Opening in New York, May 17, 2013

I’ll keep this short due to the lateness.

The big multiplex opening this weekend is Star Trek Into Darkness (73) which I saw today and loved. It’s even better than Iron Man 3. I’m not a Star Trek guy, but it’s easily the best of the entire series. My review will be up tomorrow. For now, here’s A. O. Scott: “The half-man, half-Vulcan at the center of those relationships — and also the logical thorn in the emotive side of Dr. McCoy (Karl Urban) — is one of the great characters in American popular culture, and Mr. Quinto slyly and respectfully revises our sense of him. His performance is witty and self-aware but also entirely serious, and his Spock is at once the ship’s stoical straight man and the guy with all the best jokes.”

The art house opening is Frances Ha (81), directed by Noah Baumbach, co-written by him and his star, Greta Gerwig, as a 27-year-old woman who’s having trouble growing up. Gerwig, who I suppose will always be known as the queen of mumblecore, is a terrific performer, one who could become the next Kate Winslet. Scott: “With its swift, jaunty rhythms and sharp, off-kilter jokes, “Frances Ha” is frequently delightful. Ms. Gerwig and Mr. Baumbach are nonetheless defiant partisans in the revolt against the tyranny of likability in popular culture.”

Finally is Augustine (77), a film about a French neurologist and his patient. Scott: “Everything depends on the subtlety of the direction and the charisma of the performances. “Augustine” is intellectually satisfying partly because it communicates its ideas at the level of feeling, through the uncanny power of Soko’s face and body. A well-known French pop singer, she is as grave and luminous as a silent-film star.”

Opening in New York, May 10, 2013

The big opening this weekend is The Great Gatsby (55), yet another attempt to capture the beauty of one of America’s greatest novels in film. Our Joe Webb loved it. I saw it today and, suffice it to say, I disagree, and will post my review tomorrow. But then he loved Moulin Rouge! and I hated it. A.O. Scott was kinder than most critics: “The best way to enjoy Baz Luhrmann’s big and noisy new version of “The Great Gatsby” — and despite what you may have heard, it is an eminently enjoyable movie — is to put aside whatever literary agenda you are tempted to bring with you. I grant that this is not so easily done. F. Scott Fitzgerald’s slender, charming third novel has accumulated a heavier burden of cultural significance than it can easily bear.”

Also opening wide today is Peeples, (50) not directed by Tyler Perry but “presented” by him. It seems to be a black version of Meet the Parents, with the very likable Craig Robinson starring. Perhaps worth a rental. Andy Webster: “Revelations unfold predictably, but the subplots cohere and the assured pacing offers a stark contrast with the often disjointed tempos of Mr. Perry’s mosaics. And Ms. Chism, who also wrote the screenplay, avoids Mr. Perry’s judgmental, often severe brand of tough love, embracing instead a more benign stance of forgiveness and acceptance. You wonder what films she will create when she’s out from under his shadow.”

Some art house openings of note include Sarah Polley’s The Stories We Tell (92), a documentary about Polley’s mother, who died when Sarah was 11. Manohla Dargis: “Stories We Tell” is an affecting documentary tale about a mother and wife who ached in many of the familiar ways, but didn’t always follow the typical female playbook, which also gives her life the resonance of a mystery that’s too good to spoil here.”

Another prominent doc is Venus and Serena (65), about the championship tennis playing Williams sisters. Scott: “This means that tennis fans will find much to enjoy but very little that they haven’t already seen or heard. The story of how Venus and Serena changed tennis — pushed, coached and nurtured by their father, Richard, and their less talkative but no less determined mother, Oracene — is a remarkable chapter in the history of race and sports in America. The version told here is detailed but also superficial, since Ms. Baird’s and Ms. Major’s intentions and methods are more promotional than journalistic.”

I’ll close with What Richard Did (80), an Irish film that follows the repercussions of an act, I guess committed by Richard, that ripples through the community. Stephen Holden: “This brilliantly acted movie, a loose adaptation of Kevin Power’s book “Bad Day in Blackrock,” directed by Lenny Abrahamson from a screenplay by Malcolm Campbell, confronts the implications for both Richard and for the tightly knit community that reflexively protects one of its own. The film scrutinizes this affluent milieu with a nonjudgmental attitude that makes its impact all the more devastating. Everyone just wishes the situation would go away.”

Opening in New York, May 3, 2013

There are 21 films opening in New York today. 21! This means that no one is allowed to say, “There’s nothing to see.”

The biggest opening of course is Iron Man 3 (62), which has already seen by half of the Chinese. From what I hear, they’ve doubled down on Tony Stark’s angst, while keeping a steady rate of explosions. Manohla Dargis: “Originality isn’t the point of a product like “Iron Man 3,” which, despite the needless addition of 3-D and negligible differences in quips, gadgets, villains and the type of stuff blown up, plays out much like the first two movies.” I still want to see it.

For those who live in New York, and disdain the comic book genre, which will never die out as long as these kind of dollars are made, there are a number of other choices. I would see The Iceman (61), which is not about George Gervin but instead a hit man, played by Michael Shannon, perhaps the most interesting and exciting American actor working in films today. With the right choices he could end up another Jack Nicholson, or at least another Christopher Walken.  Stephen Holden: “In “The Iceman” Michael Shannon’s mesmerizing portrayal of Richard Kuklinski, a notorious contract killer, has the paradoxical quality, peculiar to many great screen performances, of being unreadable and transparent.”

Earning a great review in the Times is What Maisie Knew (66), a modern-day adaptation of a Henry James novel about a child who is the subject of a custody battle. A.O. Scott: “What Maisie Knew” lays waste to the comforting dogma that children are naturally resilient, and that our casual, unthinking cruelty to them can be answered by guilty and belated displays of affection. It accomplishes this not by means of melodrama, but by a mixture of understatement and thriller-worthy suspense.”

From director Susanne Bier comes Love Is All You Need (58), with Pierce Brosnan and a woman who looks a lot like Gwyneth Paltrow. I think I’d rather shave my head with a cheese grater than watch this film, but it go a so-so review from Stephen Holden: “Despite the gorgeous sights and rollicking sounds of sunny Italy, a Scandinavian heaviness hangs over the film, with a screenplay by Ms. Bier’s frequent collaborator Anders Thomas Jensen, based on a story they developed. Occasionally it feels as if the buoyancy signaled by “That’s Amore” and the luscious cinematography were applied like whitewash to disguise a dour family drama.” Get that Nick? A Scandinavian heaviness.

Olivier Assayas’ new film, Something in the Air (83) is about the repercussions of the May 1968 protests in France. A.O. Scott: “Something in the Air” feels less like a middle-aged artist’s nostalgia than like an attempt to make a film about the past in the present tense. Its open-ended structure and melancholy atmosphere are reminiscent of post-’68 films like Robert Kramer’s brooding “Milestones” and Alain Tanner’s magnificent “Jonah Who Will Be 25 in the Year 2000,” still one of the truest, saddest films about the aftermath of a revolution that did not quite happen.”

And for those who can’t miss anything with Keanu Reeves is generation Um… (25), which seems to be the dog of the week. Stephen Holden: “What does it add up to? Um … I have no idea and don’t really care. Just because the characters waste their time doesn’t mean you should waste yours watching them circle the drain.”

There are a lot more films opening. 21 in total, remember? But it’s getting late and I think these are the most important and or ridiculous.

 

Opening in New York, April 26, 2013

The most exciting opening in these parts is Jeff Nichols’ Mud (77). Brian is a big Nichols fan, and Take Shelter was my favorite film of 2011.  Another in a series of Matthew McConaughey reclamation projects, A.O. Scott writes: “Mr. Nichols’s screenplay is perhaps a little too heavily plotted, especially toward the end, when everything comes together neatly and noisily, but he more than compensates with graceful rhythm, an unfussy eye for natural beauty and a sure sense of character and place. What might have been an earnest, oversensitive, stereotypically Sundance-y piece of regionalist misery is leavened by suspense and jolts of laughter.”

The big new opening in multiplexes is Michael Bay’s Pain and Gain (45). I hate Bay with the intensity of a thousand suns, though this is stripped down Bay, with no cities being destroyed. Scott writes: “What follows is two hours of sweat, blood and cheerful, nasty vulgarity, punctuated by voice-over ruminations about Jesus, physical fitness and the American dream, along with a few tactical visits to a strip club. It all leaves you pondering whether you have just seen a monumentally stupid movie or a brilliant movie about the nature and consequences of stupidity.”

Also opening wide is The Big Wedding (30), the kind of movie that is an instant turn-off to me, with lots of stars (Robert De Niro is back to slumming for a paycheck) and no wit. Stephen Holden writes: “To say that Justin Zackham’s farce “The Big Wedding” takes the low road doesn’t begin to do justice to the sheer awfulness of this star-stuffed, potty-mouthed fiasco directed by the screenwriter of “The Bucket List.” This is a movie in which the racket kicked up by various couples “boinking,” to use its favorite euphemism, is enough to wake up an entire city.”

One of the films nominated for an Oscar for Best Foreign Language, Norway’s Kon-Tiki (63) is the story of Thor Heyerdahl’s epic journey. It should be noted that the release here in the U.S. is in English; it was shot in both English and Norwegian. Manohla Dargis: “Directed by Joachim Roenning and Espen Sandberg, with a script by Petter Skavlan, “Kon-Tiki” is a stolidly old-fashioned and manly hair-in-the-wind entertainment of the sort that could have filled out the bottom of a studio double bill. The men are handsome, the sea is pretty and if the sharks look as rubbery as last week’s chicken, at least they add some drama — and buckets of sloshing blood and guts — to what otherwise proves a dull affair.”

There are also a host of small indies. I won’t mention them all, but the best reviewed is An Oversimplication of Her Beauty, (77) a film, directed by and starring Terence Nance, about a relationship between two African-Americans. Nicolas Rapold: “His patchwork scheme (incorporating an original short film titled “How Would U Feel?”) recalls hybrid creations in American avant-garde cinema (imitating watercolor, line drawing, collage), as well as the dreamily puddling creations of 1970s animation, with their spontaneous sense of cosmology.

Second-best reviewed is Graceland (74), a Filipino film that would seem to have nothing to do with Elvis. Jeannette Catsoulis: “Yet even while embracing the breathless beats of the crime thriller, “Graceland” holds tight to its concern for exploited children. Endangered innocence is everywhere — sometimes portrayed in appropriately uncomfortable ways — and the cinematographer Sung Rae Cho deserves enormous credit for emphasizing vulnerability over titillation.”

Rahmin Barani, the director of the excellent Goodbye, Solo, returns with At Any Price (65), starring Dennis Quaid, a film about the murky world of agribusiness. Stephen Holden: “On one level “At Any Price” is a critical exploration of agribusiness and its cutthroat, hypercompetitive ways. On a deeper level it is a searching, somewhat ham-handed allegory of American hubris in the 21st century and a bleak assessment of the country’s wobbly moral compass.”

At Film Forum this weekend is Safety Last, starring the great silent film clown Harold Lloyd. It’s best known for the sequence that has Lloyd climbing the outside of a building, and is the source of one of the most recognizable stills in silent film history.

Movies Opening in Connecticut – Weekend of April 19, 2013

With two weeks remaining until the kick-off of the Summer movie season: the studios continue to unload a few remaining features that aren’t competitive enough to survive prime time.

The weekend’s major new release is Joseph Kosinski’s sci-fi picture Oblivion (RT: 58%, MC: 54%).  The film stars Tom Cruise as a technician working to salvage resources on a post-apocalyptic Earth who discovers an unsettling truth about his situation.

Critics are universally hailing the film’s visuals, but are less enthused by the film’s mash-up of story lines from classic genre pictures (Wall-E and Total Recall being the most obvious).  Tracking is iffy and exhibitors polled at CinemaCon this week expressed little enthusiasm, particularly in comparison to May’s roster of blockbuster sequels.  While the general public perception of Tom Cruise has rebounded nicely post-Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol, theaters owners remain skittish and his presence was cited as their #1 concern regarding Oblivion‘s domestic prospects.

Still, with a 61M international bow last week: the studio should enjoy a modest hit overall.

Also opening:

The Lords of Salem  (RT: 43%, 60%):  Rob Zombie horror film.

No Place on Earth  (RT: 76%, MC: 67%):  History Channel-produced Holocaust documentary scoring a theatrical release in advance of it’s television premiere.  General consensus: fascinating subject, average filmmaking.

Gimme the Loot (RT: 95%, MC: 82%): Comedy about a gang of Brooklyn graffiti artists who plot to tag The Mets’ homerun apple.  ”Presented by Jonathan Demme”.  Solid reviews.

For classic fare: The Criterion in New Haven is running Hitchcock’s The Trouble with Harry (1955) and Paul Verhoeven’s Starship Troopers (1997) Fri-Sun.

Yale’s 8th Annual Festival of New Italian Cinema continues through Sunday at The Whitney Humanities Center.  Weekend screenings include 2012′s Cesare deve morire (Caesar Must Die); 2011′s Habemus papam (We Have a Pope) and Italy, Love It or Leave It; and Io Sono Li (Shun Li and the Poet) from 2009.  Screenings are open to the public and tickets are available online via Eventbrite.

Opening in New York, April 12, 2013

The biggest cultural event in New York this weekend is the opening of Matilda on Broadway–it got a rave from the Times. Movies? Not so much going on.

The major opening in wide release is 42 (63), the story of Jackie Robinson breaking the color line in baseball. This event can not be understated as a significant piece of the civil rights movement, and in American history overall. But the film seems to be getting “good, but could have been better” reviews, mostly because it’s a bit too hagiographical.

A. O. Scott writes: “Mr. Helgeland…has honorably sacrificed the chance to make a great movie in the interest of making one that is accessible and inspiring. Though not accurate in every particular, the movie mostly succeeds in respecting the facts of history and the personality of its hero, and in reminding audiences why he mattered.”

For cineastes, the big opening this week is Terrence Malick’s To the Wonder, (60) starring Ben Affleck, Olga Kurylenko, Rachel McAdams, and Javier Bardem (what an eclectic cast!)  He has made only six films, but sure knows how to build suspense for each one. This one is a romance. Scott writes: “To the Wonder” gestures toward the same kind of transcendence (as The Tree of Life) but falls short. This is partly because the human situation in the center of the film does not quite support its philosophical scaffolding and partly because the images, gorgeous as they are, do not in themselves possess the evocative power Mr. Malick intends them to have. He works in a shorthand that can sometimes feel facile rather than profound.”

Also in limited release is Disconnect (65), directed by Henry-Alex Rubin, with Jason Bateman and Hope Davis. It’s one of those omnibus movies, like Crash, Babel, and Short Cuts. Stephen Holden writes: “How the movie, directed by Henry-Alex Rubin (the documentary “Murderball”) from a screenplay by Andrew Stern, will be received probably depends on the age and digital sophistication of the viewer. Those proficient with Facebook, Twitter, Skype, webcams and smartphones may find “Disconnect” too obvious and blithely dismiss its alarmist attitude as fuddy-duddy.”

From the great British miserabilist, Ken Loach, comes The Angel’s Share (68), which is a comedy about the whisky trade. Holden writes: “Before it turns lighter and fizzier, “The Angels’ Share” offers a pungently realistic portrait of hopelessness and frustration, which explode in vicious street fighting and petty crime. It is difficult to transcend this world, where any attempts at upward mobility are likely to be thwarted by bitterly angry peers determined to make sure no one escapes.”

Finally, Scary Movie 5 (16) was wisely not screened for critics. I’m sure there are no surprises here, even the cameos by Charlie Sheen and Lindsay Lohan. I found this critique by a commenter on Metacritic to be insightful as to the target audience: “First of all I thought the movie was going to be lame but i really enjoyed it. It’s better than scary movie 2 but not as good as scary movie 3 or 1.” There you have it.

Opening in New York, April 5, 2013

I’m going to steal a bit of Nick’s innovations, but not all (no graphics, sorry). I’ll give a quote from a New York Times critic.

The most significant openings this week are limited releases, starting with Trance (61). Danny Boyle has had two best Oscar Best Picture nominees in a row, which makes him a director of some note, but I would think his streak ends here, with this thriller about hypnosis and stolen art. I’ll probably end up checking it out, if only for a full monty from Rosario Dawson (it was pointed out on this blog the likely reason for her getting the part).

Manohla Dargis writes: “there are times when it feels as if he’s throwing everything at the screen — the throbbing music, bleeding fingers, narrative U-turns and the startling sight of a naked Ms. Dawson striding toward the camera as strategically shorn as a Renaissance nude — less because he wants to distract you from the big reveal than to obscure the material’s thinness.”

Another Oscar-winning director has a film this week, his first in quite a while. Robert Redford directs and stars in The Company You Keep (56), about radicals from the ’60s hunted by the FBI. It has a good cast, co-starring Susan Sarandon and Julie Christie, but unfortunately also stars Shia LaBoeuf.

Stephen Holden writes: “Lem Dobbs’s clunky screenplay, adapted from Neil Gordon’s novel, maintains a scrupulously ethical balance in contemplating domestic terrorism, and the film gives the angriest of these left-wing radicals their say. If their rage has moderated, their basic feelings haven’t changed.”

Also in limited release are Upstream Color (78), directed by and starring Shane Carruth, which seems to defy description. Dargis writes: “In terms of the story, he also is a worm-wrangler cum kidnapper, referred to only as Thief, who, right out of a David Lynch nightmare, snatches a blonde, Kris (Amy Seimetz), one dark, stormy night and pumps worms down her throat. He never explains his actions, even after he takes Kris back to her house, where a copy of “Walden” waits for someone to enjoy.”

The Brass Teapot (39) is a Twilight Zone-like story, directed by Ramaa Mosley. It stars Juno Temple, who is a favorite of the Mr. Skin crowd. Nicolas Rapold writes: “A comic fable that squanders its twisted-fairy-tale concept, “The Brass Teapot” observes the insidious effects of greed on a young, broke couple. When Alice (Juno Temple) and John (Michael Angarano) acquire a teapot that spits out cash every time they hurt themselves, they leap into the good life through self-inflicted hard knocks but learn a valuable lesson when other people want their stuff.”

The only openings in wider release are a couple of horror films, which means I’ll be staying home this weekend.

6 Souls (27) is by a couple of Swedish directors and somehow stars Julianne Moore (certainly a TV series is next for her).  Rapold writes: “Beginning as a psychiatric freak show, “6 Souls” eventually trades serial-killer intimations for backwoods bad mojo before becoming just another dimly lighted pop-up-stalker flick.”

I suppose the weekend’s box office champion will be Evil Dead (58), a remake of the Sam Raimi film (I have not seen either of them–I understand Evil Dead 2 is something of a cult classic). Horror aficionados are giving this high marks, but I will wait and rent it, if only for the presence of Jane Levy, who activates my dirty old man meter.

Dargis writes: “The new “Evil Dead” has none of the first movie’s handmade charm or hilarity, intentional or otherwise. (It also lost its “The.”) The director, Fede Alvarez, approaches the creaky material with a surprisingly straight face and a fair amount of throat clearing.”

 

 

Opening in Sweden March 29th 2013

The Host
Director: Andrew Niccol
Plot description: When an unseen enemy threatens mankind by taking over their bodies and erasing their memories, Melanie will risk everything to protect the people she cares most about, proving that love can conquer all in a dangerous new world.
What the critics in Sweden say:
Svenska Dagbladet: “The logic does not exactly flow in this new-age frisky script. The interpersonal relationships are also something to chew on. The chaste, young guy and horny young girl recognized from “Twilight.” Melanie/Wanderer get in considerably harsher tussles than Bella Swan for her sluttiness – thoughts go to some kind of oppressive honor society. We also get a replay of the triangle drama theme of “two guys and a girl.” Furthermore, we have the strange allusions to Islamic terrorists. I do not know how Stephenie Meyer is feeling or what her intentions are with “The Host”.” score 1/6
Aftonbladet: “Twilight author Stephenie Meyer’s promising existential experiment is reduced to a banal love story.” score 2/5
What Nick says: The big question here is – will Jeanine see it? And if so, will she review it?

ESKIL OCH TRINIDAD
Director: Stephan Apelgren
Plot description: “‘Hi my name is Eskil and I have lived in as many places as I am old, that is nine. Now we will move again and I don’t care where – it’s still the same. It’s called something in Finnish o located at the river. They have a power plant and a hockey team where I get to play.”
What the critics in Sweden say:
Svenska Dagbladet: “Something in the story that stops it from staying with me – I never feel Eskil and Trinidad enough. On the other hand, the film breaks with a variety of cliché patterns.” score 4/6
Aftonbladet: “A family film that does not really resemble anything else. Although it probably takes place in the present, it’s very old fashioned in many ways. None the less an excellent children’s and family film for those who want a little more bite than the latest computer-animated Hollywood adventure.” score 3/5
What Nick says: Who watches this? Seriously? How could it get a cinema release? Must be something state-sponsored.

The Sarnos – A Life in Dirty Movies
Director: Plot description: A Swedish documentary about porn director Joseph W. Sarno (1921-2010), as told by his wife Peggy. A man of the opinion that he was filming Ingmar Bergman-class dramas, with the occasional nudity.
What the critics in Sweden say:
Svenska Dagbladet: “A true story just as fascinating as the one about “Sugar Man” Rodriguez.” score 5/6
Aftonbladet: “Funny, dramatic, outspoken. A poignant and melancholy portrait of two people in old age.” score 3/5
What Nick says: This seems more up Slim’s alley than mine.

GI Joe: Retaliation
Director: Plot description:
What the critics in Sweden say:
Svenska Dagbladet: “Everyone’s favorite Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson contributes a lot of tongue-in-eye-coolness and a ninja chase in the Himalayas is pretty cool, but mostly it just splashes around with its violent explosions and heavy metal guitars in this big, wasteful mess.” score 2/6
Aftonbladet: “I was just waiting for the misery to end.” score 1/5
What Nick says: First one was very silly fun, but not horrible. This looks horrible. Will still make money, though. What will the third one be?

Kauwboy
Director: Plot description: An absent mother. A father and a son who grieve in different ways. 10-year-old Jojo must fend for himself. When he finds a baby bird fallen from its nest, it becomes a vent, someone to talk to.
What the critics in Sweden say:
Svenska Dagbladet: “It may sound dull, but “Kauwboy” is strangely uplifting. Perhaps because the film is honest. Because it takes the child’s grief seriously. For that, even in the dark is life-affirming. But mostly because the film is so skilfully made.” score 5/6
Aftonbladet: “Director Boudewijn Koole has produced fine performances from his actors – both adults and children – but maybe it’s all a little too recognizable from other films about families in grief, and maybe it ends a little too simple and easy.” score 3/5
What Nick says: Snore.

Opening in Sweden – 22 March 2013

Bakom Stängda Dörrar
Original title: Dans la Maison
Director: Francois Ozon
IMDb: A sixteen-year-old boy insinuates himself into the house of a fellow student from his literature class and writes about it in essays for his French teacher. Faced with this gifted and unusual pupil, the teacher rediscovers his enthusiasm for his work, but the boy’s intrusion will unleash a series of uncontrollable events.
IMDB score: 7.4
What the critics in Sweden say:
Svenska Dagbladet: “Ozone has mastered the medium to perfection. Seamlessly switching and weaving between different story planes – school life, discussions of student texts, the teacher and the wife. If a film can be a page-turner then this is certainly one.” score 5/6
Aftonbladet: “What is true and what is fiction in the texts? How make reality into better fiction? The literary references rain like cats and dogs, and at first “Behind Closed Doors” is relatively smart and funny. In the second half of the film director François Ozon has unfortunately become a little too pleased with his own cleverness and gone astray.” score 2/5
What Nick says: Honestly, I don’t think I’ve ever watched an Ozon film.

Broken
Director: Rufus Norris
IMDb: The story of a young girl in North London whose life changes after witnessing a violent attack.
IMDB score: 7.2
What the critics in Sweden say:
Svenska Dagbladet: “It is seldom that I have seen such a multifaceted portrait of a girl as the one Eloise Laurence performs. “Broken” is as complicated and unpredictable as life itself in Rufus Norris astoundingly assured first film, filmed with very own rhythm and energy. It really is a shame that “Broken” has received a 15-year limit for this is a fantastic little film whose 11-year-old protagonist is made for a younger audience.” score 6/6
Aftonbladet: “On the one hand, “Broken” suffer from the typical indie film cave spirit of social realism, tragedy’s downward spirals. On the other hand, the film has a lot of charm, a quiet melancholy, beautiful cinematography, fine acting and nice details. “Broken” is uneven, but it’s hard to stay totally unaffected when the credits start.” score 3/5
What Nick says: Tim Roth stars and both he and the film have won several awards, at the Stockholm Film Festival for one. Music by Damon Albarn (from Blur). Think I’ll get around to watching it eventually.

BÄST FÖRE
Director: Mats Arehn
Plot description: Three older gentlemen facing a mid-life crisis win a small sum gambling, and decide to spend on a cruise ship to Finland, where all their old sins will come back to haunt them.
What the critics in Sweden say:
Svenska Dagbladet: “Bäst Före” scrutinizes the fragile masculinity with an austere vision that does not exclude a gentle humor.” score 4/6
Aftonbladet: “Best before” deftly captures a Swedish pale everyday, it is sad and poor. The risk is of course that it is … well, boring to follow gloomy types whose power is sufficient to ruin the other. Silence and uncomfortable pauses. Embarrassing speeches and pickup attempts. Depressing quarrels. The film feels at times like being on a miserable trip where you want to land as soon as possible.” score 3/5
What Nick says: The actors that they’ve assembled can actually deliver when they’re given the right material. I’m just not sure that this is that.

CROODARNA
Original title: The Croods
IMDb: The world’s very first prehistoric family goes on a road trip to an uncharted and fantastical world.
What the critics in Sweden say:
Svenska Dagbladet: “The filmmakers are probably trying whiff up a critique of fundamentalism and conservatism in “Croodarna”. But in their eagerness to invent one more bizarre prehistoric animal after another, all intelligence is drowned in a cacophony of color and noise.” 1/6
Aftonbladet: “There is a lot of action and slapstick, reminiscent of “Madagascar” and “Ice Age”. But there are also fun lines and surprising twists reminiscent of “Shrek.” score 3/5

INGEN RIKTIG FINNE
Director: Mika Ronkainen
Plot description: A father and son gon on trip that develops into a musical journey into feelings and memories of the Finnish migration into Sweden; stories of shame, crime, alcoholism and family secrets.
What the critics in Sweden say:
Svenska Dagbladet: “A touching film about rootlessness and alienation. Kai is not a real Fin, but he never felt like a real Swede.” score 4/6
Aftonbladet: “There will be meetings with others who have similar holes in their self-image. Artists like Anna Järvinen and Moonlight Orchestra stand in the wild and sing sad songs in Finnish, a handle that lifts the film.” score 3/5
What Nick says: Documentary about Fins. Doesn’t sound fun, but it’s something I might watch just because of its oddness. And to be contrary.

KON-TIKI
Director: Joachim Rønning, Espen Sandberg
IMDb score: 7.2
What the critics in Sweden say:
Svenska Dagbladet: “Personally, I think “Kon-Tiki” is a bold experience in a tradition springing directly from vintage Hollywood films like “Stanley and Livingstone” or a thrilling story in The Little Guy’s Calendar from 1949. In short, a film in the spirit of those days, when the Scandinavians celebrated life and went out into the world. If this is what the filmmakers sought, they have succeeded quite nicely.” score 4/6
Aftonbladet: “Kon-Tiki” is a cleverly told story, aesthetically pleasing in a Hollywood-scented way.” score 3/5
What Nick says: I feel like it’s one of those I “have” to see, considering its Best Foreign nomination, and since people have asked me about it. Not really into it, though.

This is 40
Director: Judd Apatow
What the critics in Sweden say:
Svenska Dagbladet: “Worst is contemporary Hollywood’s obsession with a nice, clean ending. Nothing should be taken seriously, two hours of crisis swept out and cleaned up for the family portrait. Life experiences and neuroses are undone. Compare with Woody Allen in his prime, who could make us laugh, diaphragm dislocated – and when the movie was over, seek therapy.” score 3/6
Aftonbladet: “Of course it is proof of its poverty that I can get so happy when women in film are not carping magpies, and have at least half the funny lines coming out of their mouths and where adults actually behave like adults. But I become happy and laugh I do.” score 4/5
What Nick says: A few years ago I would have watched anything Judd Apatow did. Now, not so much. Don’t know what happened, but his films feel like they lack sting.

Opening in New York, The Ides of March

At the multiplexes this weekend are two films, neither of which interest me at all. The Incredible Burt Wonderstone (44) is a film about Vegas magicians. I’ve noted that I have not seen one promotional item for this film at all, though others have. I’m interested that Jim Carrey does not even appear on the poster. As A.O. Scott points out, it seems that Steve Carell is playing a part that calls out for Will Ferrell.

The other film opening big this weekend is The Call (52), which seems to indicate that the Oscar curse is still haunting Halle Berry.

Lots of action in the art houses this weekend, highlighted by Spring Breakers (64). There’s been a ton of press on this, especially considering it’s a Harmony Korine film, and his last was something called Trash Humpers. Of course, the press concerns the stars and Disney Channel refugees, Selena Gomez and Vanessa Hudgens. I don’t know whether I’ll catch this in theaters, but you can bet I’ll see it on DVD, where I can use zoom and pause. I love this from Manohla Dargis, in the rating explanation: “Gun violence and enough naked breasts to supply material for a second Seth McFarlane song.”

Also in art houses is Ginger and Rose (69), a British film from Sally Potter starring Elle Fanning and Alice Englert as girlfriends in the early ’60s; Upside Down, (41) a sci-fi film starring Kirsten Dunst; and If I Were You, (28) with Marcia Gay Harden.

Philip Roth: Unmasked (65) opened on Wednesday for a one-week run at Film Forum before airing on PBS’s American Masters series later this month. It’s part of the celebration of the novelist’s 80th birthday on March 19th. He is my favorite novelist, so I’ll hunt it down on television.

Movies Opening in Connecticut – Weekend of March 8, 2013

One major studio release this weekend and a whole bunch of random indies that are unlikely to make waves.

Oz: The Great and Powerful (RT: 56%, MC: 45%): Disney’s Spring tentpole, a prequel to The Wizard of Oz.  Directed by Sam Raimi (Spider-Man, A Simple Plan, Evil Dead) and starring James Franco, Mila Kunis and Michelle Williams.  Reviews appear to be decent, although it sounds like it loses steam in the second half.  Tracking indicates a significantly stronger showing that last week’s disastrous Jack The Giant Slayer, which is certainly good news for the 200M film.

Dead Man Down (RT: 40%, MC: 42%): Colin Farrell and Noomi Rapace co-star in this glossy, B-grade suspense thriller from director Niels Arden Oplev (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo).  I have to say I’m fairly shocked this is a wide release.  There’s no real hook, Farrell has proven time and time again that he can not open a picture and Oplev’s unremarkable skills seem better suited for television crime procedurals (which he’s been doing for CBS) rather than full-fledged motion pictures.  Anyway, I can’t imagine there’s any reason to see this theatrically.

Emperor (RT: 35%, MC: 45%):  Tommy Lee Jones / Matthew Fox WWII drama that somehow landed a (contractually obligated?) theatrical release.  Roadside Attractions is the distributor so look for this on Netflix streaming in, at most, a few months.

The Monk (Le Moine) (RT: 66%, MC: 62% ): Gothic horror picture starring Vincent Cassel.  I read the description several times and still couldn’t grasp what it’s about. Something involving monks and a mysterious stranger who leads them into temptation (spoiler: almost certainly the devil or something).  Enjoy.

The Gatekeepers (Shomerei Ha’Saf) (RT: 93%, MC: 90%):  Documentary about Israel’s Secret Service.

Happy People: A Year in the Taiga (RT: 88%, MC: 74%): Werner Herzog documentary about inhabitants of the Siberian wilderness.

For classic fare: The Criterion in New Haven is running Dark Victory (1939) starring Bette Davis and Humphrey Bogart and Mel Brooks’ Young Frankenstein (1974) Fri-Sun.

Movies Opening in Connecticut – Weekend of March 1, 2013

March and April begins the pre-Summer box-office season: a collection of studio releases that aren’t capable of opening up over the Holidays or May-August timeframe out of fear of being lost in a crowded marketplace (due to lack of quality, marketability or audience appeal).

Bryan Singer’s fantasy epic Jack the Giant Slayer(RT: 49%, MC: 51) is the only major release this week and is pretty much the epitome of a Spring tentpole release. Originally scheduled to go toe-to-toe with things like Snow White and the Huntsman and Brave last June, Warner Brothers moved the film into an fairly-uncompetitive* March 1 berth.

I can’t imagine that the studio is expecting this to launch a franchise or anything at this point. This has had the stench of damaged goods around it for well over a year and Singer’s immediate retreat to the safe harbor of X-Men sequels is probably telling. Box office-wise this could be a surprise like Alice in Wonderland or another Eragon. Lord knows.

Nicholas Hoult, fresh off the success of Warm Bodies, leads his first big-budget blockbuster. I was very impressed with his work as a child actor, but I’m really not feeling the guy as an adult lead. He seems like a taller, blander, Twink-ier ersion of Elijah Wood, whose career now involves direct-to-video erotic thrillers with Sasha Gray. The presence of Ewan McGregor as the film’s alpha male would typically be worrisome, but advanced word is that he’s one of it’s more enjoyable elements. Stanley Tucci, Ian McShane and Eleanor Tomlinson co-star.

Also opening:

Masquerade (RT: 100%, MC: n/a): South Korean mega-hit costume drama from Chang-min Choo (Late Blossom, Lost in Love). I’ve never heard of it. Any good?

The Last Exorcism 2 (RT: n/a, MC: 63%): Eli Roth-produced horror sequel.

21 and Over (RT: 28%, MC: 37%): Project X-capitalizing comedy “From the writers of The Hangover”. No.

For classic fare: The Criterion in New Haven is running the soapy Bette Davis/Claude Rains drama Now Voyager (1942) and Quentin Tarantino’s Reservoir Dogs (1992) Fri-Sun. Yale’s Whitney Humanities Center has a screening of La Dolce Vita (1960) open to the public on Saturday.

*I’m a little confused as to why they didn’t go February 21, as it would have bought them a full two weeks before the similar (and similarly-questionable) OZ: The Great and Powerful opens and consumes much of it’s audience.

Opening in New York, February 22

It’s early in 2013, but this certainly will end up the most depressing weekend for new movies all this year. In multiplexes there is Snitch (53), starring Dwayne Johnson. Reading the plot summary, it’s a bit more gritty and socially conscious than most of his films, and who would have figured him in a movie with Susan Sarandon? But has Johnson made any good movies? The Rundown wasn’t bad, but anything else?
Not screened for critics is Dark Skies (46), presumably a standard alien invasion movie. I will probably rent this some day, because it stars Keri Russell, who is just dreamy.

The major art house release is two films, Rubberneck (56) and Red Flag (65) by Alex Karpovsky, who is not a Russian but an American. In the Times review of the two films, Lena Dunham is mentioned in the first sentence, so be either encouraged or forewarned, depending.

The discerning moviegoer in New York will be at Film Forum, which is doing a massive retrospective of films from 1933. It was the last year pre-Code, and somehow they got 66 films from that year, most in 35 millimeter. Some of the films that have already screened are Duck Soup, Dinner at Eight, 42nd Street and Sons of the Desert. This weekend is a Katharine Hepburn double feature: Little Women and Morning Glory (her first Oscar-winning role). On Sunday is Cavalcade (written by Noel Coward, and the Oscar-winning Best Picture) and The Private Life of Henry VIII (Charles Laughton won the Best Actor). Coming up is She Done Him Wrong, The Invisible Man, The Island of Lost Souls, and King Kong, playing on March 3rd, the 80th anniversary of its release at Radio City Music Hall. Oh, for a time machine to go back to that day! Instead we get Snitch.

 

Opening February 15 (Reboot)

After being shuttered for one week, Openings returns in its new form, which is basically formless. I’m going by what was reviewed in the New York Times this week (a few movies opened on Thursday), although I’ll be selective, as the Times reviews everything. There will be no links to trailers, as I am generally opposed to them in principle, and only watch them as a captive audience member. I will put Metacritic scores in parentheses.

In the multiplexes this weekend are two turds: A Good Day to Die Hard (29) the fifth in the series. Quick story: on a trip to Los Angeles my friend and I wanted to see a film in Mann’s Chinese Theater. Live Free and Die Hard was playing there. I hated it, but it’s nice to be able to say I’ve seen a movie there. The other turd is Safe Haven (34), another adaptation of a Nicholas Sparks novel. Here’s a tip: if the movie has the name Sparks, Josh Duhamel, or Julianne Hough on the poster, stay far away.

The other multiplex opening this week is Beautiful Creatures (53), which looks kind of like a Twilight with witches, but got a surprisingly good review by Manohla Dargis, who basically said it had no right being as good as it is. I may check it out.

In the art houses, there’s two significant releases. No (77) is one of the nominees for Best Foreign Language Film at the Oscars, and tells the story of how advertising affected the vote that removed Pinochet from power in Chile.  Abbas Kiarostami has a new film, Like Someone in Love (73), about a Japanese prostitute.

Also, there’s a new animated film Escape from Planet Earth (45) and a documentary about serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer–The Jeffrey Dahmer Files (58). Sounds like a perfect double feature.

Opening in Chicago, 02/01

Another weekend, another dull slate of movies. Tough time of year, this.

Director Jonathan Levine has made a couple of movies that I’ve seen in The Wackness and 50/50, but I didn’t really think much of either one. It seemed like he was getting set to specialize in movies about insufferable douchebags, and now he’s back with Warm Bodies (trailer), about a girl who falls in love with a zombie. Man, am I tired of zombies, and I’ve made a point not to see most of the zombie movies out there. At least this time there’s a reason the male protagonist is a douchebag, I guess.

Al Pacino, Christopher Walken, and Alan Arkin team up for Stand Up Guys (trailer), a movie about old gangsters reuniting for one last night of fun until one of them gets whacked. Perhaps all that needs to be said is that it got an Academy qualifying run back in December, which no one noticed thus resulted in absolutely no awards consideration whatsoever. Reviews are pretty terrible.

Sylvester Stallone stars in Bullet to the Head (trailer), which is probably more notable for being the return of director Walter Hill. It’s his first feature since Undisputed with Wesley Snipes, which I honestly don’t remember happening. Probably won’t remember this one in ten years, either. Reviews are of course not good, although they seem moderately better than Stand Up Guys, which probably tells you more about Stand Up Guys than Bullet to the Head.

In the arthouse world, Michael Apted brings the next installment of his Up series, 56 Up (trailer).

And waaaay down in Chatham opens urban teenage drama In the Hive, starring the late Michael Clarke Duncan and directed by Meteor Man himself, Robert Townsend.