New Movies

On line movie critic Eugene Novikov (at Cinematical) asks this question:

But riddle me this, Cinematical readers: are you among the hundreds of millions of Americans who avoid Iraq War movies like the plague? And if so, why?

This is the conventional wisdom. Hollywood movies about recent US wars do not make it big at the box office. John Notle, writing for Pajamas Media, notes that even Ben Stein's Expelled did better than the current war film genre.

So, what is selling? I haven't a clue. But, I did go to see New in Town last evening, with my wife. We enjoyed it. But, that may say more about us than about the film. To judge whether it is worth watching you have to ask yourself one of three different sets of questions.

1. Do you like romance comedies between middle aged people (middle aged being defined as around 35 to 40)? Or,


2. Do you like to see labor and local management scheme to save the local plant? Or,


3. Did you like Fargo and do you think Governor Sarah Palin is OK?

Since the heroine leaves Miami for New Ulm, Minnesota, you have to expect that part of the charm of the movie is the cultural differences, and the accents. The role of Blanche Gunderson (played by Siobhan Fallon Hogan), as the new manager's secretary, is wonderful. She is so simple and earnest. She so much wants to be a friend to Lucy Hill (Renee Zellweger, she, of the Hasty Pudding Award). And, the accent and the colloquialisms are perfect.

Trudy van Uuden (Frances Conroy), the real estate agent, takes the newly arrived Lucy Hill to see the house she will be renting. Enroute she makes conversation, asking: "Do you scrap?" Ms Hill doesn't have a clue. A little later in the ride Trudy asks, "Do you know Jesus?" Long pause. Then Ms Hill says "I didn't know he was lost." We are seeing a major cultural gap.

No nudity, no use of the F-word, and most of the discussion of sex revolved around the concerns of the Union Representative (Ms Hill's love interest, played by Harry Connick, Jr) about his 14 year old daughter's first date.

My wife is afraid that there will be nothing left for you to see, so here we go to the critics.

The critics listed on Fandango were harsh. That said, it was in eighth place as of 30 January and as of the 5th of February had made $8.6 million (data here). My take is that the viewers like it better than the critics.

We liked it. We enjoyed it. And we don't think it was a put down of the people of Minnesota.

Regards  --  Cliff