It’s a bit of good news/bad news for arthouse fans today. While The Weinstein Company have pushed up the release date for “Blue Valentine” to December 29th, another highly anticipated movie is being shoved back a full month. Updated: Roadside Attraction has clarified that the film’s wide release has been set at January 28. Its NY/LA December 29th limited release date will not change.
Roadside Attractions have bumped Alejandro González Iñárritu‘s “Biutiful” from a planned December 29th limited bow to a January 28, 2011 date. While we’re bummed that people will have to wait a bit longer to see Javier Bardem‘s searing turn in the picture, it’s hard not to see the reasoning behind the movie. Bardem has pretty much been ignored by most awards folks this season and the picture, though celebrated in many quarters, has not picked up a lot of heat. The new release date comes just a few days after the Oscar nominations are announced on January 25th and Roadside Attractions will definitely be hoping Bardem’s name gets a nod from the biggest awards season show there is.
As a refresher: the film follows Uxbal (Bardem) — who can communicate with the dead, has an uneasy relationship with his bi-polar ex-wife and is juggling a handful of slowly spiraling black market deals — in his last days as he tries to set things right before he passes away from terminal cancer. Yeah, it’s not exactly the most fun time at the movies you’ll have this year, but you’ll be hard pressed to find a performance as good as what Bardem does in this film that is imbued with a humanity despite it’s bleak surroundings. Keep an eye out for this film when it (eventually) opens at a theatre near you.
I did a little research and found out that, yes, the film will open on January 28th. However, there will be a qualifying run in NYC and LA for a week starting on December 29th. I live in NYC and am off a that time so I will see during its week run. I have been waiting to see this film for a long time. Both Blue Valentine and Another World will come to my local cineplex in January but I will now have to wait to see Biutiful so that will be my priority.