In a welcome change of pace from the testosterone-fueled summer season, girls rule the new releases this weekend at the box office. Angelina Jolie takes a breather from the adoption queue to headline the spy flick “Salt” posing the biggest threat to “Inception” which has been pulling strong numbers all week long. Disney star Selena Gomez headlines the family oriented “Ramona and Beezus,” giving the tweens too young for Edward and Jacob something to look forward to. On the indie front, Todd Solondz unleashes his “Happiness” pseudo-sequel “Life During Wartime.”
In Wide Release: Angelina Jolie takes over a role originally meant for Tom Cruise in “Salt” from director Phillip Noyce (“Patriot Games,” “The Quiet American“). The super-mom plays a C.I.A. operative who goes on the run after a defector accuses her of being a Russian spy. We reviewed the film earlier this week, finding it undercooked and emotionally lacking. The film tries its best to reach the heights of the “Bourne” trilogy but we aren’t given a reason to invest in the chase, we’re only given the chase. Great actors fill out the supporting roles with Liev Schreiber, Chiwetel Ejiofor, and Andre Braugher rounding out the cast. Still the film will probably best Cruise’s recent “Knight and Day,” which was no great shakes, but a lot more fun. RT: 59% Metacritic: 65.
“Ramona and Beezus” hopes to perform a little counter-programming magic at the box office this weekend. The film, based on the celebrated books by Beverly Cleary, stars newcomer Joey King as Ramona, an energetic young firecracker intent on saving her family’s home. Selena Gomez plays her patient older sister Beezus alongside a cast that includes Bridget Moynahan, Josh Duhamel, and Sandra Oh. The G-rated movie doesn’t really get us too excited from what we’ve seen, but let us know if you think we should check it out for some hidden Fassbinder reference or something. RT: 52% Metacritic: 53.
In Limited Release: Awkward auteur Todd Solondz returns after a long absence with “Life During Wartime.” Solondz’s films have always occupied a small universe, so it’s really no surprise to see him revisit familiar ground after the relative and debatable misfires of “Storytelling” and “Palindromes.” Both films have their defenders, but Solondz himself recognizes his earlier work by recreating the world of his deranged “Happiness” 12 years on, with a whole new cast taking over the roles from the first film. We were excited and pleased to report that it is the director’s most accomplished work and will definitely please fans of the director’s eclectic work. RT: 70% Metacritic: 68.
Also out this weekend in limited release: “Countdown to Zero” documents the history of the atomic bomb from the beginning, counting down to the world’s present state of nuclear affairs. Lucy Walker (“The Devil’s Playground“) directs the documentary which makes its case against nuclear weapons “An Inconvenient Truth” style. RT: 71% Metacritic: 66. We’re looking forward to catching up with the Cold War espionage drama “Farewell,” which we caught last year at Cinemania. The latest from the director of “Joyeux Noel” has a bizarre cast that includes acclaimed Serbian director Emir Kusturica, Williem Dafoe, and Fred Ward and definitely deserves a look. RT: 83% Metacritic: 72.