Time flies; the weekend box office selections are here again! The downside is that choices are pretty limited unless you happen to live in a major city. We guess that studios were reluctant to go up against the new James Bond installment which will undoubtedly crush all opposition at the box this weekend. Still, if you’re in a city that gets something more than this weekend’s blockbuster and you have no interest in the newest 007 caper, then scan the list below for something to suit your non-Bond desires.
As we’ve already mentioned, the holiday season means only one thing: British superagent James Bond chasing villains around the world. The latest entry in the franchise, “Quantum of Solace,” is the first 007 film to serve as a direct sequel to its predecessor. Starting twenty minutes after the ending of “Casino Royale,” the film follows Bond as he continues to chase the shadowy group behind the murder of his love interest Vesper Lynd. The film once again stars Daniel Craig as Bond and French actor Mathieu Amalric (“The Diving Bell and the Butterfly,” “Munich“) as his nemesis. Newcomer Olga Kurylenko features as the Bond girl and Judi Dench returns as M, head of British Military Intelligence. We weren’t thrilled, though the rest of the critics at RT are fairly split. Consensus seems to be that it’s not as good as “Casino Royale.” Looks like Marc Forster will have to go back to movies about prison guard sex and possible pedophiles.
This weekend also sees the limited release of “Slumdog Millionaire,” the latest from director Danny Boyle (“Sunshine,” “28 Days Later“). The story of a street kid from the slums of Mumbai on the Indian version of “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?” and his arrest when the powers that be suspect him of cheating. We loved this and most of the critics agree as it sits at a staggering 90% on Rotten Tomatoes right now. Also check out our article from today about the stellar (and so far a little unsung) music from the film. Frankly, if this one is showing in your town this weekend, you’d be a lot better off dropping your hard earned cash on ‘Slumdog’ than ‘QoS.’If, for some reason, you’d rather spend your pre-holiday season watching Christmas movies instead of a debonair killing machine but you still want to see Mathieu Amalric, you can check him out in “A Christmas Tale” from director Arnaud Desplechin (“Esther Kahn“). Also starring Catharine Deneuve, Chiara Mastroianni (daughter of Marcello) and Melvil Poupaud, it’s a black comedy about a super-dysfunctional French family and their attempts to celebrate the nativity. Our feelings were mixed on the film, but the rest of the critical establishment seems to love it as it currently has a 94% at RT. Regardless, if you’re in the market for a holiday comedy (and we’re not even going to acknowledge that Vince Vaughn movie) then this is probably the ticket.
Should the critics dissuade you from ‘QoS’, you could check out “Antarctica,” which opens this weekend in limited release. From director Yair Hochner, this picture claims to be the “first Israeli queer romantic sexy comedy.” If that’s not enough to pique your interest, check this out: it’s the story of a repressed homosexual library worker in Israel who battles himself and his sister as he goes on numerous blind dates in search of love. A world away from James Bond. Also, be advised: there’s no reviews up at RT right now, so view at your own risk.The rest of the weekend is pretty slim: director/actor Vadim Glowna brings “House of the Sleeping Beauties,” a romance/mystery wherein a man (played by Glowna) whose wife has recently passed on discovers a service where men can sleep next to a beautiful woman who never awakens, sending him on a quest to determine the origin of their slumber. “Beauties” sits at a disappointing 44 on RT right now. There’s also the slightly-higher rated “The Beautiful Truth,” which concerns a doctor’s quest for a possible cure for cancer and holds a 50 right now. Eden is a film adaptation of Irish playwright’s Eugene O’Brien’s stage version of the same name which follows a collapsing marriage and has a combined rating of 60%. Also from Iraland is “How About You,” a film adaptation of a short story by Meave Binchy about the intertwined lives of four senior citizens. With a 71%, this may be your best bet of the smaller films that debut this weekend. Anyway, whatever you choose, have a pleasant weekend at the cineplex.
