For once, this is actually a very crowded, movie-going weekend with tons of Oscar-bait going head to head. Of course garbage like “The Day The Earth Stood Still” with Keenooo Reeves is probably going to rule the roost, but well, box-office was never an indication of smarts now was it? It has a laughable 24% Rotten Tomato rating, woo!The two big films of the weekend in terms of b.o. might are that and the Latin comfort food movie, “Nothing Like The Holidays,” aka, “Latinos are as crazy as the rest of you people and we eat turkey too!” It has a 52% RT rating which is a slightly better bet.
All the Oscar-bait this weekend is limited. The biggest one probably being “Doubt” simply because people have written about it less and there’s a curiosity factor. At least for us, we missed our screening so we’ll try and see this weekend. Directed by John Patrick Shanley, the film is about the “consequences of blind justice in an age defined by moral conviction,” but from we understand, is basically about a priest that molests boys and the nuns who try and guard and reveal the truth. The film stars Meryl Streep, Amy Adams, Viola Davis and Phillip Seymour Hoffman and it’s got Oscar-bait written all over it. Apparently practically everyone we just mentioned has a great shot at an Oscar nomination with some already claiming Streep has it in the bag. Strangely enough, the film itself only has a 78% RT rating. We assumed it’d be higher, which suggest performances are great, movie not so much?
After that it’s Mr. Clint Eastwood’s “Gran Torino,” a film that has caused a lot of inter-fighting among critics, generally younger and older, each side calling the other side either old, immature, inexperienced and or out of touch, take your pick. We contend that the film is not that bad or that good to get that worked up about and people should find a stronger film to fight about, frankly. But ‘Torino’ will be polarizing simply because some people will loathe the growling and scowling of Eastwood and some love the man and want to champion his work. We felt it was a strong film, but not necessarily one to flip over. It’s pretty entertaining, the racism is funny and it was enjoyable, but it’s not without its flaws and we’ve pretty much moved on already. But the yays have it. ‘Torino’ has a 81% approval rating.
“The Reader” seemingly has a new lease on life. Two weeks ago it seemed dead in the water. It had already suffered a major controversy, then reviews were lukewarm and mixed and it all seemed totally over for the film. Then the Golden Globes came to life and it sprung back to life as the film received multiple nominations including Best Picture and Best Director for Stephen Daldry. We found it to be beautifully crafted, but completely emotionally aloof, as if watching the film through a thick pane of glass. We honestly don’t feel its Oscar worthy outside of its music and cinematography which is pretty gorgeous. It has a mixed, not great, 56% RT rating.
Kelly Reichardt’s uber minimalist follow-up to the brilliant, “Old Joy,” hits theaters this weekend. With the economy in the shithouse that it is, people keep saying “Wendy & Lucy” is all the more relevant since it chronicles the life of a despondent woman (Michelle Williams) so is living on the edges of extreme poverty. By way of plot it has very little going for it. Williams is mostly flat broke and it taking her car to Alaska to try and get work, but when her car breaks down in Portland, she’s stuck. When she loses her best friend, her dog Lucy, she’s really at her wits end. Williams is amazing in it though and its sparses, quietness was called by EW as “Lassie Come Home’ directed by Michelangelo Antonioni.” We would have picked Vittorio De Sica as it has a shade of the bleakness of “Umberto D,” but either is a fine compliment to Reichardt’s film. It’s a minature film, super modest and tiny and quite as amazing as ‘Joy’, but it still packs an emotional punch. It has an 88% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes which is the highest of any film this weekend.
Opening up in very, very limited, one-week only release is Steven Soderbergh’s “Che,” which we’ve already detailed, but don’t worry, it will come out again in many more markets in January.
The next major film worth discussing is Brian Goodman’s “What Doesn’t Kill You,” a gritty South Boston/”Mean Streets”-like crime drama that we weren’t completely sold on and neither were other critics. The film has a 63% RT rating. Mark Ruffalo is quite exceptional in the film and all the performances are all strong, but we’ve all seen this story too many times. While its told simply and there’s something to be admired about its economic, straight-forwardness, it’s also a little dull and cliched. We would have rather seen the story of a man trying to adjust to society after years in jail because those scenes in the third act are the most poignant and the most alive. Ruffalo really shines in those moments.
Bee tee dubs, this new, “The Day the Earth Stood Still” is being broadcast to Alpha Centauri today, because scientists evidently believe if we have to suffer through its existence, any aliens out there should suffer too. We can’t say we really can argue with that.
Since most films come out in limited release this weekend and all of you surely don’t live in New York and L.A. you’re totally excused if you see some crap this weekend instead, but you know, read a book or rent something great. Hell, we’ll curate your Netflix account if you need help.
