Nationwide Releases
There hasn’t been a Certified Fresh major release movie in a while and this week we have two! A Prairie Home Companion and Cars are both liked by critics.
A Prairie Home Companion
Robert Altman film about a live radio variety show that is closing down.
Rotten Tomato Score: 78%
Rotten Tomato Censensus: In much the same way that the radio show works, this film charms its audiences with clever jokes, rousing tunes, and endearing characters. Robert Altman and Garrison Keillor form a winning duo in bringing the show to the big screen.
“Don’t expect the biting satire of “Nashville,” though. This movie is pretty much an inside job.”
– Phil Villarreal, ARIZONA DAILY STAR
“What sustains the film is the performers’ belief in their shaggy-dog selves, which is more than just talent — it’s faith.”
– Owen Gleiberman, ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY
“For those, me included, who used to think of Keillor’s radio program as tepid, self-indulgent, repetitive and flat, you might even call it a revelation. Take a swig of this moonshine. There’s magic in it.”
– Peter Travers, ROLLING STONE
“It’s been a very long time since any Robert Altman film has been as enjoyable as A Prairie Home Companion.”
– Marjorie Baumgarten, AUSTIN CHRONICLE
“Instead of giving us something forceful or poignant, Altman seems to prefer a sort of objective curtain, shrouding the story and the characters.”
– Kevin Biggers, FILMSTEW.COM
Cars
A fast race car with dreams of winning a big race finds out that friendship is more important.
Rotten Tomato Score: 77%
Rotten Tomato Censensus: While the story may not reach the high standards of Toy Story and The Incredibles, viewers of all ages will marvel at the technical brilliance of the animation and come away satisfied.
“All of this sloppy characterization would have been forgivable if the cars had funny things to say, but the script is mainly a succession of bad car puns.”
– Phil Villarreal, ARIZONA DAILY STAR
“A work of American art as classic as it is modern.”
– Lisa Schwarzbaum, ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY
“Fueled with plenty of humor, action, heartfelt drama, and amazing new technical feats, Cars is a high octane delight for moviegoers of all ages.”
– Peter Travers, ROLLING STONE
“Cars is the first Pixar flick I’d describe as “cynical,” and that, frankly, breaks my heart just a little bit.”
– Scott Weinberg, EFILMCRITIC.COM
“Disney – the same company that … helped turn Times Square into an outlet mall, is going to lecture me on the commodification of America?”
– Pete Vonder Haar, FILM THREAT
The Omen
Unnecessary remake. I recommend watching the still creepy original instead.
Rotten Tomato Score: 30%
Rotten Tomato Censensus: Even with the force of a “classic” behind it, remake fever can’t hold up the hollowness of this style-drenched Omen.
“Neither good enough to be worthwhile, nor bad enough to be interesting.”
– Jeffrey M. Anderson, COMBUSTIBLE CELLULOID
“You’ll stumble in your seat all right, not so much out of fear but lack of balance, your inner ear destroyed by random blasts of sound.”
– Phil Villarreal, ARIZONA DAILY STAR
“I felt like I was seeing The Da Vinci Code with slightly shadier priests.”
– Owen Gleiberman, ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY
“The gimmick of releasing The Omen on the sixth day of the sixth month in the year 2006 doesn’t distract from its mediocrity.”
– John Wirt, ADVOCATE (BATON ROUGE, LA)
“It’s still an involving story. And the film’s well-acted, particularly by Ms. Farrow and Mr. Postlethwaite. Plus, there are two really good scares that’ll make you jump out of your seat. That alone was entertaining.”
– Mario Tarradell, DALLAS MORNING NEWS
“nothing can top the awkward, unintentionally hilarious and career ending performance of Seamus Davey-Fitzpatrick … kid pouts as if he was told he can’t have some ice cream, instead of raging like the Anti-Christ.”
– Willie Waffle, WAFFLEMOVIES.COM
Limited Releases
Heart of the Game
Documentary about a first-time basketball coach taking a girl’s basketball game to State.
Rotten Tomato Score: 92%
Rotten Tomato Censensus: This group of high school girls and their eccentric basketball coach easily win your heart with their unusual humanity and dynamism.
“The film is a furious full-court press, its subjects aflame with the kind of passion only youth can furnish. Even their bruises are luminous.”
– Scott Brown, ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY
“‘She Got Game’ in a wolf pack attack of high school hoops that’s tough love from beginning to end.”
– Ron Wilkinson, MONSTERS AND CRITICS
“While this isn’t a great documentary (see Hoop Dreams), it’s a likable one…an inner-city, gender-reversal version of Hoosiers.”
– Frank Swietek, ONE GUY’S OPINION
“You don’t have to be a basketball player or fan to enjoy this movie. Documentary film-making at its zenith, this takes you on a magic carpet ride.”
– Tony Medley, TONYMEDLEY.COM
“Genuinely touching and unquestionably sincere, the movie certainly has heart — but it could have used a little more game.”
– Elizabeth Weitzman, NEW YORK DAILY NEWS
Crossing the Bridge: The Sound of Istanbul
Documentary about all the different musical stayles found in Istanbul.
Rotten Tomato Score: 87%
Rotten Tomato Censensus: Infused with cultural and political concerns, this film weaves together a rich tapestry of musical styles that celebrate the diversity that makes up contemporary Turkish life.
“Crossing the Bridge: The Sound of Istanbul emphasizes the unique geography of the city to explain its eclectic music scene, and a generous sampling of performances clinches the argument.”
– Lisa Schwarzbaum, ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY
“You’ll feel lucky for such a comprehensive introduction to Turkish music, and will no doubt be scrambling for a soundtrack album.”
– Ken Fox, TV GUIDE’S MOVIE GUIDE
“Akin discovers a place whose fundamental fabric is comprised of threads from America, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East but which nonetheless exhibits its own distinctive identity.”
– Nick Schager, SLANT MAGAZINE
“It opens the audience’s ears to the diversity and vitality of Istanbul’s music scene but, as a documentary, it lacks the mainstream appeal of Buena Vista Social Club.”
– Alan Morrison, EMPIRE MAGAZINE [UK]
Agnes and His Brothers
Three very dysfunctional brother try to cope with their issues: sex addict, perfectionist, and transvestite.
Rotten Tomato Score: 40%
“Neither Agnes nor her brothers ever feel real enough to truly shock.”
– Jurgen Fauth, ABOUT.COM
“[The film] isn’t especially engaging, despite a quietly charismatic performance by Weiss, a relative newcomer who holds his own against far more experienced actors.”
– Maitland McDonagh, TV GUIDE’S MOVIE GUIDE
“Fitfully engaging but narratively messy.”
– Nick Schager, NICK SCHAGER FILM PROJECT
“While the script has the occasional hiccough, the impeccable performances of the three actors actually make us care for these dysfunctional brothers.”
– Boyd Van Hoeij, EUROPEANFILMS.NET
Autumn
Four childhood friends that have drifted apart come together again and they are all criminals.
Rotten Tomato Score: 31%
“I’m not sure this is a parody or not.”
– Eric Lurio, GREENWICH VILLAGE GAZETTE
“The film looks great, but there’s nothing under the high-gloss veneer.”
– Maitland McDonagh, TV GUIDE’S MOVIE GUIDE
“[The] film begins with too much pretension but matures into a slinky, sexy piece of mood music.”
– Melissa Levine, VILLAGE VOICE
“Though Lucas and Jacob are lovely actors, you are not likely to care whose toes end up wearing tags.”
– Jack Mathews, NEW YORK DAILY NEWS
Land of the Blind
Ralph Fiennes and Donald Sutherland are a soldier and prisoner that stage a coup against a corrupt government.
Rotten Tomato Score: 17%
“A labored pastiche of familiar dystopian motifs that beats the same, totalitarian-themed drum over and over again.”
– Timothy Knight, REEL.COM
“One of the more spectacular misfires of recent years, Land of the Blind’s lack of originality is only slightly exceeded by its failure to work as political satire.”
– Jay Weissberg, VARIETY
“The movie leaves you with lots of questions, mainly, what are Ralph Fiennes and Donald Sutherland doing here? Imagine Ed Wood attempting Brazil or Uwe Boll remaking V For Vendetta.”
– Lisa Rose, NEWARK STAR-LEDGER
Psychopathia Sexualis
Dramatizations for case histories of sexual deviance from Krafft-Ebing’s turn-of-the-century medical text.
Rotten Tomato Score: 11%
“…it’s clear from the pedantic tone of the dramatic re-enactments (imagine an adult History Channel) that writer-director Bret Wood believes he’s showing us the sexual revolution’s Magna Carta.”
– Benjamin Strong, VILLAGE VOICE
“Lurid though the material is, the film is scrupulously anti-erotic.”
– Maitland McDonagh, TV GUIDE’S MOVIE GUIDE
“Psychopathia Sexualis isn’t sexy enough to be soft porn. Neither will it cause an excess of cerebral stimulation.”
– Ted Fry, SEATTLE TIMES
“Sex can be fun and exciting and wonderful. It also can be deadly boring, as in Pschopathia Sexualis.”
– V.A. Musetto, NEW YORK POST
“Not even necrophilia and the imaginative deployment of leeches can relieve this exercise in unrelenting dullness.”
– Jeannette Catsoulis, NEW YORK TIMES
Los Lonely Boys: Cottonfields and Crossroads
Documentary about the band of brothers from Texas.
Rotten Tomato Score: 100%
“Cottonfields and Crossroads marks another entry in what could be called Galán’s Tejano music cycle, joining critically acclaimed documentaries like Songs of the Homeland, Accordion Dreams, and others.”
– Belinda Acosta, AUSTIN CHRONICLE
“Although it often plays more like a feel-good infomercial than a substantial cinematic portrait, Los Lonely Boys: Cottonfields and Crossroads scores a pleasing impact with spirited live performances.”
– Joe Leydon, VARIETY
The Long Weekend
An advertising executive needs to come up with a great idea over the weekend or he’ll be fired, and his brother wants to fix his stress by trying to get him laid.
Rotten Tomato Score: 0%
“Brendan Fehr and Chris Klein are both terrible. They have no comic timing, either with each other or the ill-conceived material.”
– Tim Cogshell, BOXOFFICE MAGAZINE
“If you’re not a male between 17 and 23 and don’t find the chance to see R-rated rejects from America’s Funniest Home Videos a good thing, The Long Weekend will be a long and pointless haul.”
– Sheri Linden, HOLLYWOOD REPORTER
“…nary a laugh to be had unless you’re one of those who finds toilet scenes and prison-rape jokes to be automatically hilarious.”
– Luke Y. Thompson, L.A. WEEKLY
