SIX TIPS, OR HOW TO PLEASE YOUR SLATE - FILMS OF 05/05
Posted: May 3rd, 2017, 12:09 pm
It’s summer time. So tear off your clothes, put sunscreen on your bits, grab that withered ice lolly you left in the freezer 9 months ago, and hit the warmth and comfort of the cinema.
First up is the obvious winner of the week, The Lovers, the next release from Oscar-winning indie distributors A24. It tells the story of a couple who are both having affairs with each other, only to end up having affairs on their lovers… with each other. Sounds confusing? It certainly isn’t, as it’s aimed at that wonderfully neglected older audience, who have virtually nothing mainstream to watch this whole season. Reviews have been solid with the focus on Debra Winger’s stand-out performance. With the film opening in 2-4 screens this weekend, it’s without doubt the best pick of the week, costing only $3 for what should ultimately nab you 4-6 PTA points, and an IMDB score in the 6s. There’s some better options for this price over the summer, but this feels like a safe bet.
Less safe is anything coming from the Weinstein Company, including 3 Generations. It’s a transgender drama starring the likes of Elle Fanning, Naomi Watts, and Susan Sarandon. While this kind of film should potentially pull in an arthouse crowd, reviews haven’t been great, and the film currently has a 45% Rotten RT score. With Harvey and co struggling to find a hit (last year’s Lion was just about a success), it’s unlikely they have the resources to push this film. With that said, it’s out in around 6 theatres this weekend, and weak competition should see 2 or 3 PTA points this weekend. Not bad for $3, but I’d bet in A24 any time (unless it’s a Ben Wheatley action flick).
Finally, here comes a film as bland as its title, The Dinner (The Orchard). Directed by Oren Moverman, this drama is centred around a dinner party of disparate guests as secrets emerge. Again, the strong cast (Richard Gere, Rebecca Hall, Steve Coogan, Laura Linney) are negated by the poor reviews that came out of this year’s Berlin Film Festival. Hell, I had a free ticket for this one and gave it away from the press response! And what’s worse is that The Orchard aim to open this in a few dozen theatres. Expect very little in return for your $3 in Ultimate and $1 in BO, so save your money while this film eats dirt.
Well, that’s it for this week. Next week will see…. Oh, wait… there’s one more obscure title that needs to be assessed.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (Buena Vista) is a sequel to the 2014 surprise breakout film about a mismatched pair of people who learn the value of each other. It sounds a lot like The Dinner, actually. Only it’s getting released in a few more theatres, namely 4300. That seems a lot for such a tiny film, but who am I to argue with the distros of the USA? You might pick up a few points for this film, maybe around 20 T5 points, 10 PTA points, and a cume of around $400m. I suppose if you’re interested in winning this game you’d probably want to snap it up in pretty much any league, but who on earth (and in the galaxy) would want to do such a thing?
My predictions for the weekend
1. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 - $180m
2. The Fate of the Furious - $9m
3. How to Be a Latin Lover- $7m
4. The Boss Baby - $5m
5. The Circle - $4m
PTA: Guardians, The Lovers, 3 Generations, Latin Lover, The Fate of the Furious
Next week, returns with the real summer blockbusters: Paris Can Wait, The Wall, and The Wedding Plan. And some other oddities named King Arthur and Snatched (is this about Donald Trump’s ambitions for every female nether-regions?).
First up is the obvious winner of the week, The Lovers, the next release from Oscar-winning indie distributors A24. It tells the story of a couple who are both having affairs with each other, only to end up having affairs on their lovers… with each other. Sounds confusing? It certainly isn’t, as it’s aimed at that wonderfully neglected older audience, who have virtually nothing mainstream to watch this whole season. Reviews have been solid with the focus on Debra Winger’s stand-out performance. With the film opening in 2-4 screens this weekend, it’s without doubt the best pick of the week, costing only $3 for what should ultimately nab you 4-6 PTA points, and an IMDB score in the 6s. There’s some better options for this price over the summer, but this feels like a safe bet.
Less safe is anything coming from the Weinstein Company, including 3 Generations. It’s a transgender drama starring the likes of Elle Fanning, Naomi Watts, and Susan Sarandon. While this kind of film should potentially pull in an arthouse crowd, reviews haven’t been great, and the film currently has a 45% Rotten RT score. With Harvey and co struggling to find a hit (last year’s Lion was just about a success), it’s unlikely they have the resources to push this film. With that said, it’s out in around 6 theatres this weekend, and weak competition should see 2 or 3 PTA points this weekend. Not bad for $3, but I’d bet in A24 any time (unless it’s a Ben Wheatley action flick).
Finally, here comes a film as bland as its title, The Dinner (The Orchard). Directed by Oren Moverman, this drama is centred around a dinner party of disparate guests as secrets emerge. Again, the strong cast (Richard Gere, Rebecca Hall, Steve Coogan, Laura Linney) are negated by the poor reviews that came out of this year’s Berlin Film Festival. Hell, I had a free ticket for this one and gave it away from the press response! And what’s worse is that The Orchard aim to open this in a few dozen theatres. Expect very little in return for your $3 in Ultimate and $1 in BO, so save your money while this film eats dirt.
Well, that’s it for this week. Next week will see…. Oh, wait… there’s one more obscure title that needs to be assessed.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (Buena Vista) is a sequel to the 2014 surprise breakout film about a mismatched pair of people who learn the value of each other. It sounds a lot like The Dinner, actually. Only it’s getting released in a few more theatres, namely 4300. That seems a lot for such a tiny film, but who am I to argue with the distros of the USA? You might pick up a few points for this film, maybe around 20 T5 points, 10 PTA points, and a cume of around $400m. I suppose if you’re interested in winning this game you’d probably want to snap it up in pretty much any league, but who on earth (and in the galaxy) would want to do such a thing?
My predictions for the weekend
1. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 - $180m
2. The Fate of the Furious - $9m
3. How to Be a Latin Lover- $7m
4. The Boss Baby - $5m
5. The Circle - $4m
PTA: Guardians, The Lovers, 3 Generations, Latin Lover, The Fate of the Furious
Next week, returns with the real summer blockbusters: Paris Can Wait, The Wall, and The Wedding Plan. And some other oddities named King Arthur and Snatched (is this about Donald Trump’s ambitions for every female nether-regions?).