Oscar hopefuls not striking gold
The Halloween weekend at the box office was the worst of 2015 so far. And Oscar hopefuls are suffering most.
This space previously bemoaned the poor showing of the excellent “Steve Jobs” — it made less through three weeks than Ashton Kutcher’s widely derided “Jobs” did.
Others with awards hopes, though admittedly faint — “Rock the Kasbah” (about $2.5 million) and “Burnt” ($5 million, less even than “Aloha”) — crashed. “Room” fared poorly in 23 theaters ($800,000 through two weeks), but hopefully expansion will change the fortunes of this likely nominee.
“Our Brand Is Crisis” went splat with a microscopic $3.4 million, Sandra Bullock’s worst wide-release opening — and no, it’s not as bad a movie as you’ve heard.
The following week, “Brooklyn,” “Trumbo” and “Spotlight” (an almost-certain multiple nominee) stumbled in limited bows as both “Spectre” and “The Peanuts Movie” absolutely crushed all those entries put together.
Published reports claim that “Spectre” must earn $650 million to make its money back. That’s $300 million above estimated budget and marketing costs, despite multiple productplacement and promotional deals (Heineken, anyone?). One gets the feeling it would take Q to figure out Hollywood accounting.
The fightmaster
“Spectre’s” success signals that it’s time for two salutes.
The first is to fight choreographer Olivier Schneider, one of the best in the business. That Bond-Hinx tussle in the train ranks among the series’ best: inventive but realistic, with physical and emotional stakes. Schneider previously made Liam Neeson a juggernaut in “Taken” and put together the all-around badassery in the “Fast & Furious 6” plane fight.
If he’s choreographing and you’re an action fan, you should probably see that movie.
Honor these people
The second salute should be to physical performers and coordinators in general — yes, it’s time again to lobby for an Oscar for stunts. SAG honors them. Blockbusters depend on them. And this year has some banner work from these creative, dedicated and daring professionals.
Apart from “Spectre,” this year’s nominees would be “Kingsman: The Secret Service,” “Legend,” “Mad Max: Fury Road” and “The Hunger Games: Mockingjay — Part 2.”
“Hunger Games” gets a nod almost entirely for the sewer chase and fight. “Spectre” not only has the train combat, but also that slam-bang opening sequence with the building collapse and helicopter fight. “Kingsman” has probably the coolest stylized combat of the year, with the major bonus of Colin Firth going all “Kill Bill” on a congregation of maniacs.
But it’s the two Tom Hardy movies that should duke it out for the title. “Mad Max” is truly audacious filmmaking from top to bottom, and those crazy stunts — almost all of them practical (very little green screen or digital compositing except to erase safety wires) — make up an amazing achievement. That might be the winner because almost the entire film is visual storytelling. Where would it be without those stunts, the driving, the psychos on waving poles?
“Legend,” though, not only has the spectacular Tom Hardy-versus-Tom Hardy fight (he plays both Kray twins in the film) that manages to get character laughs without playing for gags, but startlingly violent tangles that are logical, realistic, justified and most of all, have real emotional impact.
So while it’s on a totally different scale from “Max,” it stands at the same height.
Playing to the base?
Not that an action movie by Michael Bay about the 2012 Benghazi tragedy and called “13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi” could ever be politicized … but should we be saying “uh-oh” after star and very tall drink of water John Krasinski was tabbed as grand marshal for a NASCAR event?