Limited Releases: Limited Choices

November 4, 2005

Not a particularly good week for limited releases, which is strange since award season should be heating up. But there is only one film being released this weekend with overall positive reviews and none seem destined for Oscar glory. On the other hand, both Good Night and Good Luck and Shopgirl have major expansions while Kiss Kiss Bang Bang is among the other Oscar contenders earning a smaller such expansion.

Christmas in the Clouds - Reviews
One of the wider releases this weekend, this film was shot four years ago and is finally making it to theatres. Such a long delay usually means the film has serious problems, but Christmas in the Clouds is earning the best reviews of any new release this weekend, wide or limited. The film opens in more than two-dozen theatres in Southern California, but I'm not sure that release strategy will work.

Desolation Sound - Review
A Canadian film about infidelity, lust, and revenge. This is a good film that won three Leos and was nominated for nine more .But like most Canadian productions, there is absolutely no marketing for it. Desolation Sound was filmed just a couple of hours from where I live and I've seen no ads. The film opens in the Empire Granville 7 Cinemas in Vancouver, as well as theatres in Edmonton and Toronto.

The Dying Gaul - Reviews
The best way to describe this film would be "uneven". Most critics agree that the beginning is strong, the middle lags and the ending either redeems the movie, or is another letdown. The film is screenwriter Craig Lucas's directorial debut and while he shows some promise, it doesn't come together enough to be as effective as it could be. The Dying Gaul opens in nearly a dozen theatres in major cities, including the Sunshine Cinema in New York City, the Century Centre Cinema in Chicago, and the Monica 4 in Santa Monica, California.

I Love Your Work - Reviews
Giovanni Ribisi stars as Grey Evans, an actor who has become disillusioned with his career, his marriage and his life in general. The film is more than two years old but hasn't earned a theatrical release until now, which is never a good sign; and sure enough, the reviews are very poor. I Love Your Work opens in two theatres in Los Angeles, including the Regent Showcase.

Show Me - Reviews
A Canadian film in which two squeegee kids car-jack a woman and take her to a remote cabin. The film stars Katherine Isabelle from Ginger Snaps, Kett Turton from the TV series Dead Last, and Michelle Nolden from Men With Brooms. There are some interesting scenes, and some good dialogue, but the characters are almost complete unlikablely, and that makes the movie viewing experience unpleasant. Show Me opens in Cleveland, Ohio at the Regal Cinemas Cobblestone 20.

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Filed under: Limited Releases, The Dying Gaul, Christmas in the Clouds, I Love Your Work