Looking at the Weekend: December 24-26, 2010

The last full weekend of 2010 and here we are with three new wide releases and three new limiteds. Enjoy.

Consensus

Below is a list of what we have come to a general consensus on. The number in parens represents the percentage of our contributors who agree with the statement.

Gulliver’s Travels: We don’t want to see it (100%) and we don’t think Oscar will either (100%).
Little Fockers: Most of us aren’t watching it (67%), but we agree it’s not an Oscar contender (100%).
True Grit: We’re going to see it (67%) and we feel it’s a major Oscar contender (100%).
Country Strong: It’s not our cup of tea (67%), but we think it could be a Minor contender (67%).
The Illusionist: We are all likely to see it, just a different times (100%) and we feel it’s a contender for Animated Feature and possibly music awards (100%).
Somewhere: We’re mostly going to see it (67%) and feel it could still be an Oscar spoiler (100%).

WIDE RELEASES

GULLIVER’S TRAVELS
See the original CinemaSight Trailer & Poster Preview
Will We See?	Will We See?	Will We See?	Will We See?
Oscar Chances	Oscar Chances	Oscar Chances	Oscar Chances
Thoughts I don’t like Jack Black, so you can count me out of this one.	Thoughts Jack Black as Gulliver? No thanks, I’d rather re-watch Kerwin Matthews in the 1960 version or even Ted Danson in the 1996 TV mini-series.	Thoughts Jack Black does little to amuse me these days.	Thoughts PENDING

GULLIVER’S TRAVELS

See the original
CinemaSight
Trailer & Poster
Preview

Will We See?

Oscar Chances

Thoughts

I don’t like Jack Black, so you can count me out of this one.

Thoughts

Jack Black as Gulliver? No thanks, I’d rather re-watch Kerwin Matthews in the 1960 version or even Ted Danson in the 1996 TV mini-series.

Thoughts

Jack Black does little to amuse me these days.

Thoughts

PENDING

LITTLE FOCKERS
See the original CinemaSight Trailer & Poster Preview
Will We See?	Will We See?	Will We See?	Will We See?
Oscar Chances	Oscar Chances	Oscar Chances	Oscar Chances
Thoughts The second film tried my patience, this film looks like it would break it, so I’m not even going to try.	Thoughts At the rate they’re making these sequels to Meet the Parents, the next one will be called The Old Fockers.	Thoughts An amusing first film has been turned into a painful franchise.	Thoughts PENDING

LITTLE FOCKERS

See the original
CinemaSight
Trailer & Poster
Preview

Will We See?

Oscar Chances

Thoughts

The second film tried my patience, this film looks like it would break it, so I’m not even going to try.

Thoughts

At the rate they’re making these sequels to Meet the Parents, the next one will be called The Old Fockers.

Thoughts

An amusing first film has been turned into a painful franchise.

Thoughts

PENDING

TRUE GRIT
See the original CinemaSight Trailer & Poster Preview
Will We See?	Will We See?	Will We See?	Will We See?
Oscar Chances	Oscar Chances	Oscar Chances	Oscar Chances
Thoughts The latest major Oscar contender from the Coen Brothers. Whether I want to see it or not, I probably will anyway.	Thoughts I have my doubts about this one, but I will see it for comparisons to the original and to see if all the Oscar hype is warranted.	Thoughts My most anticipated film of the year, this looks like another triumph for The Coens.	Thoughts PENDING

TRUE GRIT

See the original
CinemaSight
Trailer & Poster
Preview

Will We See?

Oscar Chances

Thoughts

The latest major Oscar contender from the Coen Brothers. Whether I want to see it or not, I probably will anyway.

Thoughts

I have my doubts about this one, but I will see it for comparisons to the original and to see if all the Oscar hype is warranted.

Thoughts

My most anticipated film of the year, this looks like another triumph for The Coens.

Thoughts

PENDING

LIMITED RELEASES

COUNTRY STRONG
See the original CinemaSight Trailer & Poster Preview
Will We See?	Will We See?	Will We See?	Will We See?
Oscar Chances	Oscar Chances	Oscar Chances	Oscar Chances
Thoughts I’m not a fan of country music films and this looks like it’s trying to borrow a glossier page from Jeff Bridges’ Oscar-winning film Crazy Heart.	Thoughts I could have the sworn the title of this was Country Song, that’s how much attention I’ve been paying to the buzz.	Thoughts A paint-by-numbers film that looks to hit every cliche in the book.	Thoughts PENDING

COUNTRY STRONG

See the original
CinemaSight
Trailer & Poster
Preview

Will We See?

Oscar Chances

Thoughts

I’m not a fan of country music films and this looks like it’s trying to borrow a glossier page from Jeff Bridges’ Oscar-winning film Crazy Heart.

Thoughts

I could have the sworn the title of this was Country Song, that’s how much attention I’ve been paying to the buzz.

Thoughts

A paint-by-numbers film that looks to hit every cliche in the book.

Thoughts

PENDING

THE ILLUSIONIST
See the original CinemaSight Trailer & Poster Preview
Will We See?	Will We See?	Will We See?	Will We See?
Oscar Chances	Oscar Chances	Oscar Chances	Oscar Chances
Thoughts It’s from the acclaimed director of The Triplets of Belleville. Since I still haven’t had a chance to see that film, this one will likely wait until DVD as well.	Thoughts I’m sure I’ll get around to it, but it may have to wait for the DVD.	Thoughts My second most anticipated film of the year, the perfect matchup of Chomet and Tati.	Thoughts PENDING

THE ILLUSIONIST

See the original
CinemaSight
Trailer & Poster
Preview

Will We See?

Oscar Chances

Thoughts

It’s from the acclaimed director of The Triplets of Belleville. Since I still haven’t had a chance to see that film, this one will likely wait until DVD as well.

Thoughts

I’m sure I’ll get around to it, but it may have to wait for the DVD.

Thoughts

My second most anticipated film of the year, the perfect matchup of Chomet and Tati.

Thoughts

PENDING

SOMEWHERE
See the original CinemaSight Trailer & Poster Preview
Will We See?	Will We See?	Will We See?	Will We See?
Oscar Chances	Oscar Chances	Oscar Chances	Oscar Chances
Thoughts Sofia Coppola has a very interesting list of credits and while this film isn’t nearly up to the excellent Lost in Translation‘s standards, it’s still an intriguing look into the life of a divorced father and his attempts to live up to his daughter’s expectations. See it for no other reason than to see Stephen Dorff deliver the performance of his career and watch Elle Fanning continue to act circles around her sister Dakota.	Thoughts I find Sofia Coppola’s films disappointing so I’m in no rush to see this one, but will probably get around to it eventually.	Thoughts Sofia Coppola is one of our most exciting filmmakers, and this looks like her most personal film yet.	Thoughts PENDING

SOMEWHERE

See the original
CinemaSight
Trailer & Poster
Preview

Will We See?

Oscar Chances

Thoughts

Sofia Coppola has a very interesting list of credits and while this film isn’t nearly up to the excellent Lost in Translation‘s standards, it’s still an intriguing look into the life of a divorced father and his attempts to live up to his daughter’s expectations. See it for no other reason than to see Stephen Dorff deliver the performance of his career and watch Elle Fanning continue to act circles around her sister Dakota.

Thoughts

I find Sofia Coppola’s films disappointing so I’m in no rush to see this one, but will probably get around to it eventually.

Thoughts

Sofia Coppola is one of our most exciting filmmakers, and this looks like her most personal film yet.

Thoughts

PENDING

Comments

One response to “Looking at the Weekend: December 24-26, 2010”

Peter J Patrick

December 22, 2010

Change my status on True Grit from “Will See” to “Have Seen”.

I’ve been skeptical all year that this would be as good as the original or for that matter, as good as previous Coen Brothers films and/or Jeff Bridges films. The answer in a nutshell: it is.

The original used a lot of dialogue from Charles Portis’ novel and featured an excellent performance from Kim Darby as 14 year-old Mattie. Though 21, and already a mother, Darby looked at most to be 15 or 16 and held her own against John Wayne’s Rooster Cogburn better than any other actress in his films except for Maureen O’Hara.

The new version not only retains much of the dialogue from the novel, it also follows it more closely, going back to the novel’s ending. The ending of the 1969 film was the right one for The Duke. The new one is the right one for The Dude.

Matt Damon is a huge improvement over Glen Campbell as the Texas Ranger La Boeuf and Hailee Steinfeld is fine as Mattie, but she plays the character like a little girl in a grown up world whereas Darby played her as more of an equal. I liked both, but I liked the under-rated Darby more.

The other big change is that the 1969 version though set in the novel’s locations of Arkansas and the Indian Territory (now Oklahoma), was filmed high in the Rockies, beautiful to look at , but not true to the story. The new version corrects that.

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