'The Iron Lady' finishes 2011 with a punch

By Sarah Sluis

Now that Christmas is over, most of the big releases are coasting through the New Year. Just a few more movies will hit the screen this weekend, most of them indies.

The Iron Lady (4 theatres) will lead the pack. This portrait of controversial British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher will surely attract fans of what critc Rex Roberts describes as the "peerless actress,"
Meryl Streep. I found Streep to be the most enjoyable part of the whole film, which spends a little too much time with the dementia-ridden older Thatcher. Roberts seconds his approval of Streep, who he predicts will win an Oscar for her performance. He also came out in favor of the "imaginative, entertaining biopic" as a whole. One thing we both agree on: It's definitely better than J. Edgar.

The small-but-worthy Pariah opened on Wednesday in four theatres. The "funny, deep, and tender film," as described by David Noh, "delves into the largely unfamiliar world of black lesbians living their lives in New York City in the 21st century." The "unerring incisiveness" makes the drama feel like an "anthropological exploration," and director Dee Rees (profiled here) is a Hollywood up-and-comer.

Finally, A Separation (3 theatres) joins the fray of well-regarded indies. The "legal procedural" fascinated Ethan Alter not only because it was a "damn fine movie," but also because its insights into everyday life in Iran serve as a "cultural-exchange tool." The drama is Iran's selection for `the Academy Awards' Best Foreign Language film, and it's definitely a contender.

The adult blockbusters Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows, Mission: Impossible--Ghost Protocol, and The Girl with a Dragon Tattoo should continue to make strong showings, and I have particular hope that the third popcorn pic will show holding power. All of these movies have the added bonus of playing just 30% off their peak during the weekdays, since so many people have vacation. For families, it appears that Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked will lead, followed by The Adventures of Tintin, We Bought a Zoo, and Hugo.

On Tuesday, Screener will be back from the holiday and reporting on which films brought in 2012 with a bang.

Crowded box office with 'Valentine's Day,' 'Wolfman' and 'Percy Jackson'

By Sarah Sluis

The leader of the pack this weekend is Valentine's Day (3,665 theatres), which shares its name with the holiday this Sunday. With the added bonus of the Monday President's Day holiday, when schools and many workplaces are closed, the movie is poised to take advantage of couples and singles mooning over the lovey-dovey storyline. Plus, Valentine's Day is a kind of informal sequel along the lines of Love Actually and, to a greater extent, He's Just Not That Into You. The success of those ensemble-style romantic comedies, now a budding genre, will give people an idea of what to expect and encourage fans of the previous movies to catch this one. Variety predicts Valentine's Day will open to $45 million, measurably more than He's Just Not That Into You's $27 million gross over a normal three-day weekend. Reviews, however, have not been kind. But for people in search of a topical diversion, this sup-par box of chocolates may be the best story out there.

A Harry Potter wannabe, Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief (3,356 theatres) has the ingredients to be "a modest hit with the eight to 12-year-old set," according to critic Ethan Alter, but not the crossover success of Harry Potter. Packed with characters from Greek mythology and Homer's tales, the movie has some modern updates Alter liked, including an iPod screen to reflect the image of Medusa and placing the Lotus Eaters inside a Las Vegas pleasure den. With only two-week-old Tooth Fairy as competition, Percy Jackson is in an envious position to scoop up the family crowd.

The Wolfman (3,222 theatres) has been delayed numerous times, giving off a decaying aroma easily detected by wolfhound critics. Alter notes that "the finished product feels less like a complete feature film than a series of compromises between Universal and the filmmakers." Despite a star cast featuring Benicio Del Toro, Anthony Hopkins, and Emily Blunt, the performers are either unable to rise to the material or the material does not rise to them. With strong interest among males, however, the movie will probably finish in the top three.

On Tuesday, I'll recap the long weekend and find out if Valentine's Day wooed enough moviegoers, and if Percy Jackson and The Wolfman were able to entice their respective audiences.

Holiday movies to bring joy to end-of-year revelers

By Sarah Sluis

Moviegoing during the holidays is more than just a way to pass time off from school and work: it's a tradition. What better way to break up family tension than seeing a movie together--especially at a multiplex, where disagreeing groups can choose different movies? This year the usual mix of popcorn and awards fare will swoop into theatres tomorrow and again on Christmas Day, adding to the already heaping offerings, including mega-budget Avatar.

Tomorrow, Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel will roll out in 3,700 theatres. The original opened a couple weeks before Christmas to a $44 million weekend, and did big business through the holidays. With animated competitor The Princess and the Frog fading, and a media campaign that includes a hilarious chipmunk rendition of Beyonce's "Single Ladies," the comedy is sure to appeal to adults (perhaps the ones that create YouTube videos of their children dancing to the song).

The other big crowd pleaser is Sherlock Holmes, which targets a big chunk of Avatar's audience. Robert Downey, Jr. and Jude Law play "action heroes in a tale stripped of modulations, intelligence and finesse." Having seen the movie a few weeks ago, my memory of the film is not aging well. The action set pieces feel worn and unoriginal, including a cliched standoff on an unfinished bridge. Much of the set design is filled in with CG, and the movie lacks the satisfying details that fill out our understanding of Holmes' world and character. Nevertheless, marrying action sensibilities to a historical character will make Holmes and Watson fresh with no chance of being mistaken for "Masterpiece Theatre." The comic-action movie will draw action-hungry crowds when it debuts in 3,600 theatres.

Adult romantic comedy It's Complicated will open on the small side on Christmas Day, 2,800 theatres. The movie has received heavy media coverage, including a director profile in the New York Times Magazine

about making movies for women. With its erudite interest, the movie

could be a mainstream choice for audiences normally drawn to awards and

specialty fare.

The holiday season is also time for specialty releases to open wide to take advantage of the increased attendance. Awards favorite Up In the Air will expand to 1,800 theatres, and Nine to 1,500. Up in the Air has been steadily climbing in the rankings, breaking into the top ten for the past two weeks, so its expansion should lead to an uptick in its box office and ranking. Nine, only out for one week, will be more of a wild card. Will female audiences choose It's Complicated over Nine?

Also sneaking into the holiday schedule will be the debut of "cinematically sophisticated but slow-moving police procedural," Police, Adjective, in IFC theatres. The Young Victoria will expand to 134 theatres. The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, which features a performance from Heath Ledger, will also debut on Christmas Day. The Lovely Bones and A Single Man will also add theatres to their run. With a crowded slate of film delicacies, one hopes that people will have the time to sample more than one holiday offering.

Screener is off to drink some eggnog, so we'll see you back on December 28th with a recap of holiday box office performance.

'Ice Age 3' and 'Public Enemies' battle with 'Transformers'

By Sarah Sluis

Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs and Public Enemies will be opening in some rough waters. Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen has made the biggest splash of the year, earning some $200 million in its first five days. Young teens turned out in force for the CGI action, but critics panned the movie, making it unlikely to have the legs of a film like The Dark Knight. This weekend, everyone's wondering how much Transformers will drop off. A 50% plus drop for Transformers could be enough for Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs to come in at number one.

The first two Ice Age films opened at $46 and $68 million, though in the less lucrative--and competitive--spring break time slots. It seems reasonable that Ice Age 3 should come in around its second film total, especially given the added holiday weekend boost. Also adding to the film's potential profitability are over 1,000 3D screens. However, it's still won't be playing on as many screens as Transformers 2. Ice Age 3 will open on 3,993 screens today, and add another 100 on Friday, but that's still less than Transformers' current 4,224 screens.

Public Enemies is my pick for the #3 spot. Michael Mann's last film, Miami Vice, opened in the heat of the summertime at $25 million (and #1). The film's R rating and violence will subtract some viewers during this family-friendly weekend, making me believe it will play third. Plus, Mann is not known as a big "opener" of films, but as someone who can create a film that will play for multiple weekends.

Like most critics who saw Transformers, I can't recommend it. Not even a jumbo bag of buttery popcorn can redeem its awfulness. Both Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs and Public Enemies are receiving a warmer reception than Transformers 2. For Ice Age 3, the compliments are rather tepid. Our Michael Rechtshaffen points out that "IA3 will draw families looking to fill the gap between Up and the July 24 arrival of Disney's G-Force, " but can't really recommend anything else about it. Likewise, The New York Times' A.O. Scott predicts that "families who have recovered from the trauma of the Transformers sequel are unlikely to avoid this tired, loud little sequel over the coming holiday weekend," but complains at length about the premise, which involves dinosaurs living underground, below the ice.

As for Public Enemies, critics have praised its lush costuming, use of HD cameras, and the performances of Johnny Depp and Marion Cotillard. There's a sense that some soul is missing, that Mann might hold you at a distance, from comments like "Public Enemies re-creates clothes, but doesn't fully fashion the man who wore them" from Entertainment Weekly, and NY Times' Manohla Dargis' multiple mentions of "ambivalence" and closing pronouncement that "If [Mann] doesn't fully succeed, it's because he knows that the gangster's rakish smile is at once a fiction of cinema and one of its great, irresistible lies."

On Monday, we'll see how the five days of Ice Age 3 and Public Enemies fared against the box-office behemoth Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen.