Last week's new films failed to yield a number one finisher as The Game Plan succeeded in retaining the top spot, thus proving the need for good family fare on the big screen. This week does not bring any direct competition, so look for the Rock vehicle to have a decent hold. However, it will likely be unseated by one of this week's new flicks.
Three of this week's four new releases have a pedigree containing the words "nominee," "winner," and "Oscar." It will be interesting to see how this pedigree helps these films as we move closer to the thick of Oscar season. Among the new films hitting the cineplex are a historical epic (and sequel), an expanding legal thriller, a gritty urban thriller set in the New York City of the '80s, and a relationship drama that puts the effects of infidelity among the committed under the microscope.
Elizabeth: The Golden Age. (2007, 116 minutes, PG-13, historical epic, trailer) Reuniting the primary cast of the 1998 Oscar winning Elizabeth comes this sequel concerning British royalty. Cate Blanchett, Geoffrey Rush, Clive Owen, and Rhys Ifans join forces with director Shekhar Kapur. The movie follows Elizabeth as her rule is threatened by the Spanish armada. Early word has not been terribly good, but the production looks gorgeous.
Tyler Perry's Why Did I Get Married? (2007, 118 minutes, PG-13, comedy/drama, trailer) This looks pretty good. It is the story of a group of married friends having their annual reunion (this year in the Colorado mountains). The good mood is shattered when infidelity comes to light and they are all forced to examine their relationships. This looks poised to become another success for writer/director/star Tyler Perry. Joining Perry are Janet Jackson, Jill Scott, Sharon Leal, and Michael Jai White.
We Own the Night. (2007, 106 minutes, R, drama/thriller, trailer) This could prove to be a good gritty thriller. It is set in the '80s against the backdrop of the NYPD's war with the Russian mob. At the center of this war is an up and coming night club run by Joaquin Phoenix, who becomes a target when his family is revealed to be prominent in the police department, including his brother (Mark Wahlberg) and father (Robert Duvall). This is writer/director James Gray's follow up to The Yards.
Michael Clayton. (2007, 120 minutes, R, thriller, trailer) Despite all of the positive buzz surrounding this film, I cannot say the trailers are terribly enticing. While I think this will take the top spot, it is not without reservations as I have to think there are others like me out there. George Clooney stars as the title character, a fixer for a top law firm. He is called in to help preserve a big settlement when the firm's top litigator (Tom Wilkinson) has a breakdown and attempts to sabotage the case. Clooney, as Clayton, is forced to confront who he is as he tries to hold it all together. This will be screenwriter Tony Gilroy's directorial debut, he has previously worked on all three Bourne films as well as Armageddon and Devil's Advocate.
Article comments
1 - smile
hmmmm...want to change your mind? you were way off on this one. not attacking you. just making an observation.
2 - Chris Beaumont
It's not the first time! And very likely not the last. I have proven myself time and time again to be more towards the inept side of predicting these figures. Still, it's kind of fun trying.
3 - Monica J
Well now...surprise, surprise!
Reviews - Tyler Perry rules at box office once again!
It was EXCELLENT ;-))