Why even bother writing an In Theaters piece this week? Because this is The Playlist and dammit if we aren’t committed to our cause! Superbowl Sunday is this week, so the day’s grosses will be down, especially among males, which bodes well for “Dear John.” But can it really challenge “Avatar,” which has been the top movie for well over a month now? Time will tell, but a change could really do us good in this dry season.
In Wide Release: “Taken” director Pierre Morel returns to the early-February timeslot that served his last effort so well with the ridiculous “From Paris With Love.” John Travolta’s bald and goateed dome star alongside the reliantly vacant Johnathan Rhys Myers and a whole lot of awesome rocket launchers. We reviewed the movie yesterday, finding it uncomfortably xenophobic but good guilty pleasure fun for a cold winter’s day. We’d rather see Travolta embracing his hammy material and have a good time, as opposed to the sheer boredom of last year’s “Old Dogs.” Rotten Tomatoes tracks the film with a 32% rating from critics, while Metacritic shows a 46 score.
Formerly interesting Swedish filmmaker Lasse Hallstrom (“My Life as a Dog,” “What’s Eating Gilbert Grape”) returns this week with his latest tearjerker “Dear John.” An adaptation of the novel by Nicolas Sparks, he of “The Notebook” and “A Walk to Remember” fame, the film stars Channing Tatum as a soldier and Amanda Seyfried as his lover growing ever distant as their separation extends to seven long years. Don’t piss off your girlfriend this weekend, or she might force you to go see this with her. RT gives it a 27% rating with a 45 score from Metacritic.
In Limited Release: Before he graduated to the heights of “From Paris With Love,” Pierre Morel directed the French actioner “District B13.” The landmark parkour film has spawned a sequel “District 13: Ultimatum,” out in limited release today. Morel did not return for the follow-up, presumably too busy frolicking with Hollywood power players and preparing his “Dune” remake. “B13” was decent high-octane fun with some great stunts pasted into a incomprehensible script. If this one matches up, rookie director Patrick Alessandrin could join Morel as fellow Luc Besson Action School alumni taking inroads in Hollywood. The reviews have been stronger than those for “Paris,” with RT tracking it with a 68% rating and a a 61 score from Metacritic.
Originally produced to television in the UK, “The Red Riding Trilogy” get a small stateside release today. The trio of films centers around the search for the “Yorkshire Ripper” in 70’s and 80’s Britain. While characters do intersect, each film focuses on a different year and point in the investigation. Julian Jarrod, (“Becoming Jane”) James Marsh, (“Man on Wire”) and Anand Tucker (“Hilary and Jackie”) direct the three films which will be shown back to back “Roadshow” style, similar to last year’s release of Steven Soderbergh’s “Che.” Critics are mixed about whether the investment pays off with Rotten Tomatoes giving it a 50% rating, with Metacritic showing a score of 64. That seems out of wack to us. Every Playlist writer who has seen the entire series has loved them. Here’s a review of the entire series from last year and here’s a more recent review of the 1st, 1974 part starring Andrew Garfield and Rebecca Hall.
A couple of interesting Israeli films make their way to US cinemas this weekend. Israel’s entry into the Oscar’s Best Foreign Film category, “Ajami” is a crime drama set in Jaffa’s multi-ethnic Ajami neighborhood. Helmed by Israeli/Palestinian co-directors Yaron Shani and Scandar Copti, this one is definitely worth a look if it’s playing in your city. RT: 93% fresh, Metacritic: 82 score. “Eyes Wide Open” is a tale of tormented love in Jerusalem’s ultra-orthodox Jewish community. A respected butcher hires a young apprentice, whom he quickly falls in love with, neglected his family in the process. RT: 75% fresh, Metacritic: 74 score.