04.28.2009 | By Mack Chico |
Woody Allen isn’t the only American filmmaker to have set up shop in Spain recently.
Jim Jarmusch surveys the striking architecture in “The Limits of Control,” an existential travelogue of a crime thriller (minus the thrills) taking its inspiration from, among other things, a William S. Burroughs essay , a Rimbaud poem and vintage crime films , particularly John Boorman ‘s 1967 classic ” Point Blank .”
Unfortunately, the whole seldom adds up to the sum of its illustrious parts, and Jarmusch’s trademark deadpan quirks seem to have gotten lost in the translation.
The resulting riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma won’t do anything to broaden the filmmaker’s loyal fan base when Focus Features releases the film Friday (May 1); as it is, many of his loyal followers will be left feeling as alienated as his central character.
That would be Isaach De Bankole’s Lone Man, an intensely focused, almost robotic man on a mission of some sort who is dispatched to various Spanish locations, where he meets up with a succession of oddball individuals who inevitably exchange little matchboxes with him.
They include a number of familiar Jarmusch faces — John Hurt (Guitar), Youki Kudoh (Molecules), Tilda Swinton (Blonde) and a Dick Cheney -channeling Bill Murray (American) — and new arrivals Gael Garcia Bernal (Mexican) and Paz de la Huerta (Nude), who definitely lives up to her character’s name.
But while the always effective De Bankole remains a captivating presence, and masterful Christopher Doyle’s cinematography is undeniably arresting, Jarmusch’s meandering musings on language as a control mechanism, as filtered through the impressionistic lens of an Antonioni or Jacques Rivette , fail to make any kind of lasting impression.
11.15.2008 | By Mack Chico |
Mark Wahlberg says a possible sequel to The Departed may feature an appearance by either Robert De Niro or Brad Pitt.
The Boogie Nights star, who received an Oscar nomination for his performance as cop Dignam in Martin Scorsese‘s version of the Hong Kong crime drama, told Digital Spy that big names have been bandied about for a sequel.
“They were talking about bringing in a couple of new guys like De Niro, maybe Brad Pitt or someone like that playing the bad guy, a corrupt politician or something,” he said. “Then, like the Hong Kong [Infernal Affairs] trilogy that the movie is based on, come back and do a prequel and bring everyone else back who was in the first.”
Wahlberg added that he would only be interested in appearing in the sequel, “If we can make it better than the first and people are willing to see it”.
08.3.2008 | By Alex Florez |
“The Dark Knight” fended off a strong challenge from the new “Mummy” sequel to lead the North American box office for a third weekend, and is on track to become the second-biggest movie of all time.
The Batman blockbuster earned $43.8 million for the three days beginning Friday, distributor Warner Bros. Pictures said on Sunday. Universal’s “The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor” followed with $42.5 million.
The Walt Disney Co. political comedy “Swing Vote” came in at No. 6 with just $6.3 million, the latest disappointment for its star, Kevin Costner, who has not had a $100 million movie since 1992’s “The Bodyguard.”
The total for “The Dark Knight” rose to $394.9 million. Warner Bros., a unit of Time Warner Inc, said it expects the film to add at least $100 million, surpassing the $461 million haul of 1977’s “Star Wars” and its two reissues, the current No. 2 movie of all time in the United States and Canada. The $601 million record, held by 1997’s “Titanic,” seems watertight. Adjusted for inflation, though, “Titanic” ranks at No. 6, far behind “Gone with the Wind” at $1.4 billion, according to tracking firm Box Office Mojo.
“The Dark Knight” will add yet another record to its impressive tally on Monday or Tuesday, when it breaks $400 million, which would be its 18th or 19th day of release. The old record of 43 days is held by 2004’s “Shrek 2.”
Internationally, “The Dark Knight” has earned $205 million, Warner Bros. said. Top markets include Britain with $50 million and Australia with $32 million.
MUMMY BIG OVERSEAS
Pundits had predicted that the “Mummy” movie could open to upwards of $50 million domestically, roughly in between its two predecessors, but the critically mauled Brendan Fraser film was a little bruised by the Batman juggernaut.
It marks the follow-up to 2001’s “The Mummy Returns,” which opened to $68 million. The franchise relaunched in 1999 with a $43.4 million bow for “The Mummy.”
Universal said “The Mummy” was big internationally. The film, co-starring Jet Li and Michelle Yeoh, opened to $59.5 million from 28 territories. Top markets included Russia and South Korea, each with about $13 million. Because the action is set in China, and the Olympic Games kick off in Beijing on Friday, Universal has been cross-promoting the movie with its General Electric Co corporate sibling NBC, which holds the U.S. broadcast rights to the games.
Fraser has had a low profile since appearing as part of the ensemble in the Oscar-winning 2004 movie “Crash.” But he now has two movies in the top 5, with Warner Bros.’ “Journey to the Center of the Earth” at No. 5 with a four-week total of $73.1 million.
“Swing Vote,” in which Costner plays a hard-drinking oaf whose vote will determine the outcome of a U.S. presidential election, was released as a counterprogramming attempt. Disney distribution president Chuck Viane billed it as “a thinking person’s movie,” but it ended up being one of the worst openings of Costner’s career. Reviews were mixed.
Disney’s only summer success, the Pixar-produced cartoon “WALL-E” has earned $204.2 million after six weeks, and will pass the $206 million haul of last year’s “Ratatouille.” But it will end up as only the sixth-biggest of Pixar’s nine productions.
Despite the strong performance of “The Dark Knight” and “The Mummy,” overall sales fell for the second consecutive weekend, according to tracking firm Media By Numbers. The top 12 films grossed $149 million, down 10 percent from the year-ago period. Year to date, revenues are flat at $5.9 billion, while the number of tickets sold is down almost 3 percent.
