1. We Own the Night (2,362 Theaters, Rated R): I got to say, I love the way the cast is announced in the commercials: “Oscar-Nominee Mark Wahlberg! Oscar-Nominee Joaquin Phoenix! Oscar-Winner Robert Duval! And Eva Mendes.” I kind of feel sorry for her. She really pales in comparisson to that line-up. The only way that could be worse for her is if they said “and that woman from Ghost Rider” instead.
Yes, this movie has a great cast. Of course, Wahlberg and Phoenix were in writer/director James Gray’s last film, 2000’s The Yards, and signed on for the movie before their Oscar Nominated turns in The Departed and Walk the Line respectively. So that was more luck than anything else.
The plot is a common one. I’ve seen stories about two brothers on opposite sides of the law before. But the cast could be more than enough to counter act that.
While the TV ads make it sound like a more adversarial relationship between the brothers, the plot description on IMDB.com says that Phoenix must protect his cop brother and father from Russian mobsters.
2. Tyler Perry’s Why Did I Get Married? (2,011 Theaters, Rated PG-13): Part of me has a lot of admiration for Tyler Perry. Being an aspiring playwright, I know how had it is to get your writing up on stage. Have more than one of your plays made into movies, that must be much harder. This film is his latest to travel from stage to screen.
However, I think I could live very happily if I didn’t see him dressed up as “Madea” ever again. Perry does act in this film, but if the credits are to be believed, Madea does not appear in this film.
But who does appear in the film is Janet Jackson. Her music career has taken a downturn, so she returns to acting. I might be one of the few people who remember her from Good Times. Heck, I might soon be one of the few who remember her singing career.
The movie features four married couples who gather together for a winter vacation. The relationships are tested when a younger woman arrives with one of the husbands.
3. Elizabeth:the Golden Age (1,951 Theaters, Rated PG-13): Elizabeth is back, and THIS TIME IT’S PERSONAL!
Okay, maybe it’s not all that personal, but it’s not all that common for Oscar nominees for Best Picture get sequels. This movie follows 1998’s Elizabeth and director Shekhar Kapur, actor Cate Blanchett and Geoffrey Rush all return.
This movie follows the era of Queen Elizabeth I life when England faced an invasion by the overwhelming Spanish Armada.
Blanchett was nominated for an Oscar for her role in the last film and has won one since. The last movie was nominated for seven Oscars all together. Could this film receive the same accolades?
Yes, ladies and gentlemen, Oscar season usually doesn’t start this strong this early. We should enjoy it and hope that the Academy’s memory is strong.
4. The Final Season (1,011 Theaters, Rated PG): Next week, The Comebacks, a movie parodying sports movies will hit theaters. I wonder if the producers of that movie arranged to have this one released this week.
This is, of course, based on a the true story of the Norway, Iowa High School baseball team who was facing their final season after impending redistricting threatens to close their school.
All the staples of the sports movies are there. The team fights amongst themselves before they work together. An unsure coach has to win the players and the town over. Odds are against them but they find a way to win anyway.
Not that that’s a bad thing. Studios keep making sports movies with these qualities because people come to see them. That genre will not be going away anytime soon.
I will say this. I will be greatly impressed if The Comebacks references this film next week.
Now, the predictions. This is what I predicted for last weekend:
- The Heartbreak Kid
- The Seeker: The Dark is Rising
- The Game Plan
- The Kingdom
- Resident Evil: Extinction
And this was how it turned out:
- The Game Plan
- The Heartbreak Kid
- The Kingdom
- Resident Evil: Extinction
- The Seeker: The Dark is Rising
Wow, that was ugly. Both Heartbreak Kid and The Seeker: The Dark Is Rising were disappointments. The result? I go 0-5. This makes me 25 for 45 after 9 weeks, and brings my average down to 55%. Yikes!
What do I think for this week?
- We Own the Night
- Tyler Perry’s Why Did I Get Married
- The Game Plan
- The Heartbreak Kid
- Elizabeth: The Golden Age
