Limited Releases - Playing the Field
June 15, 2006
With the wide releases all failing to get good reviews, it rests of the shoulders of the limited releases to provide quality alternatives this weekend. However, most of those are also failing to impress the critics.
Land of the Blind - Reviews
Loverboy - Reviews
Lower City - Reviews
The Mostly Unfabulous Social Life of Ethan Green - Reviews
Only Human - Reviews
Wordplay - Reviews
A political satire that despite a lot of talent involved, (including Donald Sutherland, Ralph Fiennes, and others), it misfires in almost every way. Land of the Blind opens in 2 theatres tomorrow, both in New York City.
This is the widest release on this week's list, as well as the weakest reviewed; it's amazing how often that happens. Directed by Kevin Bacon and starring his wife Kyra Sedgwick, (and a series of very famous actors in very small roles), the films deals with an obsessive love a single mother has for her only son. Anyone interested in seeing the movie should stick with the novel instead. Loverboy opens tomorrow in four theatres in New York City, Los Angeles, and Philadelphia.
This Brazilian film is about two men Deco and Naldinho, who meet a stripper / prostitute and both fall in love with her. While the film won an award at Cannes, (for first time director, Sergio Machado), the critics here haven't been overly generous with their praise. Lower City opens tomorrow at the Sunshine Cinema in New York City.
A romantic comedy with a gay twist. The filmis based on an underground comic book, but almost everything that made the comic charming has been lost in the movie. The Mostly Unfabulous Social Life of Ethan Green opens tomorrow at the Quad Cinema in New York City and the Regent Showcase Theater in Hollywood.
One of the better reviewed new releases of the week, it probably still doesn't have strong enough word-of-mouth to escape the art house circuit. The film can best be described as a Spanish Meet the Parents with a cross-cultural twist. The black comedy aspects don't work enough for the film to sustain itself, but there are some parts that are funny. Only Human opens in two theatres tomorrow, including the Quad Cinema in New York City.
Easily the best-reviewed new release on this week's list. This documentary takes a look at the New York Times crossword puzzle, its editor for the past 13 years, Will Shortz, and fans ranging from directors, politicians, and journalists, both real and fake. A fascinating movie, it should do very well for a documentary, but won't keep pace with An Inconvenient Truth. Wordplay opens tomorrow at the IFC Center tomorrow before expanding during the coming weeks.
Filed under: Limited Releases, The Mostly Unfabulous Social Life of Ethan Green, Loverboy, Land of the Blind