The heat may be starting to die down, but the box office manages to pick up some much needed steam this weekend. Robert Rodriguez‘s long-anticipated “Machete” hopes to slash away the competition, attracting the action fans still hungry for blood after last month’s “The Expendables.” Drew Barrymore stars opposite real-life on/off beau Justin Long in “Going the Distance,” though we still wish she’d find the time to team up with ex-husband Tom Green at some point (jk). Art-house fans across the country are given some love as Anton Corbijn‘s “The American” hits screens nationally. That’s normally a given for a George Clooney project, but the pace and silence of the film may throw off more casual audiences. Getting limited releases, the Sam Rockwell sports-dramedy “The Winning Season,” the Chinese “Blood Simple” remake “A Woman, A Gun and A Noodle Shop,” and “Mesrine: Public Enemy #1” lead the pack.
In Wide Release: Robert Rodriguez transforms one of the great fake trailers from “Grindhouse” into a full-length action extravaganza with this week’s “Machete.” Longtime badass (and former jailbird) Danny Trejo reprises the title role, an ex-Federale out for revenge on his former boss. Rodriguez and co-director Ethan Maniquis have assembled a ridiculous supporting cast for the modestly budgeted picture, including Robert DeNiro, Jessica Alba, Steven Seagal, and Lindsay Lohan. We posted our point/counterpoint review yesterday, with one of our writers defending the proud B-movie aspects of the film, while another found it lacking. RT: 71% Metacritic: 60.
Real life on-and-off couple Drew Barrymore and Justin Long team up for the romantic comedy “Going the Distance” from director Nanette Burstein. The thesps play a couple trying to maintain a long distance relationship from opposite coasts, he in NYC and she in San Francisco. We reviewed the movie earlier this week, finding a tonally strange film that wavers awkwardly between raunchy R-rated comedy and tender rom-com territory. Fans of “It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia” will be happy to see Charlie Day steal every scene he’s in, but it’s not enough to save a lukewarm date flick. RT: 46% Metacritic: 53.
Anton Corbijn’s “The American” opened Wednesday nationwide. George Clooney stars as a lone assassin who has retreated to the Italian countryside before settling one last score. Fan’s of Corbijn’s first feature, the Ian Curtis biopic “Control” can expect to find the same beautiful photography and unsettling silence in his latest work. You can read our positive review here, and frankly we’re surprised to see such an unorthodox and non-mainstream film get a wide release (2,700+ screens) so we really encourage you to check it out this weekend. RT: 62% Metacritic: 62.
In Limited Release: It’s always good to see Sam Rockwell, and this week he steps on the court in the comedy “The Winning Season.” The film swims the same waters as “The Bad News Bears” or “Ladybugs,” as Rockwell plays a local misfit turned coach a hapless high school girl’s basketball team. Rob Corddry plays the school’s principal and old buddy of Rockwell’s alongside Emma Roberts as the team captain. We reviewed the movie, finding a winning opening 15 minutes and a great ending, but nothing memorable in-between. RT: 55% Metacritic: 56.
A loose remake of a Coen Brothers classic, “A Woman, A Gun and A Noodle Shop” is the story of a noodle shop owner in Gansu province China scheming to bring down his adulterous wife and her lover. While “Blood Simple” added a brilliant sense of humor to the Hollywood noir, director Zhang Yimou injects a uniquely eastern sensibility and slapstick comedy to the plot. We reviewed the movie earlier in the week finding some things to like, but a mostly half-baked picture. RT: 25% Metacritic: 56.
Also out in limited: The second part of a 4 and a half hour crime epic, “Mesrine: Public Enemy #1” follows last week’s release of “Mesrine: Killer Instinct.” Vincent Cassel plays the famous French gangster in the film, which we reviewed last month, finding the second part stronger than the first, but overall the messy epic leaves much to be desired. RT: 81% Metacritic: 73. The documentary “Last Train Home” tells the story of the largest human migration on the planet as 130 million migrant workers make it home each spring to celebrate the Chinese New Year. RT: 100% Metacritic: 83. Canadian indie-rock band Broken Social Scene are at the center of director Bruce McDonald‘s film “This Movie is Broken.” Part concert-doc and part love story, we loved the film when we saw it back at SXSW. No RT/Metacritic reviews.
