By Jason Apuzzo. • It was such a pleasure seeing Mao’s Last Dancer this past weekend. It’s an emotional, stirring film that is carried by two very strong performances by Chi Cao and Bruce Greenwood. The story of how this young Chinese dancer rose to prominence during the nightmare-period of Mao’s reign, came to America – and then fought tenaciously for his freedom – is a story that everyone should see, especially when it’s told as elegantly as director Bruce Beresford tells it here.
What I was stunned by, however, were all of the flattering references in the film to (then) Vice President George H.W. Bush, and also to President Reagan. It’s made quite plain that the elder Bush was instrumental in securing this young dancer’s freedom, and this is probably going to be the most flattering take on the Bush family and/or legacy you’re going to see on film any time in the near future. We’ve got a brief except from the film below in this context, by the way.
I cannot recommend this film highly enough, as it expands into wider distribution next weekend. Mao’s Last Dancer is not only a compelling indictment of the communist system, but a rousing testimony to the opportunities available to high achievers in free societies like our own. Make sure to see it.
On the box office front, Mao did over a $192,000 in business on 31 screens in 10 markets. It opens to 15 new markets this upcoming weekend. Make sure to check out the clip below.
• From the sublime to the ridiculous … the other film I saw this past weekend that involved a ballet sequence (ahem), Piranha 3D, finished #6 at the box office this weekend with over $10 million … which is actually only about $6 million less than the #1 film, The Expendables. Despite the strikingly positive reviews this film received (Rotten Tomatoes currently has it at an 81 rating), the rather obvious problem this film faced is that its intended audience – namely, teenagers – for the most part couldn’t see it due to its R rating. [Personally I think the film easily could’ve received an NC-17.] Still, I think Alex Aja has created a genuine cult masterpiece here that will live long and prosper once it reaches its natural milieu of unrated home video. 🙂 And, indeed, word is now breaking late today that Aja and Dimension films are already planning a sequel to the film, possibly to take place in Thailand.
• Sandra Bullock and Tom Hanks may be teaming on an adaptation of the post-9/11 Jonathan Safran Foer novel, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close. This project looks interesting, and we’ll keep an eye on it. I haven’t read the novel, but Entertainment Weekly has a brief summary of it here.
• Angelina Jolie has announced that her next project will be a low-budget love story set at the height of the Bosnian war, for which she wrote the screenplay … and which she’ll be directing (she will not be acting in the film). “The film is a love story, not a political statement,” Jolie asserts in a recent statement about the project.
Good for her. How odd that at this point I feel more confident in how she’ll handle this material than, say, how Stallone might. Salt, by the way, has thus far grossed $216 million worldwide.
• The annual article about ‘Hollywood Reaching Out to Christians’ has come out … this time from The New York Times. It’s a little tiresome reading these articles each year. Basically the only reason films get made that appeal to Christians these days is because Christians themselves – usually working outside the confines of the Hollywood system – pony up their own money and get them made.
By the way, in this context there are some new clips out today of the next Narnia film.
• The LA Times’ Tom O’Neil questions whether SAG should be honoring the great Ernest Borgnine simply because O’Neil doesn’t like Borgnine’s personal politics … which O’Neil is apparently able to divine simply because Borgnine didn’t feel like seeing Brokeback Mountain. Mr. O’Neil, this is what’s called blacklisting. It’s an ugly, retrograde practice and you should stop this immediately.
• AND IN TODAY’S MOST IMPORTANT NEWS … Mad Men va-va-voom star Christina Hendricks made a striking appearance at this weekend’s Creative Arts Emmy Awards. Did you really think we were going to miss this? The striking Ms. Hendricks will be competing for a Best Supporting Actress Emmy when the big-time Emmy Awards roll around this upcoming Sunday.
And that’s what’s happening today in the wonderful world of Hollywood.
Posted on August 23rd, 2010 at 6:02pm.
What?! A scene in a movie involving Bush that doesn’t immediately make reference to The Carlyle Group?! Why haven’t I heard more about this film?
Not only that, Powder – but half of the film takes place in Texas, and you never hear once about Halliburton! Can you imagine?
Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close was a decent novel that will definitely work as a movie as the novel itself included visual cues as though you were both reading the story of the protagonist and seeing the world through his eyes. The book had some entirely poignant moments, some that even brought tears to my eyes.But be forewarned, the story is ripe for sucker punches. As far as I can remember, it never even mentioned the terrorists that took down the WTC and talks of only one image from the attacks, the falling body of someone who jumped to their death, instead focusing on the kid’s dealing with his father dying in the attacks. Also, the kid, and his family, are atheists who revel in making talking points to each other against Christian beliefs. And the grandmother and grandfather’s relationship, shown through letters they wrote to each other and a journal the grandmother kept, is kinkily weird which plays into the 9 year old’s sexual curiosity that is blossoming without restrain or guidance in the book. Essentially, this is a younger Holden Caulfield, observing New York again after a terrorist attack this time and bemoaning the death of his father. The times that Oskar searches for the puzzle his father left before the attacks, the times he reflects on what he misses about his father, extremely emotional and has its intended effect on you. Beyond that, its mostly superficial aping of The Catcher in the Rye with a somewhat “right before the coming of age.”
In other words, depending on what they concentrate on, it could be an incredibly powerful and moving film or it could be a sentimentally shallow pond of potential.
Shinsnake, you’re invaluable. That’s the best summary I’ve read of the book yet, including what I saw this morning in the NY Post.
Mr. O’Neil, this is what’s called blacklisting.
I always assumed all those McCarthy films the lefties make every couple years or so were meant as societal warnings about the lost of our freedom of expression. As it turns out, they’re really educational films for the junior fascist set.
AND IN TODAY’S MOST IMPORTANT NEWS
It would be easier if you just had a daily CH post, that way I wouldn’t have to scan the entire article before getting to the “good stuff”.
Suggested article: Who would you rather see as an action movie female lead, Jolie or Hendricks? Many pictures.
I continue to mull over the possibility of a daily pin-up post. There seems to be some enthusiasm in that direction.
I’m sure some of the “tolerant” Left will, like the self absorbed, smug wankers they are, attempt to ruin Mr. Borgnine’s ceremony as they did Elia Kazan’s Oscar night by remaining in their seats, hands folded, secure in the knowledge that they only are the conscience of all mankind.
Mr Borgnine has more talent, grace and class then these clowns all put together.
HAIL RAGNAR!
HAIL RAGNAR!
“the rather obvious problem this film faced is that its intended audience – namely, teenagers – for the most part couldn’t see it due to its R rating.”
The other rather obvious problem is that, despite its “strikingly positive reviews,” it’s a piece of ordure.
That’s very much a matter of opinion, though, isn’t it, Brett?
SPOILERS — SPOILERS — SPOILERS
Maybe, but I’m happy to be in in minority if it means I think poorly of a movie that asks me to celebrate the heroism of a main character who throws a wounded man overboard so he can save his girlfriend and which features scenes of a piranha regurgitating a man’s penis.
Brett, may I ask what type of film you were expecting when you went to see Piranha 3D? [Assuming you’re not simply reading summaries of the film.] It seems that your expectations for this type of film might’ve been a bit unrealistic.