Limited Releases Lag Behind

October 7, 2005

It is a very unusual week for limited releases as there were five wide releases and only four films on the limited release list. (Undoubtedly there are more, but these are only ones with confirmed release dates.) That doesn't mean the quality is amazing, but we have two films that are practically guaranteed to be players during award season.

Confederate States of America - Reviews
Mockumentaries tend to be quite humorous, and while this film does have some very funny moments it is on a very serious topic. Confederate States of America is a look at what the United States would have been like if the South would have won the civil war and is likely to be one of the most talked about movies of the year. The film uses a mixture of talking heads, 'archival' footage, fake commercials (some for real products), and while the film crosses the line on what is considered acceptable today, its goal is to show the absurdities of the attitudes present, not revel in them.

Good Night, and Good Luck - Reviews
David Strathairn stars as Edward R. Murrow, the famous broadcast journalist, in a movie that focuses on his battle with Senator Joseph McCarthy. The film is shot in Black and White, but that's not the most unusual aspect of the film; George Clooney, who wrote and directed the film chose to use archival footage of Senator Joseph McCarthy instead of casting an actor to play him. It's a rather daring choice, but most critics agree that it paid off. Good Night and Good Luck opens tonight in 11 theatres in major cities, which might cost the film the Per Theatre Average crown, but it should still do well enough to warrant a major expansion in the coming weeks.

Sacred Stage - Reviews
A documentary about the Mariinsky theater in St. Petersburg. Since its opening in 1860, the theatre has been a center for ballet performances and orchestral music, surviving despite war, revolution and more. Sacred Stage opens tonight at the Music Hall 3 in Los Angeles.

The Squid and the Whale - Reviews
So far the film has 20 reviews, and all 20 of them are positive, making it one of only two films to earn a perfect record for 2005. Written and directed by Noah Baumbach, who also wrote the Dysfunctional Family film, The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou. This film is based on Noah Baumbach's family and details his parents' divorce, among other topics. The film opened in two theatres on Wednesday, and adds another two tonight including the Angelika Film Center in New York City.

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Filed under: Limited Releases, Good Night, and Good Luck, The Squid and the Whale, CSA: The Confederate States of America