Prince of Limited Releases
September 3, 2010
There are quite a few limited releases on this week's list, including several earning overwhelmingly positive reviews. Last Train Home, Mesrine: Public Enemy Number One, and Prince of Broadway all deserve to be seen be a wider audience, but I'm not sure if any will really thrive.
Clear Blue Tuesday - Reviews
Last Train Home - Reviews
Mesrine: Public Enemy Number One - Reviews
Prince of Broadway - Reviews
We Are Family - No Reviews
White Wedding - Reviews
The Winning Season - Reviews
A Woman, a Gun, and a Noodle Shop - Reviews
A film set on seven different Tuesdays over seven years in a post-9/11 New York City. If you are going to deal with 9/11 in an art house movie, you better make sure the movie is excellent, or you threaten to offend your biggest potential audience, as most art house films open in New York city. Unfortunately, this movie is far from excellent; in fact, so far it has failed to earn a single positive review on Rotten Tomatoes. Clear Blue Tuesday opens tonight at the Quad Cinema in New York City.
A documentary about the largest annual mass migration of people in the world. Every year in China, 130 million migrant workers travel from the cities where they work to the country where their families are for the New Year holidays. 130 million people is about 40% of the total American population, more than the combined populations of the six biggest states in the Union. Obviously, you can't make a movie about all 130 million of them, so the filmmakers use one family as a stand-in for the typical family. So far the film's reviews have been perfect with 13 positive reviews out of 13 in place on Rotten Tomatoes, and it will hopefully be rewarded at the box office. Last Train Home opens tonight at the IFC Center in New York City.
The second half of the biopic of French gangster, Jacques Mesrine. The first part, Mesrine: Killer Instinct, was released just last week, earned nearly identical reviews and opened with more than $5000 at the box office. I suspect this film won't do quite as well, but close enough to keep the theater owners mostly happy. Mesrine: Public Enemy Number One opens tonight in 28 theaters in select cities.
A man who lives in the fashion district of New York City and who makes a living selling knockoff handbags suddenly has to raise a toddler that a former lover says is his son. This film is co-written and directed by Sean Baker, who previously worked on Greg the Bunny. That certainly got my attention, while the reviews are perfect, at least so far. Could be a movie worth going out of your way to see, and you might have to, as it is only opening in one theater. Prince of Broadway opens tonight at the Angelika Film Center in New York City.
The widest limited release of the week is a Bollywood release, and like most releases from India, this one has no wide buzz, no reviews, and almost no chance at crossover appeal.
A man travels 1600 kilometers, about 1000 miles, with his best man to get to his wedding. What could go wrong? A lot, apparently. Too much according to some critics, while just enough to be entertaining according to others. Unfortunately, it's about an even mix between critics that like the movie and those that don't, which probably spells trouble for this limited release. White Wedding opens tonight in four theaters, split between New York City and the Los Angeles Area.
Sam Rockwell stars as a former basketball coach who is given a chance at redemption by coaching a struggling high school girls' team. So far the film's reviews are only mixed and are just below 60% positive. On the other hand, the film does have a bigger cast than most limited releases and that could help it last a little bit longer than most. It will probably have to wait till the home market to find an audience, however. The Winning Season opens tonight in three theaters, including the Laemmles Sunset 5 in Los Angeles.
A remake of Blood Simple, which was The Coen Brothers' first film, and still one of their best. This movie is not going to be remembered as director Yimou Zhang's best film. In fact, it is probably best forgotten entirely. A Woman, a Gun, and a Noodle Shop opens tonight in five theaters, mostly in the Los Angeles area.
Filed under: Limited Releases, The Winning Season, White Wedding, San qiang pai an jing qi, L'ennemi public n°1, We Are Family, Last Train Home, Clear Blue Tuesday, Prince of Broadway