Film critics — at least those in Washington — were sent an odd email this week. “Scream 4,” the latest in the horror franchise, opened in theaters Friday, and included with the advance screening information was this plea: “Due to the secretive nature of this film, we would really appreciate if your reviews, features, blogs, tweets, Facebook updates and so forth don’t give away any of the surprising plot points, kills and of course the killer. We empower you to help keep this exciting and unexpected for all the fans and movie goers.” It’s nice to be empowered, but was such an entreaty really necessary? What critic would give away the ending of a film that’s just opening? After all, as the email continued, “As movie fans, we know you appreciate how important it is to maintain the film’s suspense.” Perhaps I’m giving too much credit to my colleagues, but I’d like to think none would dream of ruining the entertainment experience for those we work to inform.
Perhaps it’s a bit cynical of me, but I can’t help but recall the recently released trailer for the upcoming thriller “The Debt.” The film, starring Helen Mirren, Tom Wilkinson, Ciar?n Hinds and Sam Worthington, is about the consequences after three Mossad agents hunt a Nazi war criminal. In just a couple minutes, you not only discover whether the operation was successful or not, but exactly how it was carried out and much of what happens afterward. Critics shouldn’t give away the endings of new films; but neither should the studios.
“Scream 4” is getting headlines not for its ability (or lack of) to refresh a tired genre, but because it stars the now-separated couple David Arquette and Courteney Cox. Getting better reviews is the animated children’s film “Rio.” Carlos Saldanha, the director of the “Ice Age” films, has set this one in his native Rio de Janeiro. The film focuses on birds from the Brazilian jungle, which led to some interesting marketing opportunities. Amazon offered a “Rio” version of the popular mobile game Angry Birds free for Android devices for a limited time.
Two other films that opened this week explored America, both its past and its possible future. “The Conspirator,” which took actor Robert Redford behind the camera once again, is based on the true story of the only woman charged in the (successful) conspiracy to assassinate Abraham Lincoln. The film vividly re-creates the country’s past, with horses filing politely through the streets of the capital, whose most honored citizens wear the dark blue uniforms of the Union Army. The rest of the movie isn’t so historically accurate — particularly the dialogue — but Scottish actor James McAvoy transforms himself into a Civil War-era American seamlessly. It’s worth watching simply to see this young talent try something new.
“Atlas Shrugged: Part I” imagines an America of 2016 that seems like an extreme version of today’s — Wall Street has crashed, gas prices have skyrocketed, and the mood is tense. It’s based, however, on the 1957 novel by Ayn Rand. The movie celebrates businessmen and the way, through the invisible hand coined by Adam Smith, their pursuit of self-interest helps not just this elite, but us all. The problem is that it does so just as melodramatically as the novel did.
