Past the Popcorn film roundup—Winter Can Be A Tough Slog
Each week, Past the Popcorn offers a thorough look at the latest round of films opening on big screens.
This time of year, no one’s expecting blockbusters—and this week is a good example of what you’re likely to get when no blockbusters are forthcoming: gritty (if good) movies that appeal to small audiences, and throwaway flicks that no one expects to stick longer than a week or two.
Leading that first category this week is In Bruges, an R-rated dark comedy starring Colin Farrell. Says Michael Brunk, “if you have a quirky sense of humor and enjoy your comedy with a darker bent I think you’d find this one interesting… The cutting wit and humor prevent it from becoming overbearing.” Then, of course, there’s the “strong bloody violence.” It’s about hit men, of course.
More in the true-to-life category is Taxi to the Dark Side, a harsh documentary about the realities of American foreign policy and the War on Terror. It focuses on the treatment of detainees in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Guantanamo—and includes some explicit images from Abu Ghraib, among other places. It is by no means for the faint of heart. “Although this is a film I hope I never see again,” writes Jeff Walls, “it’s the kind of film that I am thankful to have seen, simply because it helps to open my eyes to some of the devastating things that are happening in this world.”
The Romanian illegal abortion drama 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days is equally harrowing, says Greg Wright. “If you’re looking for a gritty, patient look at the background choices, costs, and risks of pursuing an illegal abortion,” he says, “then this film will likely leave you satisfied. If you’re looking for something more in the way of entertainment…. Well, how could getting an illegal abortion possibly be source material for entertainment?”
In the category of throwaways, there’s a by-the-numbers horror flick Shrooms, which Greg Wright calls “briskly-paced and arty” while “suggestively filthy and bloody,” and Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins, which Michael Brunk says is “a comedy that is only occasionally humorous and winds up wasting the talent at hand.”
