Friday, 2 February 2001

WEEKEND PREVIEW

I've seen four movies this week as of this writing on Wednesday night (I have to be in Claremont, CA all day Thursday to take my nephew Adam to orientation at Pitzer.) I'll see another on Thursday night and probably 2 on Friday. I'm prepping for the festival run. So, of the four movies I've seen, which one do you think is the one that will garner between 7 and 11 Oscar nominations if its studio handles it right?

A. Bring It On
B. Dancer In The Dark
C. Quills
D. The Way of the Gun

The answer is a resounding "C." I wrote that Almost Famous was one of the three best movies of the year. That may well still be true. But Quills has taken over the second slot, behind Erin Brockovich, who is holding on by her fingernails. I'm not going to expound on Quills right now, as I have a bunch of other films to write about. Look for more on Monday. But I see serious Oscar® contention for Philip Kaufman (Best Director), Doug Wright (Best Adapted Screenplay), Geoffrey Rush (Best Actor), Kate Winslet (Best Actress), Joaquin Phoenix (fighting himself for a Best Supporting Actor slot for his Gladiator performance…what a year for this kid!), Rogier Stoffers (Best Cinematography), Jacqueline West (Best Costume Design), Martin Childs (Best Production Design), Nuala Conway, Peter King & Jeremy Woodhead (Best Make-up) and for Julia Chasman, Peter Kaufman & Nick Wechsler (Best Picture). Plus, maybe, Michael Caine as Best Supporting Actor in a role diametrically opposed to the one he won for last year. And I wouldn't be shocked if every single one of these people got a nod. The movie is that good. The production is that fine. The acting is that perfect. And the movie is that important.

Damn it, I love it when a movie I wasn't really expecting magic from comes through in spades. I had the same hopes…greater hopes, really…for Dancer in the Dark. And all I can say about the Oscar speculation around that movie is…puuuu-leeeeze! If ever a movie was built to go almost exactly as far as "The Critics" wet dreams can take it, it is Dancer in the Dark. There wasn't even a spark of genius in the film until the last 15 minutes. Different is not good. Different is different. Good is good. The same old same old can be brilliant. Originality can be worthless when it is for its own sake. Anyway, enough of that for now.

As for movies that are actually coming out this weekend, I haven't seen The Crew, but I have something to say about Bring It On and The Art of War (below). The race at the box office should be very competitive for a change, if not very explosive. For more on that, check out Box Office Extra, right here after noon EST.

THE GOOD: I went to Bring It On because it was opening and because my friend Ed's daughter, Margueritte, wanted to go. And I was shocked…shocked I tell you! I had a good time. Sure the movie is a bit hokey and tries to get away with one too many jokes out of every four. Sure it's about silly teenage girls obsessing on winning a national cheerleading competition. Sure, the print ads completely mislead. This was an entertaining movie.

And guys… those off you who thought Coyote Ugly was sexy should be lining up for this one. The T&A in Bring It On makes Coyote Ugly look like amateur night. Sure, C.O. had some model-quality meat. Bring It On is like the lounge act for Playboy magazine. Kirsten Dunst is a little skinny for my tastes, but adorable. Eliza Dushku gets some serious wet bikini time, but seems perfectly happy to be hot and funny at the same time. Gabrielle Union and her crew of black cheerleaders from "East Compton High" work the entire range of sexy. And Bring It On is not above focusing in on cheerleading panties and going into some detail about how roaming fingers can invade them.

Ooops…lost the women readers.

I think that Margueritte's review (she wrote it for us because I didn’t assign a critic, not thinking the movie would be worthy) pretty much hits it right on the head. The film is about growing up and being a teen in today's world. It's not as raunchy as Road Trip or American Pie…the focus isn't all about sex. But it is still sexy. The lead is a goody two shoes, but she's still likeable. And there isn't a performance in the movie that screams out "acting!" If Courtney and Whitney aren't obnoxious in real life, they must be good actors. If Eliza Dushku and Jesse Bradford, who play brother and sister, don't like to hang out together in real life…great acting.

I still hate the print campaign. But I liked Bring It On. And if my niece asked me to take her to see it tomorrow, I wouldn't fight her. And I'd bring her brother along too. So there.

THE BAD: A fairly meaningless story came across the wires last week. Miramax and Columbia had flopped domestic and international release responsibilities on Billy Bob Thornton's All the Pretty Horses. So, why am I bringing it up here? Well, you shouldn't believe the line that Sony is trying to lighten its holiday schedule. This move has two significant prongs. First, Columbia doesn't really believe in the movie anymore and hopes that Miramax will turn it into something domestically before they have to sell it across the globe. And secondly, Miramax needs some Oscar bait. Right now, the cupboard would appear empty of such bait. And if anyone can turn a sow's ear into a silk purse, it's Miramax and its Oscar marketing team. Of course, if Miramax had Quills, you could bet that they would be putting $15 million or so behind its Oscar run. Let's hope Fox Searchlight has the money to do the same.

"Snipes-ing & ROTD Action"