Monday, 7 February 2000

WEEKEND REVIEW

Okay, gang...I'm still not fully into box office thinking. It's as though the films of Sundance infected my bloodstream and now, the tracking of mediocre movies through their box office paces makes me break out in a rash.

Top dog is Scream 3, which is reporting $35.2 million start. The only film in the history of movies to do more than that on a non-Thanksgiving/Christmas, non-summer weekend was the Star Wars re-issue of 1997 ($35.9 million). The only other films to open to over $30 million outside of the aforementioned periods were Rush Hour ($33 million) and Liar, Liar ($31.4 million).

Normally, this would be one of those situations in which I would scream (so to speak) bloody murder about a gross like that. But I haven't been watching the film track and I don't even have Saturday numbers from which to formulate an assessment. Do I really think that the anticipation of Scream 3 rises above that of Scream 2 and just under that of Armageddon? No. But do I feel comfortable that such an accusation would be fair given my lack of focus on the box office lately? Also, no.

I got some e-mail on Sunday concerned about some of the holdovers dropping too little for comfort based on Sunday estimates. I do expect the estimates to be high, as usual, when final numbers are tallied on Monday. However, you should keep in mind that last weekend suffered from both some funky weather and Super Bowl Sunday.

THE GOOD: About 10 minutes into Beautiful People, I thought I'd have to leave early. Just back from Sundance, a movie that seemed to be confused about what it was about, shot in the style of Dogma 95 (not officially,) seemed too much to bear. But as the film continued along, I became more and more compelled by it and its characters. The film is a Brit-eyed view of people from the rest of the world, trying to assimilate into a new culture, constantly being challenged by the draw of their previous lives, and Londoners, ebbing and flowing with the unstoppable tide of immigration.

You'll recognize some of the actors from other movies and British TV shows, but the stories of people searching for a way to make life make sense is what you will remember. Beautiful People is a very specific taste, but if you have it, you will be happy you went. It took me a few Mike Leigh films before I realized that absolutely nothing happens in the first act of any of his movies. The same is true here. If you decide to go and it's not your taste, at least wait a full half-hour before you run to see the latest Jennifer Love Hewitt vehicle in the multiplex. Then make your judgement.

THE BAD: I saw two films that I had higher hopes for than came true. First, I was given reason to take Jeff Wells less seriously than I thought was safe. I suspect that Jeff gave Gun Shy the benefit of the doubt because he felt that the trailer misrepresented the film and that Disney was dumping a movie that was more interesting than he had been led to believe. And it is true. Gun Shy has some interesting ideas. Unfortunately, despite a strong cast of actors and some interesting twists, any hopes this film had of being worth more than 5 minutes of your time were lost when someone lost their mind and decided to allow first-time screenwriter (he wrote two TV movies) and first-time director Eric Blakeney direct this movie. Presumably, Blakeney was supported in his absolute incompetence by Sandra Bullock, who produced and cameos in the movie. It's hard to believe that a Director of Photography as good as Tom Richmond was on the picture, half of which looks like it was shot on 16mm film for no recognizable purpose of style. The film SCREAMS for someone to whip the screenplay which, I repeat, does have some really interesting stuff in it, beyond the self-indulgence of the writer. When producers have meetings with writers who want to direct, they should show this movie to them to prove that they are better off entrusting their screenplays to someone who knows what they are doing with a camera.

I was looking forward to agreeing with Jeff that the Entertainment Weekly critic (Lisa Schwarzbaum) was wrong to give the film an "F." But she was only off by a little. The film doesn't deserve an "F," but anything better than a "C-" would be foolhardy. As is Elvis Mitchell calling the film "the most subtle and inspired comedies you'll see this year." Good God! This is no Rushmore or Election or any other treasure lost to the masses. The running gag of the film is Liam Neeson's inability to control his bowels. The South America drug dealer wants out of a business deal because it involves soybean futures. (Beans! That's a racial stereotype! Get it!) Oliver Platt plays a petty thug who we are supposed to believe would threaten to cut off his neighbor's hand over a missing newspaper. And worst of all, there is a sequence, which could have been insightful and clever, with four men with four dreams at a home show, not explored with anywhere near enough depth, during which Neeson feels compelled to escape the other three men. If anyone alive on this planet can explain to me to my satisfaction why Neeson's character is maniacally compelled to avoid seeing the other men at the home show, I will donate some body part to charity. A good director could have massaged the script and made it work decently, I think. But as it is, this movie is as subtle as a fart joke and as inspired as a diarrhealy-inspired run to the men's room. .

PAGE TWO: More Bad, A Phantom Ugly & ROTD SAGs and Auteurs