No sequels or reboots this week, just two star vehicles from very reliable box-office draws: Tom Cruise and Adam Sandler. The two stars might not have a whole lot in common, but when they appear in the context of their more comfortable genres (action/comedy for Cruise and broad manchild comedy for Sandler) they usually can’t fail. They are both also notable for taking major risks outside of their comfort zones (both have worked with P.T. Anderson) and while the results are sometimes exceptional, the profits usually are not. Which brings us to this weekend’s very safe “Knight & Day” and “Grown Ups” both of which should do decent, if not overwhelming business. Expect “Toy Story 3” to remain the firm victor once again this week. On the art-house front we highly recommend the Greek psychological drama “Dogtooth” which finally gets its stateside premiere this week. Also opening, the Afghan War doc “Restrepo,” the Oliver Stone agitprop “South of the Border” and Alain Resnais’ romantic comedy “Wild Grass.”
In Wide Release: Getting a head start on the weekend (it opened Wednesday) is “Knight & Day” the new Tom Cruise action vehicle from director James Mangold (“Walk the Line,” “3:10 to Yuma“). Despite the similarities to the recent bomb “Killers” and even last spring’s “The Bounty Hunter,” Cruise and co-star Cameron Diaz‘s star power should help it gain some traction at the box office, particularly outside of the US. Mr. Holmes plays a semi-insane rogue CIA agent on the run from ex-colleagues hell-bent on capturing him when he meets a beautiful woman (Diaz) who gets in the way. We were just hoping for a whole bunch of silly summer fun and the talented Mangold pretty much delivers as we note in our review from earlier this week. The supporting cast is stellar with Peter Sarsgaard, Viola Davis, and Paul Dano also starring. Rotten Tomatoes: 52% Metacritic: 47.
Adam Sandler is back with his annual summer laff-fest, this time bringing a whole host of his real-life friends in director Dennis Dugan‘s “Grown Ups.” After the relative commercial disappointment of last year’s dramedy “Funny People,” Sandler is back on familiar ground as he, Kevin James, Chris Rock, David Spade and Rob Schnieder play high school basketball teammates who reunite at a lakeside cabin retreat after the death of their beloved coach. We like Sandler when he works with interesting directors like Paul Thomas Anderson or Judd Apatow, stretching the limits of his emotionally-stunted manchild act instead of lowering the bar even further each time out. Sadly, “Grown Ups” is not one of Sandler’s more highbrow efforts, as we noted in our review yesterday, where we pretty much recommend jumping off a bridge rather than plunking down $12 this weekend. RT: 6% Metacritic: 31.
In Limited Release: Our pick this week is Greek director Yorgos Lanthimos‘ feature “Dogtooth.” The film, one of our favorites last year at the Toronto International Film Festival (our review here), tells the provocative story of a married couple who go to great lengths to shelter their young adult children from the outside world. The children create their own universe with an invented vocabulary, scared of what lies outside of the protected kingdom. With reference points like Michael Haneke‘s “Funny Games” and Catherine Breillat‘s “Fat Girl,” you know you’re not in for easy viewing but the craftsmanship is first class and Lanthimos certainly makes a splash as a filmmaker to watch in the coming years. RT: 89% Metacritic: 77.
From June 2007 to July 2008 author and Vanity Fair contributor Sebastian Junger (“The Perfect Storm“) and photojournalist Tim Hetherington embedded with US soldiers in remote east Afghanistan. The filmmakers were allowed unprecedented access to the troops as they attempted to build and secure a 15 man outpost named after a fallen comrade “Restrepo.” There are no talking heads interviewed here, just undiluted footage from the front lines in one of the most dangerous war zones in Afghanistan. Winner of the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance, the film attempts to present war at its purest, without political commentary, putting our eyes on the same things that the troops see day in and day out. RT: 95% Metacritic: 86. Here’s our review.
In 2009, Oliver Stone made headlines when he traveled to South America to meet with Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez. While Chavez was the focus of the media’s attention, Stone manage to interview five more of the continent’s leaders as well as Raul Castro from Cuba for his new documentary “South of the Border.” Stone attempts to tackle major misconceptions of the continent and their many social democracies, documenting this important time in South American history. As idealist and obvious as it may be, we’re happy to see Stone working outside of the studio system making a film that is a bit more personal than his recent efforts. We’ll be catching up with this one soon. RT: 73% Metacritic: 46.
Also out in limited release, “Wild Grass” from legendary French director Alain Resnais. The story concerns a lost wallet and the two people’s lives who intersect when it is found and returned to its owner. We saw the film at NYFF last year, and noted it found the direct at his weird and wily best. RT: 76% Metacritic: 72.