October
10
Weekend Boxoffice: Body of Lies, Happy-Go-Lucky
While it's a crowded weekend at the boxoffice, there isn't that much worth seeing. Body of Lies should score: the power combo of Ridley Scott, Leonardo DiCaprio and Russell Crowe in a commercial thriller will trump mixed reviews.
While I am a big fan of animator Gil Kenan (Monster House), advance footage of the family fantasy City of Ember led me to expect a movie that was more visually exciting than narratively compelling. This young director is gifted; he admits that he missed the freedom of working in a CG environment, so I hope he goes back to that. Ember rates 59% on Rotten Tomatoes.
The must-see this weekend is Mike Leigh's Happy-Go-Lucky. Leigh's unique brand of cinema verite works its charms yet again, as he and Brit actress Sally Hawkins create an unforgettable character, Poppy, who remains perky and cheery no matter what horrors are going on around her. Here's my interview with Leigh from Telluride, in which he talks about his remarkable method, as well as a passion project he has not been able to get financed: a biopic of the great landscape painter Turner. Happy-Go-Lucky's rave reviews (82 on metacritic, the same score as The Dark Knight) will help Miramax launch an Oscar campaign.
If you haven't caught up with them yet, other must-sees are the critically-hailed Appaloosa, Ballast, Choke, Frozen River, Trouble the Water and Man on Wire.



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