What did you see this weekend?
Sunday, February 19, 2017 at 4:30PM The odd proposition of The Great Wall didn't excite moviegoers in the States -- Matt Damon leading historical fantasy fiction about China's great wall and monstersWhaaa?-- but its huge price tag (150 million budget) doesn't mean it will lose big since it's already made over 200 million overseas. Generally speaking director Zhang Yimou knows how to wondrous spectacle movies but this movies reviews leave something to be desired. Nevertheless it was a relatively quiet weekend with not much changing as the maintream titles played steadily and the Oscar titles are beginning to decline as the conversation around the Oscars nears its end point.
But did anyone see I Am Not Your Negro's huge box office gross coming? You never can tell with documentaries which ones will convince people to buy tickets en masse. In specialty theaters the Mexican rom-com Everybody Loves Somebody also opened to strong numbers.
the great Zhang Yimou directing... Matt Damon in The Great Wall?
TOP WIDE
01 Lego Batman Movie $34.2 (cum. $98.7)
02 Fifty Shades Darker $20.9 (cum. $89.6)
03 The Great Wall $18 NEW
04 John Wick Chapter Two $16.5 (cum. $58.6)
05 Fist Fight $12 NEW
TOP LIMITED
01 Everybody Loves Somebody $1 NEW
02 I Am Not Your Negro $975K (cum. $3.2) Review, the nominated docs
03 Oscar Nominated Shorts $600K (cum. $1.6) Doc Shorts Ranked
04 Jolly Lib 2 $330K (cum. $1.3)
05 A United Kingdom $270K (cum. $360K)
Reader Comments (32)
I saw the three Oscars Shorts programs. Nothing exceptional in any of them, but only the Danish Silent Nights (Live Action) was a complete dud. I hope White Helmets wins Documentary. Don't really care about the other two categories. I'll bet La Femme et le TGV with Jane Birkin wins Best Live Action. It's as heart- warming as all get- out, complete with feisty old lady.
I also saw Toni Erdmann, and for the life of me, I have no idea what people see it that thing, despite moments of inspiration. If The Salesman wins Best Foreign Film, it won't (just) be a political statrment - the far, far better film will have won.
I watched Trainspotting for the first time. It was good, but every time I think about it I feel the need to take a long shower in hospital grade disinfectant.
I saw Lego Batman and it made me so damn happy. I'm tempted to argue it's the best Batman film ever, but that's not much to brag about, is it? Congratulations, you made something engaging without being incredibly depressing or totally off the rails insane by superhero standards.
I literally *just* got back from watching 20th Century Women and I don't even know what to say...It was just so gorgeous. Gorgeously written, sonorously scored, paced like a vivid dream. But the production design, for me, was the highlight,apart from the performances, obvs...Speaking of which, that cast was on fire, but The Bening!!!! Hello?!
Also saw Hidden Figures. It was really good. I was expecting The Help in places but the film thankfully avoided all of what was wrong about that film. And Janelle Monae was MVP for me, along with Kirsten Dunst. The whole cast was impressive but I just loved what they did with their parts. Octavia Spencer was brilliant aswell.
I saw Moonlight, 3 Coeurs (a French film from 2014) and Hell or High Water.
I've now seen six of the Best Picture nominees, and I'd rank them like this:
1. Moonlight
2. Hell or High Water
3. La La Land
4. Manchester by the Sea
5. Arrival
6. Hacksaw Ridge
Moonlight and Hell or High Water have a similarity: they both tell stories that, in some senses, are very generic and a bit routine - but both films elevate those stories to something special through the inventiveness of their writing, film style and acting. In both cases, it's the sheer quality that makes the film - and that's why they're my top two as things stand. I've also seen all five in the Film Editing category, and I'd give that win to Hell or High Water. Beautiful work.
3 Coeurs is a love triangle story headed up by the very talented Belgian actor Benoît Poelvoorde and two shining examples of French acting royalty - Charlotte Gainsbourg and Chiara Mastroianni. All are excellent and the film is well worth catching.
I finally saw Julieta. I say finally because it just opened here . Loved it. Pedro still is my favorite director and even if the film critics ( or should I say the "so called critics" lol ) don't consider it among his best it will still make my top 3 of the last year. And that song during the final credits!!!
I saw Jackie. The absence of Larraín in the best director category is the travesty of all travesties.
I watched Cinderella Jones with Joan Leslie. Busby Berkeley made a dud! Who knew?
Live action shorts. Silent Nights is borderline offensive. But surely the Academy knows that, and there were only 5 to pick from, right? I personally liked Timecode. The husband has picked the last 5 live action short winners. He thinks Ennemis Interieurs will win. I thought it was a bit too much. But I guess we will see?
Animated shorts. I assume Piper will win. They were all good, and so different. So, I am fine with any of them winning.
Thursday I saw Nocturama.
Friday I saw Xavier Dolan's It's Only the End of the World, which was not fun at all and not very watchable. I cleansed my palette and caught Almodóvar's Bad Education on 35mm, which I just adore.
And last night I saw Personal Shopper, which I loved!
Lion
wept like a bitch. The movie is far from a masterpiece but similarly to Spotlight it tells an incredibly important story that must be seen by everyone interested in humanity.
Kidman's monologue on choosing to save lives instead of selfishly creating new life has moved me so profoundly because that's exactly how I feel about the subject matter.
Watched second episode of Legion - SOOOOO GOOOOOD. Bold, brilliant, and... some other B adjective I cant summon right now.
Also, second viewing of Kubo and the Two Strings. I appreciated it in the cinema, but this time, man - it WRECKED me emotionally, then nourished me with its patiently searing beauty like warm waves of healing art on my ravaged soul.
I saw I Am Not Your Negro in Asheville NC. Small theater, The Grail, with what I am estimating is 80 seats and it was practically sold out. I have seen 4 of the 5 doc nominees and I am pulling for 13th.
I saw "The Great Wall" in a mostly empty big screen theater. Damon is miscast- he lacks the larger than life swashbuckling spark needed for this Saturday matinee movie. The film looks awesome on the BIG SCREEN- even flat the 3 -D effects jump out at you. This is cinema as spectacle- great use of color. The monsters are not cool enough and please I don't want to hear from the politically correct police about white washing. It's a big international co-production that needed an American star to attract finance. Like " Gods of Egypt" its fantasy adventure not a historical epic.
I Am Not Your Negro isn't on VOD and the subject matter is timely. I genuinely wonder what 13TH could have done if it went theatrical instead of Netflix. I'm sure more people have seen it on Netflix, but if it had made a sizable theatrical impact it could have easily won.
I saw Elle and Toni Erdmann back-to-back and after all the hype, both were pretty underwhelming.
I also saw Driving Miss Daisy and Chariots of Fire and they were both old-fashioned filmaking in the worst sense of the term. I think Spike Lee said he was more disappointed in the former winning Best Picture than Do the Right Thing actually being nominated, and I have to say I agree with him wholeheartedly.
The Fits - a little underwhelming, but Royalty Hightower and Anna Rose Holmer are some talents. Cannot wait to see what they do next
Hail, Caesar! - surprisingly bad.
Paris 05:59 – Theo and Hugo: I liked it a lot more than I was anticipating. Terrific ending.
Knight of Cups - also bad
Welcome to Sarajevo: 50% really terrific, 50% not so much. Terrific use of music.
20th Century Woman. Wonderful screenplay, beautifully acted. Outstanding ensemble cast.
Like a few people already said, I too checked out the Oscar Shorts. Just the Live Action films though. And yes, SILENTS NIGHTS is just terrible in so many ways. I'm predicting LA FEMME ET LE TGV since it's the only one that has anyone recognizable in it (always a plus), but I'm wishing TIMECODE wins because it was my favorite by far and in the year of LA LA LAND... why not, right?
Saw the first episode of Big Little Lies I read the novel and loved it. I hope the people respond to it as this first episode is all over the place. If you have not read the book, it may be confusing.
I think it is really well done.
Finally saw ELLE. What the elle was that? Unstable narrative? Pitch black comedy? Post-feminist thought experiment? The film that it most brought to mind for me -- this may be a stretch -- is SPRING BREAKERS, in its amoral female-centered violent narrative. I'm trying to think of other films that had me scratching my head, revising/reviewing my opinions over and over. It really is something unique.
Isabelle Huppert is a master genius with few equals in the entire acting world, but I suspect there's no way the Academy is going to reward this discomfiting film, not when there's a safe, sunny, girl next door, starring in a popular musical, to give the prize to.
Saw Arrival for the first time last weekend. Elegiac and highly moving and not in a melodramatic way. It's beauty is the contemplative pace and tonally even acting performances. While I am of the opinion that Amy Adams gave a much better performance in Nocturnal Animals than in this film, Arrival is a much emotional, beautifully heartbreaking cinematic experience.
Also re-watched Terence Davies' sublime Distant Voices, Still Lives with wonderful performances and ace editing. Plus the music used were so wonderfully integrated in the storyline.
@Jaragon - Needing a big American star and whitewashing aren't mutually exclusive...
Well, hello, WGA Awards! You're a sight for sore eyes...
@ Max
Just watched the first ep. of Big Little Lies. I'm curious: what do you think might be confusing? I haven't read the book and I'm intrigued and hooked but not confused. And it's the first time I've been really drawn to Shailene Woodley as a screen presence.
I saw Toni Erdmann. In my opinion, it deserves to win Best Foreign Language Film.
I saw 20th Century Women on my laptop this weekend, as it doesn't come out here til March and wanted to see it before the Big Night where it's only nominated (and deservedly so) for Original Screenplay. I didn't see Fences and Lion yet but i think voters could have find some room for Gerwig and Fanning in the supporting category. They both did really fine supporting work with greatly written characters.
@PaulOutlaw. Glad to hear it. It hit so many lives in such a short time I thought may be the average watcher might be a little confused Glad I was wrong .
I saw a bunch of stuff: La La Land (for the 4th time), Moonlight (for the 2nd time), Fifty Shades Darker (to mock it), The Founder (fun enough), Hidden Figures (wonderful).
And also 20th Century Women, and I wanted to specifically thank you, Nathaniel, because for some bizarre reason I thought I wouldn't like it and only went to see it thanks to your rave reviews, and I absolutely loved it. I was reading the script today and crying all over again. So thanks! :)
I saw Hell or High Water and while I really liked some of it (the actors, especially Pines' haunted, brooding turn) and the last 1/4th or so, I don't get why it's up for Best Picture.
I also Aquarius and liked it - Braga is great although I don't know if she'd make my top five (WOW is Best Actress stacked this year).
And I saw The Dressmaker - what a mess. Veering from the broadest, most over-the-top farce possible to heartbreaking drama, often in back-to-back scenes. Winslet sold about 90% of it but seemed stiff in some of the self-consciously over-directed "femme fatale" moments, Davis was of course great and Hemsworth was was loose and sexy, like a young Harrison Ford.
I don't get why it and Hacksaw Ridge both need to be up for Best Picture in 2017. But on its own, HoHW is timely.
Chris Pine should have been nominated for "Hell and High Water"...." The Great Wall" did not need an American star in the lead it needed a better script
@Paul Outlaw - yes, that's true. It's about the only thing keeping that movie from being totally generic. And really, like happens so often with movies, the part that makes it timely also makes it somewhat timeless.