WEEKEND BOX OFFICE: In Your Face, Jonas Brothers!

Last year around this time, a certain teen queen unleashed her “Best of Both Worlds” concert to theatres in 3D. Having been billed as an exclusive one-week engagement, little girls everywhere came out in droves to catch Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus do her split personality thing up on screen to the tune of over $30 million. A year has passed and the smart folks at Disney decided to get another teen sensation back on the screen in 3D, only to find that audiences would opt to watch a man in grandma drag go to jail instead.


No, THE JONAS BROTHERS: 3D CONCERT EXPERIENCE could not topple TYLER PERRY’S MADEA GOES TO JAIL at the box office this weekend. This is even after Perry’s most successful film to date suffered a 60% drop over last week. Worse yet, the young Jonas siblings opened on almost twice the screens as Montana/Cyrus did and made less than half the cash. There was no urgency to catch the show opening weekend with some looming empty threat that the film would only be playing for a week, mind you. (It should be noted that as soon as Montana brought in the green last year, the one-week engagement was extended indefinitely.) It was a solid showing but it seems to me that there must have been a lot of little girls who just decided to stay home. Besides, the Jonas Brothers that big and in your face, 3D styles, would be pretty frightening, I think. For a boy band, they’re really not that cute … or profitable apparently.


Last week’s winner of 8 Oscars, including Best Picture, SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE, saw its already impressive gross improve another 45% this week. Albeit not my pick for Best Picture of the year, this is clearly the people’s favorite. In its 16th week in theatres, it shows no signs of stopping. It is Fox Searchlight’s first Best Picture winner and it is now their widest release to date. The Danny Boyle film has plenty more market internationally to conquer, home video sales still ahead and it will certainly surpass THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON to become the highest grossing Best Picture nominee from this year.


A couple of other big Oscar winners saw serious gains this week too. Both added hundreds of screens to capitalize on their Oscar visibility and both saw promising results well into their domestic runs. Audience favorite, Kate Winslet, took home the Best Actress Oscar for THE READER and the Weinstein Company sleeper hit saw its grosses increase 10% over last week for a grand total of just over $27 million. Not bad for a movie that seemed doomed to fall away into obscurity until it garnered five surprise Oscar nods. Focus Features’ MILK earned Oscars for Best Original Screenplay (Dustin Lance Black) and Best Actor (Sean Penn) did even better, increasing 37% over last week and bringing its cume over $30 million 14 weeks into its domestic run. Both other Best Picture nominees, THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON and FROST/NIXON saw its returns dwindle this week as neither garnered any serious screen time during the telecast.


You don’t have to be an Oscar winner to perform well in limited release though. Foreign Language Oscar losers, THE CLASS and WALTZ WITH BASHIR continued to see their grosses grow despite missing out on the crown. And in completely non-Oscar related news, Joaquin Phoenix’s supposedly last film, TWO LOVERS, tacked on about 60 screens and soared over 500% and critical darling, GOMORRA, improved over 140% over last week with an average that would rival any title in the Top 10. You don’t want to mess with the GORMORRA boys.

NEXT WEEK: Everyone will be watching to see if THE WATCHMEN is worth all of this overblown hype as it opens on over 3500 screens. Given that there are no other wide releases expected next weekend, I guess people think it’s going to be big. The question now is how big but my question is rather why anyone cares at all.

Source: Box Office Mojo

Black Sheep @ The Oscars: BEST DIRECTOR & BEST PICTURE

For only the fifth time in Oscar history, the five nominees for Best Director are exactly in line with the five films nominated for Best Picture. It would seem silly not to focus on both in the same posting. Otherwise, the two separate postings would sound pretty similar. Besides, I’m fairly certain the same film will win in each category anyway.

Two of this year’s nominees for Best Director are here for the first time and they are here with the two films that stand the most chance of winning. And so, congratulations go out to Danny Boyle and David Fincher for SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE and THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON, respectively. Gus Van Sant and Ron Howard make their second plays for the top prize. Van Sant tried and failed in 1998 with GOOD WILL HUNTING but certainly stands a decent chance with MILK. Meanwhile, Howard already has an Oscar in this category for 2002’s A BEAUTIFUL MIND and is hopeful to repeat his success with FROST/NIXON. Oddly enough, the least known name amongst the bunch, Stephen Daldry, actually holds the most nominations with three total, including nods for BILLY ELLIOTT, THE HOURS and now for THE READER.

Here’s what the five nominees have going for and against them …

THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON
Directed by David Fincher


Fincher has done what so many have tried to do for years now; he has successfully adapted a story to the screen that was thought to be an impossible tale to tell. The visual demands of following a character that ages in reverse were supposed to prove to laborious to be effective and convincing. Somehow, he managed to find a team who could make it happen. This epic sentimental tale is also completely removed from the dark work Fincher is famous for (ZODIAC, FIGHT CLUB, SE7EN), but yet he makes this work too without abandoning his visual sensibilities. The buzz throughout the year was that this gargantuan masterwork was the film to beat and while it has wowed many and is the top earner amongst the nominees, it did not impress across the board. Its detractors call it Fincher’s FORREST GUMP and consider it cold and empty. The lack of warmth, I feel, will ultimately leave it out in the cold come Oscar night.



FROST/NIXON
Directed by Ron Howard


I am not a Ron Howard fan. In fact, I was severely disappointed when he won his first Oscar for A BEAUTIFUL MIND. Howard makes very conventional and safe films that often feel heavier than necessary as they don’t have the insight to warrant the tone. There is something distinctly different about his work in FROST/NIXON though. It almost feels like Howard is having fun while he is working. His playful tone lends a breeziness to an intense game between interviewer and interviewee that could have otherwise played out in similar fashion to his previous heavy-handed work. The light tone though does nothing to detract from the seriousness of the task at hand and still keeps us guessing right through to the interviews defining moments. It is by far the best Howard film I’ve seen in ages but having already won one these guys, I doubt he’ll be returning this year to the podium.



MILK
Directed by Gus Van Sant


Van Sant is often hit or miss but he is almost always pushing himself in different directions. He does not often play towards the masses and does not seem to be the least bit concerned about doing so. And while I’ve heard the argument that he is doing just that with MILK, I cannot disagree more with the statement. MILK is not a plea to the straight masses to accept the gay and marginalized. It is the story of a man plead with humanity to embrace all as their brothers and sisters. It is a time in history that is being told at another time in history in order to learn from the errors of our past. And aside from being such an important film, it is also a beautiful and tender experience. Van Sant brought together a cast of contemporaries and infused them all with a sense of history that brought about the best ensemble performance of the year. Anyone who knows me, knows how much I loved BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN for what it gave to gay cinema. I can honestly say, as far as the genre goes, if you can call it that, MILK is a very close second to the cowboys. My sensitive heart is pulling for a MILK upset.



THE READER
Directed by Stephen Daldry


Daldry is certainly the surprise guest at this party. I don’t think people expected him to edge out Christopher Nolan for THE DARK KNIGHT but here we are. Obviously, some people put Daldry’s name down otherwise he wouldn’t be here. And the simple truth is that he definitely deserves to be here. In fact, with this nod, Daldry is now the first director in Oscar history to earn directing honours for his first three films. His work here continues to exhibit his strengths as a sensitive filmmaker with a deep understanding for his characters and their plights. He is not overly sympathetic but rather direct and forgiving. In that sense, given that THE READER focuses on Germans understanding how to forgive previous generations for their atrocious acts, Daldry was the perfect man for the job and the only one who could get it done as succinctly. Still, Daldry is the dark horse here, despite having the force known as Harvey Weinstein championing its campaign. A win for THE READER is certainly the least likely to happen in either category.



SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE
Directed by Danny Boyle


I think I’ve said enough about how I feel SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE is not deserving of the top Oscars. Why not focus now on why it is still a pleasure to see it racking up all of these prestigious accolades. Boyle felt trapped after completing his last project, SUNSHINE, having filmed the entire thing on a space ship set. He wanted to get outside and paint a bigger, brighter picture and that is exactly what he did. Only, after he finished this work, the company that was due to distribute it, Warner Independent, folded., and Boyle & co. found themselves homeless and eventually hopeless as it seemed that, considering Warner Bros. did not know what to do with the film, SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE was headed straight for DVD. Boyle managed to convince somebody to submit it to a couple of festivals in the fall and the audience reaction was practically palpable. And so goes the story of how a little movie almost went nowhere at all but ended up being the front-runner for the Best Picture Oscar.


There you have it, the big five. And despite the recent backlash in India upon the release of the film, Black Sheep still believes, even though he doesn’t want to, that SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE will take both Best Director and Best Picture. That said, I bet you didn’t need me to fill in those two categories on your Oscar poll.

Enjoy the Oscars and be sure to check out the winners of the 2008 MOUTON D’OR AWARDS this coming Saturday, February 21. SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE isn’t even nominated there so it’s anyone’s game.

WEEKEND BOX OFFICE: For Love and Horror

You would never know there was an economic crisis going on if you just looked at this year’s box office results. For the second week in a row, the highest drop off was just over 30% and that wasn’t even for the critically lambasted PINK PANTHER 2. No, there was plenty to celebrate this weekend with Valentine’s Day falling on the biggest date night of the week and FRIDAY THE 13TH returning to theatres just in time to have the release day coincide with the film’s title.


When the original FRIDAY THE 13TH opened in 1980, it cumed about $6 million and went on to take in a total of just under $40 million. This was big back then. Oh how far we have come as this latest relaunch of a franchise has amassed more than that in just one weekend. I’m sure once you take inflation into consideration, the original still has a lead but it won’t for long. Not only did this new installment debut on Friday the 13th to the best opening day of the year, it also had the added benefit of coming out in time for Valentine’s Day. Horror and comedy are the top favorite genres of couple on dates so it is no shocker to see this kind of response.


Keeping that in mind, it is also no surprise to see last week’s champ, HE'S JUST NOT THAT INTO YOU, hold on so strongly with just a 29% decline. In fact, its hold could account for the mediocre debut of CONFESSIONS OF A SHOPAHOLIC. The “Shopaholic” series by author, Sophie Kinsella, is immensely popular, much more so that the “He’s Just Not That Into You” book, but yet could not compete with the latter’s star power. Also, it might have hurt its chances given that spending irresponsibly is really not the direction the country is going in.


Tom Tykwer’s bid at the mainstream, THE INTERNATIONAL, had to settle for a 7th place start. Tykwer, famous for his cult classic, RUN LOLA RUN, put together a stylish thriller with top-notch actors (Clive Owen and Naomi Watts) but an overcomplicated plot bogged it down. Also, viewers might want to deal with the idea of corrupt banks just as much as foolish shopping habits. No, what viewers want these days is leftovers as both CORALINE and TAKEN saw declines under 10%. This kind of staying power is practically unheard of.


It’s the week before Oscar and all through the house, not creature was stirring except for SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE. The front-runner for Best Picture is the only one out of the five nominees to place in the Top 10 this year. Clearly people are clamoring to see it before the big event as they assume it will inevitably be crowned king dog. The rest of the nominees fall in the following order: THE READER ($2 million, down 10%), THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON ($1.6 million, down 30%), MILK ($816K, down 27.5%) and FROST/NIXON ($473K, down 39%). Meanwhile, Oscar hopeful in the Foreign Language category, THE CLASS, continued to play well in limited release, pulling in $222K, for an increase of 23.5% over last week.

NEXT WEEK: I highly recommend you catch up on your Oscar pics as there certainly isn’t anything worth seeing in first run. Well, if you like teen comedies about jocks joining the cheerleading squad to score, you could see FIRED UP. Or if you like men in grandmother drag placed in awkward scenarios, you could check out TYLER PERRY’S MADEA GOES TO JAIL. I told you you’d want to stay home.

Black Sheep @ The Oscars: ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

As you are reading these words, I suppose it goes without saying that I am a writer. I have an appreciation for the craft, as I do know, to some extent, the difficulties faced when one sits down in front of the computer to stare at a blank screen. That said, I am mostly uninspired by the nominees in this category. Perhaps I am just bitter not to see THE DARK KNIGHT nominated. Or perhaps I am just upset to see films I felt were held back by their screenplays receiving recognition as the best of the year. I can’t be sure. Regardless, my apathy could apparently make for a great adapted screenplay.

And the nominees are …

THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON
Screenplay by Eric Roth
Screen story by Eric Roth and Robin Swicord
Based on the short story, “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” by F. Scott Fitzgerald


Daisy: Would you still love me if I were old and saggy?
Benjamin Button: Would you still love me if I were young and had acne? When I’m afraid of what’s under the bed? Or if I end up wetting the bed?

This is Eric Roth’s fourth Oscar nomination. In fact, he actually won the Oscar in this very same category in 1994 for adapting FORREST GUMP. Now, you might be saying to yourself right now that this is amusing seeing as how, when you really think about it, THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON is an awful lot like FORREST GUMP. Both are epic stories about one man’s life and just how expansive that can be. Both ask the audience to appreciate what they have in their lives by showing us men with serious obstacles still finding meaning in life. Both go on a little longer than they should but personally, I found I at least felt some connection with that lovable guy waiting for the bus. Mr. Roth, I believe you already have an Oscar for writing this script.


DOUBT
Screenplay by John Patrick Shanley
Based on the stageplay, “Doubt” by John Patrick Shanley


Father Brendan Flynn: Doubt can be a bond as powerful and sustaining as certainty. When you are lost, you are not alone.

Although it was easy for me to point out that John Patrick Shanley’s direction in DOUBT was what kept the film from achieving greatness, it is impossible for to fault him for his writing. Sadly, I cannot say that I had the opportunity to see DOUBT on stage but if the play held a fraction of the insight and mystery that his screenplay holds, it must have been one heck of a religious experience. The only reason that I am not more excited about this title being nominated is because I don’t imagine that Shanley had to work too hard to make words he already knew worked work again on screen. Perhaps I am being far too naïve about his process but I’d say he was fairly familiar with the material going in.


FROST/NIXON
Screenplay by Peter Morgan
Based on the stageplay, “Frost / Nixon” by Peter Morgan


David Frost: I’ve had an idea for an interview, Richard Nixon.
John Birt: You’re a talk show host. I spent yesterday watching you interview the Bee Gees.
David Frost: Weren’t they terrific?

I like this Peter Morgan fella. His first and last Oscar nomination before this one, for THE QUEEN, was so playful and sincere that he brought great humanity to a monarch that is oft criticized for her lack thereof. And just as he brought us behind the castle gates last time, he brings us this time behind the cameras for an interview that had America holding its breath. You can just tell that Morgan is having a great time with FROST/NIXON. You never know who is going to break first in this historic interview and he makes it so that you aren’t necessarily rooting for one side of the other. Although Morgan expanded his stageplay to a much larger space Shanley did with DOUBT, his familiarity with the material is stellar but not necessarily new.


THE READER
Screenplay by David Hare
Based on the novel, “The Reader” by Bernhard Schlink


Hanna Schmitz: It doesn’t matter what I think. It doesn’t matter what I feel. The dead are still dead.

Having not read Bernhard Schlink’s tale of dealing and healing, I cannot say whether the criticisms of David Hare’s screenplay are true. It has been said that Hare’s take is fairly straightforward and does not have its own voice. This is the same complaint I have about the adapted stageplays. Adaptation certainly has its advantages. There is a solid framework that is already firmly in existence. The trick is to bring something new to table and make the words seem as if they are all of your own construction without taking full credit for where they come from. Personally, I enjoyed Hare’s script. I found it to be appropriately short and stunted given that it discusses subject matter that no one is comfortable with. Still, despite THE READER’s surge in popularity since it scored an unexpected five Oscar nods, it still has nothing on …


SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE
Written by Simon Beaufoy
Based on the novel, “Q and A” by Vikas Swarup


Jamal Malik: When somebody asks me a question, I tell them the answer.

It’s all right there in that quote. By this point, it is no secret that I am not riding the SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE wave all the way to the podium. And here I find myself face to face with my biggest beef about this film, its screenplay. Yes, I will admit to loving the Jamal and Latika’s love story just as much as the next guy and I do admire that it is a love that endures poverty, betrayal and the perils of the slums to find its place in the sun. That said, I cannot condone the beating Simon Beaufoy gives to fate and the stifling structure that robs the film of its spontaneity. Question, answer, here’s how I knew it – over and over again. Seriously though, Jamal’s life history is referenced one question after the next on “Who Wants to be a Millionaire?” in chronological order. This didn’t strike anyone as odd? This is fate deconstructed, not celebrated.

Rant aside, Black Sheep still predicts that the Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay will go to Simon Beaufoy for SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE. There is just no keeping the slumdog down.

Black Sheep @ The Oscars: BEST ACTRESS

This was a tough one. The nomination competition was fierce enough on its own without Kate Winslet contending for a spot for two standout performances. Sally Hawkins won the Golden Globe and a number of critics’ accolades for her performance in HAPPY-GO-LUCKY but missed her shot here. Kristen Scott Thomas hoped for a spot for her performance in I’VE LOVED YOU SO LONG but that little seen film left little impression. Michelle Williams had hoped that her stark performance in WENDY AND LUCY would earn her a second nod but it was too bare to register. Even Cate Blanchett, an Oscar regular, couldn’t get swept up in the Benjamin Button bonanza. And so with one slot inevitably going to Winslet, who else managed to squeak past the stiff competition?

Anne Hathaway in RACHEL GETTING MARRIED

When you first meet Kym in Jonathan Demme’s "love it or hate it" family drama, RACHEL GETTING MARRIED, she is a lot to take. She talks to fill the silence and she does so very defensively in order to close the doors before they are even opened. She doesn’t want anyone to see what lies behind those doors, not ever herself. Hathaway infuses Kym with a nervous likeability that makes her both compelling and repelling. It is certainly the kind of performance that gave everyone pause and had everyone wondering if there was more to this princess than anyone had ever imagined.


Hathaway was considered to be an early favorite in this category when the film debuted to rave reviews at the Venice and Toronto film fests. Still, the film has proven to be more of a critical darling than anything else and, quite sadly as this critic loved it, this is the film’s only nomination, indicating that overall support may be thin.

Angelina Jolie in CHANGELING

Christine Collins is always a lady. She is always properly made up and appropriately composed. This would prove to be her downfall as all assume that she will just sit quietly and take all that is thrown at her but they did not take into account what a mother would do for her missing son. Jolie delivers another understated performance here and is just as captivating for her fragility and endurance as for her beauty.

CHANGELING is also not a widely regarded film. Jolie missed the nomination in this category last year for her role in A MIGHTY HEART and so some might want to reward her for both as a means of making up for the past but she does already have an Oscar at home for her earlier performance in GIRL, INTERRUPTED. Jolie is not considered a threat in this category and I doubt that will change.

Melissa Leo in FROZEN RIVER

To be fair, I still have not seen this film. It only comes out next week on DVD and I can’t even remember it playing in theatres here in Montreal, which is odd considering the story takes place party in Quebec. I can tell you Leo plays Ray Eddy, a single mother drawn into the world of border smuggling. Aside from that, I got nothing.


Leo is certainly the dark horse in this category. The nomination alone has made people take notice of the film and, along with its nod for original screenplay, it could build some last minute momentum. Leo has been nominated for a number of awards already, including the National Board of Review, the Independent Spirit Awards and the Screen Actors Guild. There is certainly good reason to consider her the underdog contender but keep in mind, the SAG nominated her but she did not ultimately win. No, that honour went to …

Meryl Streep in DOUBT

You may never know a scarier screen nun after Streep’s Sister Aloysius Beauvier. The way that she leers at the children in the playground, just waiting for them to step out of line so that she can assume her duties as disciplinarian and well, discipline them. She almost seems to get some perverse joy out of it. She scours the world for all its evils and when she sets her eyes on her parish priest, you know he’s in big trouble because even God will be too scared to not side with the sister.

How many times does someone need to be nominated in their lifetime? Streep holds the records for most Oscar nods with 15 in total. She does have two wins but her last was for SOPHIE’S CHOICE in 1982. She is definitely due and many are saying that this will be her year. DOUBT did not play well outside of the acting categories, which denotes a certain apathy toward the film but Streep did take home the SAG award for this intense performance. The trouble is, so did …

Kate Winslet in THE READER

Hanna Schmitz is one of Winslet’s most complex characters. We meet her under the same circumstances as the young boy she ends up taking to bed. She seems nice enough, if not perhaps just a bit cold and guarded. Still, you would never imagine that she was personally responsible for countless deaths as an SS officer in the Second World War. Furthermore, it is unfathomable that she is actually able to rationalize her actions as entirely reasonable.


Winslet was expected to earn a nomination here for REVOLUTIONARY ROAD. In fact, after her double win at the Golden Globes opened the possibility of an Oscar repeat. Her role in THE READER was touted as a supporting performance but as she has the most screen time of any character in the film, that was a hard sell that was eventually rejected by the academy. The SAG rewarded Winslet in the supporting category and now both SAG honoured actresses find themselves going head to head at the Oscars. It could get ugly.

I would say though that even though Winslet did not get the nod for REVOLUTIONARY ROAD, no one will forget the force with which she delivered in both films. And so, Black Sheep predicts Kate Winslet for Best Actress in THE READER.

WEEKEND BOX OFFICE: Mall Cop vs. The Oscars

Alright, yes, PAUL BLART: MALL COP held on to the number one spot this weekend with a very narrow decline. And yes, UNDERWORLD: RISE OF THE LYCANS opened in second place with respectable numbers considering Kate Beckinsale did not return for this third outing. None of this matters though because this past Thursday, the 81st Annual Academy Award nominations were announced and it’s time to check in on the top nominee to see how they fared now that the highest honours have been bestowed upon them.


Two out of the five nominees for Best Picture find themselves in the Top 10. Re-entering in ninth place this weekend is the nominee leader with a whopping 13 nods, THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON. The film has been playing in wide release now for six weeks but still managed an 8% increase. With a total of $111 million, it is by far the most successful of the five nominees. It may have come in second place in the overall tally but SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE is the top box office performer this weekend amongst the nominees. The film entered its first wide release frame this weekend and moved up five spots to reach the number five position, a new high in its lengthy 11 week run. The film has nabbed up over $55 million already and judging from the reception and accolades that keep lining up for it, the Danny Boyle success is almost certainly destined to top $100 million.


SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE was not the only Oscar hopeful that planned its wide release expansion for this weekend to coincide with expected nominations. Best Picture nominee, FROST/NIXON added a hefty 946 screens to see its take increase over 350% from last weekend. While it may sound impressive, its average was under $3K, which is nothing compared to the averages it was pulling down in limited release. THE WRESTLER only managed to earn two Oscar nods (Springsteen was robbed!) but that didn’t stop it from increasing over 115% after adding 422 screens this last week. REVOLUTIONARY ROAD came up short at the Oscars, earning only three nominations but it had already planned to add 887 screens so what can you do. The film saw its returns increase by 195% and just missed the Top 10 so hopefully that will make up for the Academy not giving the love to Winslet’s disheartening performance. Lastly, THE DARK KNIGHT reentered IMAX theatres this weekend in hopes of capitalizing on its nominations and crossing the $1 billion mark internationally. Sadly, it missed the nominations in all the major categories, save for Heath Ledger’s supporting turn, and Warner Bros. has not released its projected earnings so I can’t even tell you if it lost out there too.


The remaining two nominees for Best Picture did nothing this weekend to take advantage of their recognition. Still, both MILK and THE READER saw their earnings increase by 10% each. MILK is essentially finishing its run while THE READER will expand next weekend.

NEXT WEEK: There will be no box office report as Black Sheep will be on a beach somewhere.

WEEKEND BOX OFFICE: Paul Blart, Box Office King

Ah, January – the only time of year where a movie about an overweight mall cop can pull in over $30 million in its opening weekend and a film about a dog hotel can open, period.

PAUL BLART: MALL COP, the Kevin James vehicle, surpassed all expectations this weekend to debut atop the chart. Of course, that last statement implies that people had expectations to begin with. James even managed to take down Clint Eastwood, pulling in $10 million more than GRAN TORINO did in its second weekend of wide release. Neither actor has anything to complain about, mind you. James has proven in one single weekend that he can open a major film release and Eastwood has proven that the man is still one of the most impressive box office draws in Hollywood, at least when he is front of the camera and flaunting a shotgun.


The rest of the Top 5 continues to impress as four out of the five earned north of $20 million. The Martin Luther King holiday weekend saw a 31% increase over last year and that is only for the three-day regular weekend period. MY BLOODY VALENTINE 3D led the pack, charging right off the screen and into third place. The film’s average was slightly less than last week’s horror entry, THE UNBORN but still played solidly. Mind you, THE UNBORN dropped off 50% this weekend so I’m not sure MY BLOODY VALENTINE will still be around come Valentine’s Day. The Top 10 saw one other entry this week, the wide expansion of the Daniel Craig starring, DEFIANCE. The film earned a stable but unimpressive average of just over $5K for an eighth place finish. The awards contender has seen little support and is not expected to be an Oscar surprise.


Pulling in the highest per screen average of any film in release this weekend was NOTORIOUS, the life and death story of the Notorious B.I.G. This was only one of many reasons for the Fox people to celebrate this weekend. Last week’s Golden Globe winner for Best Motion Picture (drama), SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE, narrowly surpassed fellow competitor, THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON, to sneak back into the Top 10 with a resurged five figure average. The film is a lock for a bunch of Oscar nominations so Slumdog’s millions will continue to roll in for weeks to come. Also, Fox Searchlight’s THE WRESTLER, fresh from winning two Golden Globes including Best Actor (drama) for Mickey Rourke, continued its slow expansion with an addition of 84 screens and saw another surge of over 100%.


In other Golden Globe news, Kate Winslet’s double win helped REVOLUTIONARY ROAD continue to expand solidly, increasing 22% over last week. Her Supporting Actress win for THE READER did not fare as well though. The film continues to perform decently but lost 90 screens this week and saw its returns fall off 9%. Awards season still has another month to go so some of the contenders need to pick it up. The Golden Globe winner for Best Foreign Language Film , WALTZ WITH BASHIR, fought the film’s controversy to increase 18% over last week. And the Golden Globe winner for Best Motion Picture (comedy), Woody Allen’s VICKY CRISTINA BARCELONA, tacked on another 50 screens and surged 112% despite its home video release being just a couple of weeks away.


NEXT WEEK: We shall see how this Thursday’s Oscar nominees shape the contender grosses, if at all. This is especially true for REVOLUTIONARY ROAD, THE WRESTLER, FROST/NIXON and SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE, as all four jump into aggressive expansions in hopes that their film will be receiving many a nod this week. Even THE DARK KNIGHT returns for awards season, reappearing on over 200 screens and ensuring that it will cross the $1 billion mark internationally. As for brand new wide releases, look for Brandon Fraser in INKHEART, which seems awful close in premise to JOURNEY AT THE CENTER OF THE EARTH to me, and the latest installment in the now Kate Beckinsale-less franchise, UNDERWORLD: RISE OF THE LYCANS. Or don’t look for them; they don’t sound worth looking for to me.

WEEKEND BOX OFFICE: Get Off Clint's Lawn

Well I’m off to a smashing start for 2009. I figured it would be no problem whatsoever for Anne Hathaway and Kate Hudson to march themselves down the aisle and all the way to the top of the box office. Not only did they have to settle for second place but they almost got beat by a horror movie about an unborn twin that needs his live twin to die in order to be born. Right.

The fate of BRIDE WARS was sealed on Friday when the Cline Eastwood star vehicle/directorial effort, GRAN TORINO, took out its big shotgun and blew away all the competition. After a stellar limited run over the last month, GRAN TORINO went wide and proved that Eastwood is still a bankable star. Meanwhile, the young ladies only proved that they both still have a lot to prove. Hathaway’s awards attention in the next few weeks will inevitably throw her into the limelight, giving the film some much needed legs, but at the end of the day, BRIDE WARS will be a medium sized performer when Fox was clearly hoping for a wedding to end all weddings.


Final figures are announced tomorrow and BRIDE WARS might find itself slipping into third place if its figures do not hold up. Right now there is half a million dollars separating it from THE UNBORN. The horror flick played on nearly 1000 less screens but managed a much sturdier per screen average, allowing it to come within reach of second place, much to everyone’s surprise. The true test for THE UNBORN will come next week when it tries to hold its audience. Given that there is a new horror movie coming out every week this month, I think THE UNBORN better enjoy this weekend because it will be descending back to hell come next weekend. The Top 10’s other debut belonged to limited player, NOT EASILY BROKEN. Playing on just over 700 screens, the film has the third highest average in the Top 10.


The specialty market was pretty quiet this week. January is just a time to expand really. All the big art pics came out before the end of the year to qualify for the Academy Awards but certain pictures saved their big reveals for the new year to avoid the holiday overcrowding. GRAN TORINO did it aggressively and succeeded but most art flicks practice the art of taking their sweet time. The biggest expansions were both Kate Winslet pictures and one succeeded while the other disappointed. Both THE READER and REVOLUTIONARY ROAD are nominated for Best Motion Picture (drama) at this evening’s Golden Globes and both tacked on about 100 screens to their run this weekend. While REVOLUTIONARY ROAD pulled in a slightly larger per screen average than GRAN TORINO for an increase of 46%, THE READER saw its returns slip 15%. Winslet herself is nominated for both films this evening so a win either way will certainly help.


NEXT WEEK: It’s a busy one indeed. Both LAST CHANCE HARVEY and DEFIANCE expand their runs wide to join HOTEL FOR DOGS, MY BLOODY VALENTINE 3D, NOTORIOUS and PAUL BLART: MALL COP in the race for the top spot. Better watch out for Clint though; he’s packing some serious heat.

THE READER

Written by David Hare
Directed by Stephen Daldry
Starring Ralph Fiennes, David Kross and Kate Winslet


Michael Berg: What’s your name?
Hanna Schmitz: What? Why do you want to know?

We don’t know. We think we do but we don’t. We make decisions or sometimes decisions are made for us but we think we’ve made them. Then suddenly, there we are. We can’t be certain how we got there or where we will be when everything settles but we do know that we are alive. Some experiences are life altering and we can run from them or embrace them. Staying to see them through though can bring incredible bliss but also tormented turmoil. We just never know. One such experience was had by a young Michael Berg (David Kross) and is chronicled in Stephen Daldry’s THE READER. How could he know that when he pulled into an alley to be sick that he would meet the woman who would shape his entire life? How could he know that getting close to her would pull him the furthest he’s ever been from himself?


Of course, when you’re a sixteen-year-old boy and a woman who looks like Kate Winslet disrobes in front of you in the privacy of her bathroom, how much thought really goes into the decision that has presented itself? However little it is, it is certainly less than is warranted. This is especially true in West Germany of 1958. This is a Germany that is uncertain how to proceed, how to be its new self in the eyes of the world and the eyes of its very own future generations. Winslet plays Hanna Schmitz, a compassionate woman but also abrasive and stern. Winslet strikes the perfect balance between directness and desire in Schmitz, making her complexities part of her appeal. She is a good fifteen years older than the young Berg and she knows much better than he of her country’s history. What he knows, he has read in books, been taught in school. What she knows, she lived first hand. So when the two come together, naked in each other's arms, the meeting is as redemptive as it is passionate. Berg is just happy to be in love and having sex but Schmitz is washing herself clean with the youthful vigor of Germany’s tomorrow.


The summer ends and so does the affair, as one would expect. Just when it would seem that the two would never meet again, life steps in to ensure that past decisions, perhaps made in haste, can come to see their consequences. Berg has grown some and is a college man, studying to be a lawyer, when he catches sight of Hanna Schmitz again. Their latest chance encounter is far less exciting though as he sees her on a class outing to a courthouse. Schmitz is on trial for crimes against humanity for her time as an officer in the Nazi party during the Second World War. Berg’s memory of his first love would now become a question of his own morality. How could he love someone who was now accused of such atrocities? How could he be so intimate with someone he apparently never truly knew? And yet, now that he knows her past, does he really know how her past came to be? After all, what is the face of evil? Is it Hanna Schmitz or is it something incredibly bigger than her?

Ralph Fiennes is the future of Germany. He plays Berg as an adult. His life is orderly, very clean, crisp and cold. He made decisions that made him the man he is and he can never say whether they were the right ones or not. What he can see is that we all make decisions that either hurt or harm other people and that the atrocities committed by his past generations are not as far outside the realm of understanding as he might have originally thought. More importantly, redemption is not that far either.

Black Sheep's Top 10 of 2008

I will always remember 2008 as the year I stopped sleeping. Oddly enough, from day one, I developed some very erratic but very effective insomnia. I am still dealing with it to this day but I can feel it falling away with every passing night. Many people offered advice – warm milk, booze before bed, meditation. My favorite trick though was to lie still and think back on the day that had just ended. I would lie there and stare up at the ceiling and recall all the blessings, no matter how small, that I had been fortunate enough to encounter throughout my day. And so, as 2008 enters its final hours, I would like to lie back on my pillow and remember 10 of the best film experiences I had this last year. When I’m done, I will say goodnight.

In alphabetical order, here is Black Sheep’s Top 10 of 2008 …

THE DARK KNIGHT

If you’re going to be big, you have to think big from the start. Director Christopher Nolan did just that with his second Batman picture. It is grand to behold and exhilarating to experience. Aside from laying claim to Heath Ledger’s unforgettable last performance, THE DARK KNIGHT can also assert itself as the most accomplished superhero movie of all time.

THE DUCHESS

Saul Dibb’s little seen film may have been dismissed as just another period piece where a woman is sold off by her family for financial gain and stature but I assure you there is so much more to see here. The Duchess of Devonshire endured many a hardship behind her castle walls and Dibb, along with the lovely Keira Knightly, strip the period drama of its binding costume to show the naked person barely breathing underneath.

ENTRE LES MURS (THE CLASS)

Director, Laurent Cantet, along with screenwriter and star, Francois Bégaudeau, invite us to take our seats in this year’s winner of the Palmes d’Or at Cannes. Shot like a documentary, THE CLASS is an important lesson about the state of today’s classroom. Sure, we all know the situation isn’t great but Bégaudeau wants us to feel the reality of what it means to have a seat at the back of the class. Pay attention because the test will follow immediately after.

MAN ON WIRE

In 1974, Philippe Petit crossed New York’s twin towers across a tight rope eight times. Documentary filmmaker, James Marsh, was not there to capture it. And so a new style of documentary is born where all the players from back in the day are on board to tell their stories while actors reenact the events of 34 years ago. Pieced together as though it were a narrative piece, the story itself is a caper that will leave you hanging on the edge of your seat as though it were one of the towers.

MILK

This is Gus Van Sant’s masterpiece. It is a soft and tender piece about bravery and strength, that had me enraged one moment, laughing the next and crying practically throughout. Harvey Milk fought for the simple human rights of gay men and women in California as the first openly gay man to be elected to public office and he was killed for this. Telling his story today is heartbreaking as gay men and women are still fighting for these same rights some 30 years later.

RACHEL GETTING MARRIED

When I first saw this movie, I left the theatre and felt entirely disoriented. Rachel had just gotten married and I felt as though I were a guest at this event. The weekend was tumultuous but gorgeous and filled with deep love and all the hardship that comes with this kind of intimacy. The entire cast is so genuine that you feel as though they have known each other for as long as they would have had they been real. This is a true testament to Jenny Lumet’s subtle screenplay and Jonathan Demme’s beautifully spontaneous direction.

THE READER

Stephen Daldry is a very sumptuous filmmaker. He tells his stories with conviction and without apology for their nature. THE READER is a complicated, multi-layered work that may have missed its mark in someone else’s hand. Daldry forces us to face this tale of passion, betrayal and healing and asks us to go through our own personal interaction with these emotions. Of course, it doesn’t hurt that Kate Winslet and Ralph Fiennes are there to hold our hands along the way.

THE VISITOR

Simple, understated and effective are just a few words that can be thrown at Thomas McCarthy’s second film and Richard Jenkins’ breakout performance. This unique story about a widower who walks around his own life as though it weren’t his own unspools in such an unexpected fashion that one feels like visiting again and again.

WALL•E

It only takes about four minutes to fall completely in love with WALL•E. No matter how many times I’ve seen this film (and I assure you, I’ve seen it a few times already), I am always in awe of what Pixar was able to accomplish. Not only did they manage to put out an eco-friendly film that criticizes humanity’s disposable habits and our growing reliance on conglomerate control but they also crafted one of the most endearing love stories in recent history. To create a genuine love between genderless, animated robots is what places Pixar out of this world compared with all their imitators.

THE WRESTLER

Darren Aronofsky should feel very good about this one. THE WRESTLER is not just his best film but it is also the best American film of the year. Like P.T. Anderson did last year with THERE WILL BE BLOOD, Aronofsky has reinvented himself as an American storyteller who understands its people and their convictions. It is a dirty, gritty experience that mirrors the hardships of so many and it never stops fighting.

Be sure to check back tomorrow to get all the details on Black Sheep's Best of 2008 contest. Happy New Year!