This Weekend in Cinema – 2/21/2014 – Foreign Fest

 

The Blockbuster Report

The Lego Movie will likely have another big weekend this time around, as there’s not much in the way of competition, at least in the way of new films. 

Pompeii is the headliner this weekend, but it really fizzles. Kevin Costner’s new film, 3 Days to Kill, has been shielded from early screenings, which isn’t generally a good sign. Unlike Spike Jonze, director McG hasn’t had much success in churning out good films, so the best guess is skip this one and see if its worth a rental.

I have two Films to Catch this weekend. In both cases, they are foreign films finally being released in the U.S. In limited release, we have Omar, a film from Palestine that has received an Oscar nomination for Best Foreign Film. We’ve all seen double agent, or undercover films before, but this one is set in the midst of the Israeli/Palestinian struggle, with some profound questions proffered. Secondly, the American-dubbed version of Hayao Miyazaki’s final film, The Wind Rises, arrives on American soil, featuring the voicework of Joseph Gordon-Levitt, John Krasinski, and Emily Blunt. It will be released in limited theaters this week before expanding to wide release next weekend. 

Where do They Come From?

Including The Wind Rises.

• 3 Days to Kill: Original, written by Luc Besson (Leon: the Professional, Taxi), and Adi Hasak.
• Pompeii: Original, written by Janet Scott Batchler, Lee Batchler, and Michael Robert Johnson.
• The Wind Rises: English re-release of the Japanese original.

Original: 7

Adaptation: 9

Sequel/Prequel: 1

Remake: 1

Re-release: 1

Oscarwatch

These ten films are the “Best of the Year,” IF THE YEAR ENDED TODAY. They are ranked based on likelihood of winning Best Picture at the Oscars, with #1 being most likely.

International films not included until end of year if Oscar potential exists. This weekend’s releases not included. Numbers in parenthesis are indicative of how many places the film moved from week to week.

DISCLAIMER: I may not personally recommend or like all films on this list.

1) The Lego Movie ( – )

2) Gimme Shelter ( – )

3) A Field In England ( – )

4) At Middleton ( – )

5)  Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit ( +1 )

6) Life of a King (-1)

7) The Monuments Men ( – )

8) RoboCop (NEW)

9) Jimmy P (NEW)

10) The Nut Job ( – )