Limited Releases are the Beast and the Best
June 29, 2012
There are not a lot of limited releases on this week's list; however, all of them are earning overwhelmingly positive reviews. Beasts of the Southern Wild is probably the film that will do the best, as it has the reviews and the buzz. Take this Waltz's Tomatometer Score isn't quite as high, but it has a lot more star power and might turn out to be the big winner on the per theater chart this weekend. Neil Young Journeys is earning perfect reviews so far, and the musician has proved in the past his concerts can draw in moviegoers. Hopefully all of the films do well and the competition doesn't result in one or more being unfairly overlooked by moviegoers.
Beasts of the Southern Wild - Reviews
Gypsy - Reviews
The Matchmaker, a.k.a., Once I Was - Reviews
Neil Young Journeys - Reviews
Take this Waltz - Reviews
Unforgivable - Reviews
Writer / director Benh Zeitlin's feature-length debut. If the box office matches the reviews, he will have a serious hit in limited release. It might even expand wide enough to earn some measure of mainstream success. The film is about a six-year old girl played by Quenzhané Wallis, who has to deal with a dying father, a tough mother, melting icecaps, floods, and the return of the aurochs. (Basically aurochs are what cows used to be, before we bred them into the docile, stupid, hamburgers on four legs that they are today.) The reviews are unbelievable and there's enough buzz to suggest it will do well in limited release. Beasts of the Southern Wild opened on Wednesday, split evenly between New York City and the Los Angeles area.
An unofficial adaptation of William Shakespeare's Hamlet set in the Roma community of Eastern Europe. The cast is mostly non-actors, but authentic Roma, which most critics say adds to the authenticity of the film. The reviews are very strong, but this is a film that could struggle to escape the art house circuit. Gypsy opened on Wednesday at the Film Forum in New York City.
Set in Cuba in 1968, the film tells the story of a teenage boy who works for a Jewish matchmaker and falls in love with his best friend's cousin. The film's reviews on Rotten Tomatoes are perfect so far, but the buzz is quieter than some of the other limited releases coming out this week. The Matchmaker opens tonight in three theaters in the Los Angeles area, all in the Laemmle chain.
The latest concert film / documentary focusing on the amazing career of Neil Young. It includes concert footage and a road trip to the small town where the artist grew up. So far, the film's reviews on Rotten Tomatoes are perfect and Heart of Gold reached $1 million at the box office, so there is a reasonable chance this film will be able to do the same. Neil Young Journeys opens tonight at the Nuart Theatre in Los Angeles.
A lot of actors try their hands at directing with mixed results. However, Sarah Polley's directorial debut came in 2007 with Away from Her, which won numerous awards and even picked up a couple of Oscar nominations. Take this Waltz probably won't do the same, as it is opening too early for Awards Season and its reviews are great, but not Awards Season great. Still, with a strong cast (Michelle Williams has serious Indie Cred) it has a good shot at earning at least some measure of mainstream success. Take this Waltz opens tonight in two theaters, Film Society Lincoln Center and the Landmark Sunshine Theatre, both in New York City.
A French film about a writer who married a former model turned real estate agent, but his happy married life killed his ability to write gritty crime novels. This leads him to become a little obsessed with his wife, to the point where he hires a private eye to follow her while she is at work. Unfortunately, the private eye also becomes obsessed with her. This film is earning the worst reviews of the six films on this week's list, but its Tomatometer Score is 75% positive. It's a really good week for limited releases. It is a foreign language film, which hurts its chances at the box office, but French films has an advantage over just about every other foreign language. Unforgivable opens tonight at the IFC Center in New York City and the Laemmles Royal Theatre in Los Angeles.
Filed under: Limited Releases, Take This Waltz, Neil Young Journeys, Impardonnables, Beasts of the Southern Wild, Cigán