Keys, Anne Hathaway, Art Linson, Ballast, Barry Levinson, Bruce Willis, Catherine Keener, Dakota Fanning, Eugene Hutz, Filth and Wisdom, Forest Whitaker, FrontRunners, Heather Graham, Jennifer Hudson, John Moore, John Turturro, Jonathan Demme, Josh Brolin, Juliette Binoche, Kristen Stewart, Madonna, Marion Cotillard, Mark Wahlberg, Mary, Matthew Modine, Mila Kunis, Morning Light, Oliver Stone, Queen Latifah, Rachel Getting Married, Robert De Niro, Robin Wright Penn, Sarah Polley, Sean Penn, Sex Drive, Sophie Okonedo, Stanley Tucci, The Kinks, The Princess of Nebraska, The Secret Life of Bees, Vincent Gallo, W., Waterloo Sunset, Wayne Wang, What Just Happened?
Related Posts: - Weekend Forecast: 1/11/08
- Weekend Forecast: 7/18/08
- Weekend Forecast: July 4th
- Weekend Forecast: 11/20/08
- Weekend Forecast: 11/6/08
Hey, that’s San Rafael! I live only about a handful of clicks away! :-)
Can’t wait to see Ballast…
Joe the Plumber… haha…
Yay for The Kinks!
W. is partly a case of curiosity–which as we all know killed the cinephile.
Yeah, yay for The Kinks! lol
It’s all about Dubya this weekend, isn’t it?
Yup, it’s all about Dubya. As of now, it has a very attractive RT rating. Although Ebert is the only one who has given it a full on rave.
I misspelled “Berkeley” too…it was late, what do you want from me?
W. is only pulling a 46 at Metacritic so far, but there are only 6 reviews up.
Yay for The Kinks! My day is now 27% better.
I expect to wait a week or two at least to see W, if not longer. I read as much of the screenplay as I could stomach, and just found it a really tonally uneven mess that wasn’t clear what it wanted to be. I understand that the performances here are really the thing, but as much of a political junkie as I am (and trust me, I am at least as much of a news addict as I am an Oscar/film addict), I just can’t get excited about the idea of spending a couple of entertaining hours with the Bush administration. I think this blurb from RT is an apt description of the tonal problems I expect it to have: “This is no lampoon, but rather a tragedy with the trappings of farce.” (by Andrea Chase
Killer Movie Reviews–never heard of her).
I have had The Secret Life of Bees on my bookshelf for at least three years and still haven’t felt compelled to read it. I kinda feel the same about the film, though I think my interest would be higher if it weren’t for Dakota Fanning. I just can’t warm up to her and something about her delivery in the trailer just makes me cringe. A little too Lifetime Original or Hallmark Hall of Fame.
Max Payne, bleh. I predict overwrought action with hokey heightened dramatic interludes, all the usual painstakingly cool moments they can squeeze in it. I don’t care to see this one, even though I usually like Mark Wahlberg (though he didn’t seem to have much of a sense of humor about the rather absurdist SNL skit where “he” talks to animals).
I think it’s a little strange that What Just Happened? is opening limited. It seems like a prime candidate for a major wide push. Maybe I’m just disheartened because I picked it for one of my Moguls selections, on the premise that it sounds on paper like precisely the kind of smart, funny movie the Boomer+ people I know make an effort to go see, and because it’s a comedy in a dark time. A limited release, though? Makes no sense to me. But I heartily encourage all of you LiC’ers and your scores and scores and friends to go rush out and see it and take all your families so I can make a decent showing on the Moguls board. I think it really and truly is the sort of movie best appreciated with 100 of your closest friends. Spread the word! :-)
Mary? Never even heard of it. It’s got a Wonder Cast of Wonders, though. Hope it goes wide.
Haha, that’s the way to boost your slate, JB! Ever since What Just Happened? was panned at some festival I’ve been wary of it, but a local critic liked it a lot. Said it was pretty sharp about Hollywood biz culture.
I’ll post my review of W tomorrow. I’m a lot more positive on it than Danny B. or Pierre, and I’m going to chalk differing reactions to this one up to expectations - big time. If you’re looking for a rip-roaring, edgy SNL-type satire, you’re not going to get it, and you’ll no doubt be disappointed. It’s not like I thought it was going to be JFK or Nixon, but Stone wants to be taken seriously (even if he contends Bush shouldn’t be taken seriously) and I think this reflects that attitude - the guy doesn’t make comedies. It’s disjointed and it’s not perfect even as a serious film, but the performances are unbelievable. I saw Karl Rove on TV last night and just started laughing.
I kind of want to see Bees out of curiosity. I’ll admit it. Same with Mary.
On Saturday I’m hoping to see Rachel, The Pool, and Godard’s Breathless. I’ll be thrilled if I pull it off, as it’s my last chance - I’m crushed with work next week and then out on another trip. Back to Boston for a couple days, which I’m really excited about, and then a friend’s wedding on a lake in NH. Should be nice with the fall colors. So I’ll miss some movies next week (I think it’s a little sick that my life revolves so much around film release calendars - like when I heard about the wedding I was wondering what movies I would miss that weekend). Anyway, we also get The Grocer’s Son tomorrow, which I would definitely see again if not for my schedule. Crazy October days…
By the way, for those who have seen Happy Go Lucky - how much does this woman look like Zoe?
i’m probably gonna see ‘getting married’ at the rock out town (and no that’s not meant in a postive way) landmark.. this landmark has three screens. the big one down stairs. and too smaller rooms upstairs. and bt small i they have this sign saying something like 120 capacity. i didn’t think i’d love these small rooms. but i do. this is the think that’s gonna get me to the landmark more often !!!
getting married is gonna be in the big whatever downstairs tomorrow. and has tow shows in the smaller rooms 12:00 pm and 8:00 don’t think i’m going to be able to pull it together for either of those shows. *darn* so i gues i’ll be catching it in the large downstaid room(not a fan of that at all)
and hey lic kids/mavens. i’m so glad that stuff like blindness/w/the dutchess/body of lies whatever etc is getting out of chances for ultra box office and award runs. thank you god or whomever and when moves like this fall. that when i raise. ha ha..
really i would told you/ask you. whay are so enthused about these ??why so curious ??why all ultra pre hype ??. and i love that it’s all falling apart. and i love that you’re the ones picking it part. hey it saves me some work. *ha ha ha*
“You say it’s broken your dreams
They fall apart at the seams ”
:)
why don’t i give a damn about anything refed as having award potential ?? yeah…
Surprisingly enough, SEX DRIVE is a pretty funny teen-comedy (as its 73% RT score would reflect). I saw it back at ComicCon and, even though it was clearly made as a SUPERBAD rip-off, it forges an amusing path of its own with a breakout Amanda Crew performance. That being said, it’s not exceptional or anything…
THE SECRET LIFE OF BEES is pretty bleh, although the performances are as good as the names on its credits would suggest. Not really worth seeing.
MORNING LIGHT is mediocre, as well. It’s perfectly entertaining once you’re watching it, but there’s no reason to go out of one’s way to ultimately catch an MTV-series dressed up as a well-made self-promotion exercise for Roy Disney.
And I think my thoughts on W. are pretty well known.
So it’s a pretty boring weekend for me. I saw BLINDNESS yesterday night (one of the worst films of the year, IMO), so that’s no longer on the list. I see HAPPY-GO-LUCKY has a coveted 8:30 showtime in Pasadena next week so I can make on a weekday without enduring rush-hour traffic and without having to go to the late-show (which I’m always searching for), so that will have to be pushed to a weekday.
I guess that means another mainstream weekend of MAX PAYNE and WHAT JUST HAPPENED?… and maybe a repeat of NICK & NORAH or RACHEL GETTING MARRIED if I get bored. Could be worse.
I’m torn between being current and dragging myself in to see W or catching up on Appaloosa. This is one of those decisions I will likely make in the voting booth, er ticket line.
And I’m not even a plumber.
Hell, maybe I’ll make it a long afternoon and see both.
I also hope to see Trouble the Water this weekend, which finally arrives in town.
“APPPPAAALOOOSAAAA,” calls your conscience in the ticket line.
W.! W.! W.! You don’t want to be out of the loop, Joel. (Full disclosure: W. is one of my movies for the box office league. That a ton of people were turned away from the promo screening makes me think this is going to run away with it this weekend.)
Trouble the Water has cursed me. Somebody was supposed to lend me a screener of it but they keep forgetting. I don’t think it’s going to happen. Argh.
Damnit Danny, bursting my uninformed knee-jerk assumptions about Sex Drive!!!
I kid.
That’s a tough call Joel. Might I suggest a coin toss?
Glim, what’s your beef with Duchess and Blindness?
JB, I think the frosty Cannes reception Daniel mentions is what put What Just Happened into limited release territory. I reject Cannes reactions almost completely, so I still want to see it. I’m not expecting a lot however.
“This is no lampoon, but rather a tragedy with the trappings of farce.”
That’s an apt description, jennybee.
Daniel, I think that projecting the box office response to “W” is tricky business. Because of the subject matter — and Stone’s reputation as a controversial filmmaker — the media is generating a lot of curiousity about the film. So I think initial box office numbers will reflect that. I’d also guess that those who don’t see it in theaters will view it at home. That said, I just don’t see the film generating a significant surge of interest that will translate into big profits. But because the film was done on a relatively small budget, it’ll probably come out okay.
My feeling is that Stone has reacted to his critics by trying to be more impartial toward his film’s central character. In doing so, however, he seems to have lost not only his point of view but also his audaciousness — the very qualities that in the past have generated so much heat for him. Whether or not one agrees with Stone’s general point of view, his reputation was built on his willingness to take big chances and indulge himself in bravado. In “W,” however, we see those attributes coming out merely as punctuation marks — and tepid ones, at that.
It’s as if Oliver is suffering a crisis of identity.
Regarding the acting in “W,” these talented performers don’t get much to chew on. For instance, Ellen Burstyn’s best moment is really nothing more than a snap of her fingers. My guess is that this was her idea rather than anything in the script. Further, Dreyfuss’s best moments are medium shots with no dialogue. In other words, the actors do their best with what little they were given.
I have to admit, when I saw the trailer for Sex Drive in front of Eagle Eye two weeks ago today, I actually was surprised to find myself laughing at parts of it. So that made me believe it just might be okay.
Mary was made, I believe, four yeas ago. What an agonizingly slow period of time… If I were a certain disagreeable blogger, I’d say something like, “A film that has been in the can so long loses its luster; it’s the opposite of fine wine,” yadda yadda yadda. Since there are no disagreeable bloggers at LiC, I thought that unloved contingent of the “blogging community” had to be represented.
My guess is that W will live or die by the audience reaction. If it gets good word of mouth, it might do alright. If not, it will just reaffirm whichever way folks are leaning. Conservatives are going to assume its a hatchet job due to the trailer, liberals probably generally don’t want to spend any more time with W, and independents probably don’t have much interest in being preached to by Stone and liberal Hollywood.
The box office numbers are going to be really interesting, although I predict it’s going to do poorly. Other than the LIC crowd, I don’t know anyone who has any interest in it whatsoever.
I predict will not perform well at the box office. Though, as much as I hate to admit it, the ads that make it look like a goofy romp of sorts about a goofy guy may alleviate some of the reluctance to see it among certain people.
Yes Alexander, but my take on that is the folks that might appeal to are literally counting the days until Bush leaves office, so are they going to want to spend $10-12 to sit through his life story for 2 hours?
I’m guessing 90210 Chihuahua might win the weekend against as a result.
I think you’re underestimating the BO power of MAX PAYNE, which I think will win with $20M no problem. Chihuahuas in second.
Ha ha, good point Danny B. You’re probably right.
Yeah, I think W’s one a lot of people are going to be content to see on DVD or TV. I think it’ll do a modest box office, maybe double digits, but I’ll be surprised if it wins the weekend. If this were the 2004 election, then hells yeah, it’d be selling tickets right and left. But now it just seems a little out of sync.
I think the bigger potential for W is in the foreign markets, people who might want to get a gander at those crazy Americans.
I’ll admit I am looking forward to seeing Josh Brolin on SNL this weekend. He oughta be able to have some fun with that.
Good point, jennybee. This one will clean up outside the US.
I am so excited about W., The Secret Life of Bees and Morning Light. I read The Secret Life of Bees and love it, so I can’t wait to see the book on the big screen!
Morning Light looks so awesome too. A friend of mine passed the trailer along to me and I have been waiting since them for the movie to come out!
Thanks for commenting Cajungirl.
Do you ever worry with books you love that the movie won’t be as good?
I’ll be curious to hear what you think of Secret Life of Bees, cajungirl. Always interesting to hear the comparison between the book and the movie, even if I always mentally try to keep the two separate (typically can’t).
BREAKING NEWS… not related to this weekend, but rather to the coming weeks…
THE SOLOIST moved to March, DEFIANCE to January. Both will still premiere at AFI…
Whoa.
Thankfully Tom Cruise isn’t in either one of those, so perhaps we won’t be inundated with stories about how much those movies suck.
Seriously, though… Very weird.
I guess I should read LiC comments before I make my morning post…
I did consider the fact that you would post something on it, but I got so revved up when I heard the news out of the sheer insanity of it all that I had to post.
It’s all good. I like to be kept on my toes.
For the record, I neglected to mention that Saving Marriage is opening in LA and Boston this weekend…now I’ve mentioned it.
Say hi to your mother for me, Max.
Sorry, that skit just keeps making me laugh.