This time of year isn’t the best one for movies. The Oscar contenders were released at the end of last year and start of this year, and the summer blockbusters won’t be in theaters for months. Yet you can find a gem here and there. The slow season gives smaller films a better chance to shine. My top pick for this weekend is just such a film. “Bill Cunningham New York” is a documentary — normally the kiss of death for a movie unless it features Al Gore or penguins. This lively film introduces us to the man who chronicles Manhattan street style for the Sunday New York Times. In profiling the 80-something Cunningham, the film touches on art and life, freedom and commitment. My review for the film is on the Movies page.
“Certified Copy” would have gotten more attention had it featured Robert De Niro, who was at one point reportedly ready to star. The lovely Juliette Binoche might get some attention for this film, in English, French and Italian, that cleverly but confusingly explores authenticity in both art and life. “Win Win” should have been the best film opening this weekend, but Thomas McCarthy, director of masterpieces “The Station Agent” and “The Visitor,” has let us down with this dramedy starring Paul Giamatti as a down-on-his-luck lawyer given a chance to redeem himself.
I suspect “Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules” will top the box office this weekend. The children’s flick, second in the franchise based on the popular books, follows the adventures of a bullied middle schooler. I also expect Zach Snyder may never top “300.” The director’s “Sucker Punch,” an all-female action fantasy, wasn’t screened in D.C. until late Wednesday night, making it all but impossible to review for Friday’s edition. It’s never a good sign when studios aren’t too interested in having critics see their movies.
For many film fans, the most exciting footage of the week was the debut trailer for “Captain America: The First Avenger,” opening July 22. The July Fourth weekend makes more sense, but no one in their right mind would take on the final “Transformers” movie. Based on the Marvel Comics character, “Captain America” stars Chris Evans (who also appeared in the Marvel property “Fantastic Four”) as a rejected U.S. Army enlister who is turned into a supersoldier to fight the Nazis. “Excited” was the word that most popped up on Twitter — not for the clunky dialogue, of course, but for the seemingly seamless special effects.
The biggest headline in Hollywood, though, was the death of former screen siren Elizabeth Taylor. Coincidentally, news also broke that David Fincher (the man behind “The Social Network” ) was in talks to direct a new Cleopatra biopic. The 1963 film about ancient Egypt’s last pharaoh was one of Taylor’s biggest critical failures — though it won four Oscars and topped the box office that year. You can’t even call it a financial success. The troubles in production meant it nearly bankrupted 20th Century Fox. However, Taylor took home nearly $50 million in today’s dollars for the role.
Kelly Jane Torrance is the Washington Examiner Movie Critic. Her reviews appear weekly in The Washington Examiner. Reach her at [email protected]
