Week in review 4/7 - 4/11

Mickey Rooney, the man whose 90-year career was the longest any actor has ever enjoyed in Hollywood, and whose many starring roles included turns alongside Elizabeth Taylor, Audrey Hepburn and Judy Garland, among other industry greats, passed away Sunday. He was 93.

From an accepted legend to a tireless aspirant, we transition (is there a graceful way to do so?) from Rooney to James Franco. The latter raised eyebrows when he was caught soliciting a 17-year-old on Instagram last week. Naturally, the teen posted their exchange online, including some pretty damning Franco selfies that made it well near impossible for the actor to deny his involvment, should he have wanted to do so. (Franco went on to issue a public apology.) Was the social media stunt just that -- a stunt, timed to coincide with the Tribeca Film Festival premiere of his new movie, Palo Alto, in which Franco stars as, yup, an older man who hits on a teen? Or is James Franco an irredeamable creep?

Does it matter? Seth Abramson of Indiewire wants to know.

Well, we would like to know how soon in advance we can buy tickets to the Tina Fey film in which Amy Poehler just agreed to co-star, The Nest. 

We're thrilled by the news, and equally excited by the prospect of uncovering the next powerhouse female comedy team. The new Females First initiative from Dazed and Confused may do just that. The magazine's femme-centric project asks industry veterans to judge works from aspiring female filmmakers, and to select one film they believe worthy of note. Jane Campion and Helen Mirren are among the stacked jury.

Octavia Spencer would make for a great addition to the Females First team, though, so far as we know, she is not involved. Too bad, because the actress has some pretty insightful things to say about the state of the marginalized in today's film industry.

Finally, we leave off with a story that didn't technically make this week's headlines, but which did form the basis for the recent British movie, U Want Me 2 Kill Him? (Longform.org posted the archived story this week, so it makes the cut.) Fascinating, unnerving stuff.

Legendary Actor Mickey Rooney Dead at 93, The Hollywood Reporter

METAMERICANA: Is James Franco a Creep? Thank God We'll Never Know, Indiewire

Tina Fey and Amy Poehler Team Up for 'The Nest,' Slashfilm

Women in Hollywood Seeking to Help Out New Female Filmmakers, Jezebel

Octavia Spencer Doesn't Agree with John Singleton's Claim that Black Directors are Being Shut Out, Indiewire

'U Want Me 2 Kill Him?', Vanity Fair

Can Blu fly past the Captain?

Rio 2 and Captain America: The Winter Soldier will both vie for the top slot at the box office this Friday-Sunday. The former is one of the weekend’s new major releases and the follow-up to the popular Rio, an animated kids’ film about a pair of endangered macaws (voiced by Jesse Eisenberg and Anne Hathaway).  When it opened in spring of 2011, Rio grossed almost $40 million. Its successor is currently tracking in the high-$30-to-low-$40-millions range, prompting many pundits to speculate it should match, possibly even better, the original. If either proves to be the case, Rio 2 will give holdover Captain America: The Winter Soldier a run for its sky-high pile of dough. Given positive critical reviews and smiling word-of-mouth, The Winter Soldier is expected to hold well. However, comic book movies often plummet their second weekend in theatres – Iron Man 3 dipped 58 percent, for example – so the title of Weekend’s Top Earner is really up for grabs.

Beginning today and with a slightly smaller platform than Rio 2, which opens in 3,948 locations, the latest sports film to star Kevin Costner, Draft Day, will screen in 2,781 theatres. The movie gives a fictionalized behind-the-scenes look at the unpublicized maneuvering that takes place in the lead-up to the NFL draft. Costner is firmly ensconced in familiar territory here, playing the American underdog everyman fighting for good amidst the corrupt milieu of an American sports industry. Field of Dreams, Bull Durham and Tin Cup are among Costner’s best-loved movies, and Draft Day looks to repeat the old-fashioned though nonetheless satisfying story arc characteristic of those films. Will audiences go for Costner’s brand of comfort? Reviews for Draft Day aren’t great, and recent sports movies haven’t opened very strong: Moneyball, which is basically the baseball version of Day, had great buzz going for it and still only managed to rake in $19.5 million over its opening weekend. Distributor Lionsgate believes Draft Day will gross in the low teens.

The last new major release to open this weekend is also the first horror offering since January’s Devil’s Due. Oculus will screen in 2,648 theatres. The flick has producer Jason Blum (the Paranormal Activity movies) behind it, and has been pretty well reviewed, though box-office expectations are modest. Returns around $11 or $12 million would be considered solid.

Finally, the specialty realm has two new offerings of its own in Joe, starring Nicolas Cage and directed by cult favorite David Gordon Green, and Cuban Fury, a salsa comedy starring Nick Frost and Rashida Jones. The latter is playing in 79 theatres while the former will start off its B.O. run in 48 locations.

Our pick for Bulleit Frontier Film award

For reasons no one understands, a teenage girl, Sabina (Dasa Cupeveski), takes her own life. Her classmates exploit the tragedy to rebel against what their new German teacher, Robert Zupan, calls the “mathematical” or inflexible system of their school: the hierarchy of teachers, the pressure to perform well on tests, the demands of college preparation. They choose the strict Mr. Zupan, who favors an outmoded teaching method strong in rigor and light on sensitivity, as their persona non grata, blaming him for Sabina’s death. Small acts of rebellion escalate. And then the students’ united front suffers as internecine bickering and the threat of suspension divide them along lines of individual character, weakening the resolve of some and causing others to stick to their guns more stubbornly than before. The tension mounts slowly and thus believably in director Rok Bicek’s debut feature, Class Enemy. The film screened during the First Time Festival this past weekend, and, for the strength of its performances and the intelligence of its script, it is our choice for the festival’s Bulleit Frontier Film Award.

Although, at first glance, the students in Class Enemy appear to align with character tropes familiar to fans of John Hughes (the stoner, the goth, the pretty one, the nerd) their personalities emerge over the course of the film as complex variations on type.  Bicek’s decision to populate his ensemble cast with non-actors is partly to thank for Enemy's sense of verisimilitude. The director visited high schools across Slovenia in search of current students who matched the characters he had written – characters roughly based on real students with whom Bicek attended school in the nineties, real teens who took advantage of a classmate’s suicide to rebel against the faculty. 

The risky decision to cast only three professional actors (teachers all, including Slovenia’s highly sought-after Igor Samobar as Zupan) in a film that also features a first-time DP, first-time gaffer, first-time set designer, and first-time costume designer could have devolved into an exercise in mediocrity, or, given the subject matter, sophomoric melodrama. Instead, what the director produced – thanks to a few key choices, including the eschewal of line readings in favor of asking the students to discuss their families and backgrounds, and keeping the students away from Samobar when they weren’t filming, in order to prevent the forming of attachments – is a highly realistic look at classroom interactions. Alliances take shape and break. One minute you’re in the group, the next, you’re out; or, one minute you’re gamely accusing your teacher of Nazism over the school’s intercom, the next, you’re claiming your classmate forced you. No one is the hero, no one is wholly damnable.

The film thrives on this sense of sustained ambivalence. Sympathies with the teenagers ebb and flow as their motivations chart an increasingly treacherous course and the mostly implacable Mr. Zupan responds to provocation in ways both understandable and uncomfortable. The man places a premium on candor to the detriment of empathy. He is the bull in the china shop of sentiment (and would surely shatter Ron Burgundy’s “glass case of emotion” with one lift of his brow).

Allusions to Thomas Mann’s novella Tonio Kroger add depth to the narrative without turning the production into a cerebral exercise in human analysis. It is a well dramatized exercise in human analysis, its classroom-as-societal-microcosm approach hitting cues both timely and ageless: The effects of WWII on the modern European outlook have their place alongside the correct expression of grief, for instance. The film’s sleek look, tones of blue and white, belie the small production value, and the lack of a score lends dramatic weight to those few scenes in which a work by Mozart plays a prominent role.

The timeline gets a little hairy as one episode of rebellion follows another with no clear indication of how much time has elapsed between the two, but in all, Class Enemy (which was Slovenia’s official entry to this year’s Academy Awards) proves first-time feature filmmaker Rok Bicek is one to continue watching.

‘The Winter Soldier’ ices the competition

The Avengers effect was on full display this weekend as Captain America: The Winter Soldier blew its predecessor out of the water, not to mention the other films currently playing in theatres, with a $96.2 million debut. That tallies out to a 48 percent improvement over the first Captain America’s opening weekend haul, and falls just shy of the wildly successful Iron Man’s $98.6 million bow in 2008. Since The Avengers premiered in summer of 2012, subsequent films featuring Avengers characters have enjoyed great success, prompting pundits to coin the term “The Avengers effect.” To wit: Iron Man 3’s debut was up 63 percent over pre-Avengers Iron Man 2, while Thor: The Dark World enjoyed a 30 percent bump over its predecessor. If Captain America: The Winter Soldier roughly follows the same theatrical trajectory as The Dark World, it should end up banking around $230 million in total. With audiences (64 percent male) awarding the movie an A CinemaScore grade, The Winter Soldier’s hold should prove strong in the weeks ahead.

Coming in way, way, practically subterranean (subaquatic?) below Captain America, Noah landed the weekend’s No. 2 spot with a $17 million gross. Down a whopping 61 percent from last weekend, Noah has so far earned $72.3 million.

For its part, the weekend’s No. 3 earner, Divergent, has raked in $114 million to date. It earned $13 million of that total this weekend.

God’s Not Dead continues to testify to the power of the faithful: The film added an additional $7.7 million to its cume that now stands at $32.5 million.  Clocking in at No. 5, The Grand Budapest Hotel continues to testify to the appeal of Wes Anderson: The film raked in $6.3 million. Its cume thus far tallies out to $33.4 million.

Halle Berry’s maltreated Frankie & Alice, which has been ready and waiting for theatrical release since 2010, finally debuted this weekend. Unfortunately, interest in the flick, for which Berry earned a Golden Globe nomination in ’10, was wanting. The movie earned just $350,000 from 171 locations.

On the positive end of the specialty spectrum, Jonathan Glazer’s Under the Skin starring Scarlett Johansson raked in $140,000 from four theatres (two in LA and two in New York City), which tallies out to a nice per-theatre average of $35,000.

Week in review: 3/31 - 4/4

The power of the princess movie has asserted itself in Disney's Frozen, which officially became the highest-grossing animated movie of all time earlier this week, displacing previous record-holder Toy Story 3.

Incidentally, if you take the number three and double it, you will find you have just calculated the number of years director Kenneth Lonergan's "masterpiece" (in the view of some critics) Margaret remained mired in legal woes. On Monday, film financier Gary Gilbert moved to dismiss the lawsuits that have accrued against the fraught production.

Lonergan and company must be feeling very happy at the prospect of a future free of litigation, but it's unlikely their optimism -- or anyone's, for that matter -- can match that of Marvel Studio, which has reportedly mapped out a plan for its Marvel cinematic universe through 2028. Apparently, no one is a sidekick in the world of the modern superhero: Spinoffs for all and sundry.

And a writing platform, too! Entertainment Weekly set off a media firestorm on Wednesday when A). it laid off renowned film critic Owen Gleiberman, and then B). announced it was effectively replacing Gleiberman with its new vertical of film bloggers culled from social media and journalism schools. Right now, the publication has about 40 aspiring critics raring to go, though EW hopes to expand its corp of film scribes to roughly 1,000. If you think this sounds like an expensive venture, you would be right only if EW intended to pay for the labor of all of its writers. But it doesn't, at least not in dollars, cents, bitcoins, or anything a landlord would accept as payment, a pretty good gauge of value. Instead, most bloggers will be paid in prestige.

As The Week's Scott Meslow points out, "How much is all that 'prestige' going to be worth when there are 999 other writers vying for space on the landing page?"

There seem to be just as many opinions on Lars von Trier -- below, we've included two.

What do you think of this week's stories, viewpoints and developments?

 'Frozen' is Officially the Highest-Grossing Animated Film Ever, The Huffington Post

Six-Year Legal Battle Over Kenneth Lonergan's 'Margaret' Finally Ends, The Hollywood Reporter

Kevin Feige: Marvel has Plotted Films Through 2028, The Hollywood Reporter

Entertainment Weekly Lays Off Movie Critic Owen Gleiberman After 24 Years, Indiewire

Entertainment Weekly wants you to write for free. Don't do it., The Week

Music Ruined by Movies, The New Yorker

Working with the enigmatic Lars von Trier, LA Times

Bulleit Bourbon partners with First Time Fest

Being as it is the eastern (many would say cooler, and not just meteorologically) hub of filmmaking, New York City is ever awash with cinematic offerings. This weekend, the tide will have a distinctly smoky flavor as whisky manufacturer Bulleit Bourbon presents First Time Fest, a showcase for
first-time filmmakers. Specifically, the festival exhibits work from first-time directors, actors, writers, producers, editors, cinematographers, and composers, and also invites established filmmakers to screen their debut movies and participate in panel discussions. Julie Taymor, Michael Moore, Peter Bogdanovich, Lake Bell, Tom McCarthy, and Jennie Livingston of the recently resurgent doc Paris is Burning, among others, are all on deck to participate in the latter, super-cool aspect of the festival.

As for today’s neophyte artists, ten of their films will screen in competition. Below, we’ve included a brief summary of each feature vying for the title of “Bulleit Frontier Film.”

What does the mantle Bulleit Frontier Film mean, you might wonder? Which characteristics must the winner possess? A sense of progressivism: the film must demonstrate a willingness to push the boundaries of cinematography, writing, directing, etc.

Next week, we’ll announce which film we believe deserves the award, and expound upon our reasons for thinking such-and-such a title has proven itself a pioneer, the cinematic equivalent of a prospector out for gold in the formerly untamed wilds of the West. Except, successful.

We’ll be live-tweeting tonight’s Bulleit event, a dinner and, naturally enough, whisky tasting featuring a Q&A with actor (The Station Agent, Spider-Man), writer and now director, Jayce Bartok (photo above). Bartok’s film Fall to Rise looks like a sound contender for the Bulleit Frontier Film award.

Take a look at the ten movies screening in competition, and be sure to follow us on Twitter tonight using the hashtag #Bulleit!

1982: A family drama set in Philadelphia at the onset of the crack epidemic, 1982 follows a father's efforts to protect his 10-year-old daughter from her drug-addicted mother, while trying to steer her towards recovery. Winner of the grand prize at the U.S. in Progress Showcase in Paris, 1982 premiered to acclaim at the Toronto Film Festival. 

Bittersweet: Move over, Rocky. In Marieke Niestadt’s documentary, the Australian boxer Diana Prazik accepts a seemingly impossible challenge: a match with World Champion Frida Wallberg. The undefeated champion is a beautiful blonde, a favorite of media and sponsors. Prazik has little more going for her than her fearless passion and her secret weapon, the Los Angeles trainer and six-time world champion Lucia Rijker. The mentor-student relationship between them becomes the heart of the film.

Butter on the Latch: After a personal breakdown, a Brooklyn performance artist and her friend head to California to become immersed in a rustic camp atmosphere and to learn folk music and dance. But the intended escape devolves into a psychosexual drama that pushes their friendship – and sanity – to the edge. Butter on the Latch had its international premiere at the 2014 Berlin Film Festival, with Decker's second film, Thou Wast Mild and Lovely.

Class Enemy: A drama that unfolds like a thriller, Rok Bicek’s  film follows a group of high-school students who rally against their demanding new German professor following the suicide of one of their classmates. An undercurrent of tension and potential violence runs through the film, which combines intimate closeups and widescreen compositions. The film premiered at the 2013 Venice Film Festival, and was Slovenia's official entry for Best Foreign Language Film at the Oscars. 

Fall to Rise: This  drama follows a renowned principal dancer whose injury forces her out of her company and uncomfortably into the role of motherhood. She realizes that her identity depends on dance and she struggles to return with the help of another former company dancer. The film includes turns by ballerina Katherine Crockett (featured in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button) and Daphne Rubin-Vega, revealing the conflict between art and life, between marriage and independence.

Farewell, Herr Schwarz: A brother and sister survive the concentration camps but  are separated in 1945. She migrated to the Middle East; he returned to Germany, where he became a Communist and lived near the camp where he was imprisoned. Their grandchildren are haunted by family secrets; the two families, in Germany and Israel – not knowing each other for years – are strangely mirrored. Yael Reuveny’s documentary is a journey spanning three generations, two countries and one fateful decision.

Getting to the Nutcracker:  Every year, The Nutcracker is performed by ballet companies around the world. Serene Meshel-Dillman’s documentary takes us inside the immense effort involved in gathering the resources, assembling the volunteers, casting the dancers and rehearsing and staging the performances of this classic ballet. Taking us inside the Los Angeles-based Marat Daukayev School of Ballet, the film shares the auditions, the rigorous rehearsals, and the joys and pains of the young dancers, who give their everything to the ballet.

Love Steaks: Infused with the chaotic energy of its main character, Lara – an alcoholic chef at a luxury hotel – Love Steaks is an unlikely love story that erupts as sparks fly between the fiery Lara and a sensitive masseur named Clemens. As deliberately off-key as Lara’s guitar-playing, this black comedy was filmed in an improvisatory style amidst a real hotel staff. Love Steaks was the winner of the Lions Film Award at the Rotterdam Film Festival.

Miss Julie: This drama transports August Strindberg’s 19^th-century play about lust, love, class and the battle of the sexes to a 1920s country mansion. Miss Julie has recently broken her engagement to her wealthy fiancé; her father was relying on the new groom to rescue the family from their financial troubles. One night, with her father out of town, Miss Julie and her best friend throw a party for their friends; on the same day, a newly hired servant arrives, and it quickly becomes clear he is looking for more than a job. Miss Julie builds in tension until its shattering finale. 

The Sleepwalker: Kaia and her boyfriend Andrew are enjoying a quiet, secluded life while restoring her late father’s rural Massachusetts estate. Their tranquility is shattered by the unexpected arrival of her sister, Christine, and her affluent fiancé, Ira. The sisters’ troubled family history begins to unravel as tensions mount between the two men. The Sleepwalker premiered in competition at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival.

Can the Captain break an April record?

Captain America: The Winter Soldier flies into 3,938 theatres today, by all indications readying itself for quite the stunt landing. This latest installment in the increasingly crowded Marvel cinematic universe has already broken the record for most advance tickets sold, according to Fandango. Overseas, the film has grossed more than $100 million.

Can Captain America break $100 million at the domestic box office this weekend? Between advance sales and positive reviews (87 percent fresh on Rotten Tomatoes) it’s certainly possible, although most pundits are predicting slightly lower returns, in the still-magnificent $80-$90 million range. The Winter Soldier has a few things going for it: The return of Avengers crossover characters Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) and Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) as well as an association with the familiar S.H.I.E.L.D. organization (itself the subject of a TV series – media hybridity at its best), and the introduction of a new hero, Falcon (Anthony Mackie). The WWII period setting that dominated much of the first film has been swapped in favor of a contemporary Washington, D.C., backdrop. An ultra-modern conflict involving wiretapping, national security, and that thin line between necessary protection and unlawful invasion of privacy also lends the movie a topical boost. Critics certainly like it. All in all, Captain America: The Winter Soldier is poised to set a new April record. (Fast Five currently holds the title of Strongest April Debut, having opened to $86.2 million in 2011.)

The much delayed Halle Berry vehicle, Frankie and Alice, also opens this weekend in limited release. The movie has been ready and yet collecting dust on the shelves since 2010, even though Berry won an award for her portrayal of a woman suffering from multiple-personality disorder that year. From distributor Freestyle Releasing, Frankie and Alice changed hands to current distributor Code Black, which is a division of Lionsgate.  Even given the draw of Berry’s name, it’s unlikely Frankie and Alice will earn more than $500,000.

Holdovers Noah and Divergent should round out the weekend’s top three just behind Captain America: The Winter Soldier.