Several movies that we’ve covered previously on SpoutBlog are opening in theaters today:
Before The Devil Knows You’re Dead, starring Ethan Hawke and Philip Seymour Hoffman, has been widely hailed as a “return to form” for director Sidney Lumet. That’s probably not inaccurate, but the last thing Devil feels like is the work of an old man recycling old tricks. Ballsy and occasionally incredulous in its illustration of extreme, self-manufactured desperation, Devil’s not exactly a masterpiece, but if can roll with its plot contortions, it’s a deeply satisfying bit of pulp melodrama. And it’s got the opening sex scene to end all opening sex scenes. Read my NYFF review here, and listen to Lumet talk about his late-career embrace of digital video here.
The Darjeeling Limited expands yet again this weekend, but the real news is the theatrical unveiling of Hotel Chevalier. See a review of the feature here, and coverage of Wes Anderson’s short here, here and here.
Saw IV’s opening box office has been positioned as a test of the lasting allure of the torture porn genre. But it’s also a test of the power of sex to sell blood.
A number of films that we’ve covered previously on SpoutBlog are either opening or expanding this weekend:
Across the Universe: Julie Taymor’s Beatles musical has grossed almost $9 million over the last month in limited release, mainly drawing (as I predicted) repeat crowds of young women. The weekend, it expands to just under 1,000 screens. I’m not personally much of a fan, but I figure every generation of teenage stoners-cum-theater brats need a Hair, and I can’t begrudge them that. Read my Toronto coverage here.
Control: I was a big fan of Anton Corbijn’s Ian Curtis biopic at Toronto. In hindsight, I do wonder if the film will fall flatter for those who don’t go in with an emotional attachment to Joy Division’s music. But it’s still a fascinating character study, and of course, the cinematography is tremendously satisfying. Read my Toronto review here.
Elizabeth: The Golden Age: Destined to become some kind of camp classic, this sequel to 1998’s Elizabeth is artless at concealing its Freudian metaphors in a way that only truly miscalculated films can be. At Toronto, I wrote: “The Golden Age plays out in a very binary, comic-book reminiscent universe, in which Spain isn’t merely a sovereign nation pursing interests in conflict to that of Britain–the country as a whole is a supernatural embodiment of evil…The Queen is able to bounce from emotional devastation to patriotic warmongering with a flick of a switch; for the rest of us, the transition may not be as easy.”
The Darjeeling Limited: Another shot of crack for fans of Wes Anderson’s visual style, but with a stronger emphasis on character than some of his recent outings. If the idea of a film revolving around a set of limited-edition Marc Jacobs luggage sounds really annoying, this may not be the film for you. But watch the short-film prequel, Hotel Chevalier, on iTunes, read my coverage from NYFF, and if your Anderson allergy hasn’t yet flared up, go see the movie.
Judging by the opening shots of the newly-released trailer for The Darjeeling Limited (via Anne Thompson), Wes Anderson’s latest is about noses. There are three of them, each lovingly framed in Anderson’s signature wide-angle close-ups: Jason Schwartzman’s fake nose, Owen Wilson’s bandaged nose, Adrien Brody’s…pure, unadulterated Brod-nose. On closer examination, it seems to be a remake of Bottle Rocket, transplanted to India. Instead of two guys, there are three. Instead of a road trip, it’s a train journey. One of them falls in love with an exotic Indian woman instead of an exotic maid. You’ve seen it before, but this time, it’s painted sandy gold, the music is borrowed from Satyajit Ray, and there are camels.
Watch it here, and if you see it pop up on YouTube, let me know and I’ll embed it above.
Posting will be light today and Friday while your dutiful blogger does some traveling. Speaking of travels, news/rumors are starting to spread regarding which fall festivals are expecting appearances from which Indiewood star directors. indieWIRE says Wes Anderson’s Darjeeling Limited has been set to open the New York Film Festival. The Coen brothers are also expected to make an appearance at Lincoln Center, with their Cannes hit No Country For Old Men. According to Anne Thompson, Joel and Ethan will first hit Toronto, where they’ll probably run into Shekhar Kapur, who will be in town unveiling his Elizabeth sequel, The Golden Age. And according to Jeff Welles, Paul Haggis will be making the Canadian sojourn, too–this time with “investigative thriller-slash-broken-heart drama” In the Valley of Elah.
That still leaves a number of indie-arm fall flicks with no set festival premiere. Namely: Love in the Time of Cholera, Margot at the Wedding, and my personal hype-magnet of the year, P.T. Anderson’s There Will Be Blood. While we’re waiting for more news, you can watch the trailer for the Coens’ film above.
Several movies that we’ve covered previously on SpoutBlog are opening in theaters today:
A number of films that we’ve covered previously on SpoutBlog are either opening or expanding this weekend:
