May 18: At the Movies
Get ready for some of filmdom’s favorite computer-animated characters to rock theaters as the highly anticipated “Shrek the Third” arrives in theaters this weekend. For complete descriptions, critical evaluations of previewed films and explanations of the Motion Picture Association of America ratings in terms of violence, language and sexual content, please refer to the Movie Capsules.
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The new films (with all dates subject to change) opening at a theater near you on this Armed Forces Day weekend include:
“Civic Duty,” with Peter Krause (HBO’s “Six Feet Under”) and Khaled Abol Naga (“Sleepless Nights”) in an R-rated drama about an American accountant who has become paranoid after watching hours of news shows about terrorism. He then goes into a mental meltdown when an Islamic graduate student moves next door to him.
“Fay Grim,” with Parker Posey (“Superman Returns”) and Jeff Goldblum (“Jurassic Park”) in director Hal Hartley’s R-rated sequel to “Henry Fool” (1997). In the darkly humorous thriller, the title character is pressured by a CIA operative to travel to Paris and obtain notebooks that belong to her ex-husband and could compromise the security of the United States. The R-rated picture recently played at the 16th Philadelphia Film Festival.
“Jindabyne,” with Laura Linney (“You Can Count on Me”) and Gabriel Byrne (“The Usual Suspects”) in an R-rated drama about an Irishman and three friends who embark on a fishing trip in a remote section of Australia and discover the body of a murdered girl. Rather than reporting it immediately to authorities, they decide to contact police after their vacation is over. That selfish choice by Byrne’s character, who sees nothing wrong with what they did, causes his wife to be intensely disappointed in him and question their relationship.
“Offside,” with Jafar Panahi directing a PG-rated import about some Iranian girls who dress as boys and attempt to enter Tehran’s Azadi Stadium – a place where only males are allowed – to watch a soccer match. Some are recognized and then face charges for their act of defiance.
“Provoked: A True Story,” with Aishwarya Rai (“The Mistress of Spices”), Miranda Richardson (“Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire”) and Naveen Andrews (TV’s “Lost”) in a fact-based drama about a Punjabi woman who leaves India to marry a Londoner, is physically abused and ashamed to tell anyone about it. After suffering in silence, she murders the man and faces a prison sentence. The unrated picture, directed by Jag Mundhra (“Natasha”), is a co-production between England and India.
“Shrek the Third,” with Mike Meyers, Cameron Diaz, Eddie Murphy and Antonio Banderas returning as the voices of Shrek, Princess Fiona, Donkey and Puss In Boots, respectively. In the PG-rated follow-up, the colorful characters seek young King Arthur (voice by Justin Timberlake) to become ruler of the kingdom of Shrek’s late father-in-law and want to stop the opportunistic Prince Charming (voice by Rupert Everett) from taking over the throne. Other performers lending their vocal talents include: Amy Sedaris, Amy Poehler, Maya Rudolph, Cheri Oteri, John Cleese, Julie Andrews and Eric Idle as Cinderella, Snow White, Rapunzel, Sleepy Beauty, the King, the Queen and Merlin, respectively.
At the buck$ office
Spidey continued to spin a strong financial web last weekend as “Spider-Man 3” grossed an impressive $60 million.
The sequel’s 10-day total in the United States and Canada is a very impressive $242.1 million. Overseas, the superhero picture has grossed $380 million, bringing its global total to $622.1 million.
New films arriving last weekend had soft openings.
The horror thriller “28 Weeks Later” took in $10 million, while “George Rule,” starring Lindsay Lohan, Jane Fonda and Felicity Huffman, grossed $5.9 million.
According to the Associated Press, the top-10 movies last weekend were:
1. “Spider-Man 3” ($60 million)
2. “28 Weeks Later” ($10 million)
3. “Georgia Rule” ($5.9 million)
4. “Disturbia” ($4.8 million)
5. “Delta Farce” ($3.5 million)
6. “Fracture” ($2.9 million)
7. “The Invisible” ($2.2 million)
8. “Hot Fuzz” ($1.7 million)
9. “Next” ($1.604 million)
10. “Meet the Robinsons” ($1.6 million)