'Rock of Ages' and 'That's My Boy' contend with 'Madagascar 3'

Although there are two new wide releases this week, Rock of Ages and That's My Boy, the most likely winner of the box office will be last week's release Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted. The well-reviewed film will dovetail into some families' Father's Day plans. If it drops 40%, about average for an animated feature, it will end up in the mid-$30 millions.

Tom Cruise as mega-rocker Stacee Jaxx is one of the best reasons to see Rock of Ages (3,450 theatres). The adaptation of the Broadway jukebox musical stars Julianne Hough (Footloose) and Diego Boneta as a young couple trying to follow their dreams in a rock club on LA's Sunset Boulevard. "This rock musical delivers the goods, delightfully skewering the 1987 L.A. rock-club scene and breathing fresh air into cherished genre clichés," FJI's Doris Toumarkine reports. Rock of Ages can be over the top to the point of ridiculousness, but it's likely to earn in the $20 million range and will probably extend the life of the Broadway production for years--that lovely synergy the industry strives for these days.

Adam Sandler puts on his man-child cap for That's My Boy (3,030 theatres). Sandler plays a man who fathered a son with his teacher while still a teenager. Now the son ("SNL's" Andy Samberg) is all grown up and renews his relationship with his estranged father before he gets married--leading to some bachelor party debauchery, among other things. "Even the most diehard Adam Sandler fans will find it hard to sit through this holiday-tagged product," critic Marsha McCreadie laments, pointing out that the father-son picture is timed to this Sunday's Father's Day. Polling suggest males over 25 have the most interest in seeing the comedy, so perhaps the fathers who grew up with Sandler will treat their sons to his signature humor. The picture should also finish in the $20 million range, though most predict Rock of Ages will outdo Sandler's latest.

Your Sister's Sister (13 theatres) stars Mark Duplass, Emily Blunt, and Rosemarie DeWitt in an unlikely love triangle complicated by sexual orientation, siblings alive and dead, and that old classic---secretly held feelings. Toumarkine praises the "savvy, emotionally rich comedy-drama," which establishes [director Lynn ]Shelton [profiled here] as a top-tier indie who delivers the quality goods that smart young audiences want to see." I thought it was a pretty good watch, with a couple of delicious turning points that make up for a few dead moments.

On Monday, we'll see if audiences sang along to Rock of Ages or chortled to Sandler's antics. Could Prometheus overperform thanks to positive word-of-mouth? Finally, in Madagascar 3's last week before Pixar's Brave comes in to compete, will the zoo adventure do enough business to greenlight a Madagascar 4?

Tribeca seeks romance with 'Your Sister's Sister' and 'Take This Waltz'

Boy loses brother. Girl offers boy summer home to recuperate. Boy meets girl's sister, sparks fly. Complications ensue. Tribeca selection Your Sister's Sister has some great moments of comedy and truth. It's also moves quickly to the "complications ensue" part. Some twists and turns you don't ever see coming, and will have your mouth hanging open.

Mark Duplass plays Jack, who is still grieving a year after the death of his brother. His friend (who was also his brother's ex), played by Emily Blunt, offers him a family home to stay in. When he gets there, her sister (Rosemarie DeWitt) is mourning after a breakup with her longtime partner. Though she's a lesbian, the two hook up, and are totally unprepared for the other sister's arrival the next day. Did I mention Duplass' character may have a bit of chemistry with Blunt's character, even though she dated his brother and he just had sex with her sister?

One of the things I loved most about Your Sister's Sister was the setting, a beach house in the San Juan Islands, a few hours and a long ferry ride from Seattle. It's a beautiful, remote, and austere location that perfectly fits the narrative. Having been there a few times myself, I felt both sentimental and grateful for the refreshing change of pace--no Martha's Vineyard or the Hamptons! Lynn Shelton, who received accolades for 2009 film Humpday, directs.

Your Sister's Sister does have some sections that lag. The (improvised) dialogue is real, but that also means it sometimes goes in circles or off in odd directions before moving forward. Still, this one is a "recommend" for indie film lovers because of one particularly satisfying twist and its interesting ending. It's already been picked up by IFC Films and will release June 15.

Take This Waltz also employs a love triangle, but its moments of drama and romance outweigh those of comedy. Michelle Williams plays a woman who's unhappily married to Seth Rogen, and has started to feel an attraction to her neighbor (Luke Kirby). The drama had one of the oddest narrative structures I've seen in some time. I kept waiting for the movie to end, only to realize after some time that in fact I was waiting for the second act to end--we still had a third! With an incredibly lagging middle (see the "waiting for the movie to end" part), this was a film that provoked a lot of frustration but had such a sensational point to make in its ending I forgave the movie's shortcomings. Writer/director Sarah Polley (Away From Her) doesn't make it clear if Williams' character is going through the normal boredom of an established relationship or if she's truly unhappy and a bad match with her partner. Her character doesn't seem to know, and neither does the audience. But as her character pursues a new relationship, we get to see a relationship cycle repeat itself. By the end, I was in possession of a strong opinion about Williams' character.

Although it has big-name stars, Take This Waltz has huge continuity problems that drove me mad. Williams' hair changes colors and styles between scenes. I spoke to someone in the screening who didn't notice, but I was amazed that such a huge lapse could not be addressed and fixed somehow. Now I know why so many film productions make their characters wear wigs! Take This Waltz has also been picked up for a post-festival release through Magnolia on June 29.

Check back for more Tribeca updates, which will conclude early next week.