SINGAPORE: America recently made its big decision and now, Singapore, it’s your turn.
No, we’re not talking about the historic election of the first-ever African American President. We’re talking about that all-important decision on whether you will propel a pampered yappy dog in a handbag or big-time Hollywood superstars Leonardo DiCaprio and Russell Crowe to the top of the Singapore box office when both their respective films open Thursday.
America has already spoken. “Body of Lies”, big name terrorist thriller directed by esteemed sure-shot director Ridley Scott (“Gladiator”, “Thelma & Louise”, “Blade Runner”), barely scratched the surface of the United States box office surface, leaving a talking dog with a voice of an angel (in this case, a Charlie’s Angel – Drew Barrymore) to prance its way to the top spot for two straight weekends.
So far, “Beverly Hills Chihuahua” has grossed a whopping US$108.5 million worldwide – a stark contrast to the reported US$55 million for “Body of Lies”.
Similarly, tween phenomenon “High School Musical 3: Senior Year” sang and danced its way to No 1, bubbling high with a worldwide gross of US$194.7 million. It trounced the highly anticipated cop saga “Pride and Glory” (opening in Singapore December 18), boasting a leading cast of Edward Norton and Colin Farrell, which has only managed US$11.7 million worldwide so far.
Dan Fellman, head of distribution for Warner Bros, which released “Body of Lies” and “Pride and Glory”, told the Associated Press: “The last few weeks have been really tough for adult films. The lighter fare seems to be taking a dominant position.”
The same report points out how the current movie-going sentiment echoes that of the Great Depression, when slapstick comedy and glamorous musicals helped lift people’s spirits.
We live in bleak times. Markets are crashing, retrenchments are rife, and that war, well, it’s still going on. And none of it looks likely to change any time soon. The celluloid world has always been the comforting pit of temporary solace – a place people go to escape. And it seems no one really wants to escape to the movies to get even more depressed than they already are after watching the evening news.
The proof is in the box-office pudding. Movie-goers are shunning serious movies for fluff. It’s sad (unless you’re Zac Efron or a talking Chihuahua) but true.
This year’s list of highest-grossing films screams “popcorn”, filled with adventure, comedy and superhero escapism.
From “Kung Fu Panda” high-kicking its way to US$630.9 million to “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull” clocking US$786 million, not a single “serious” film was in sight of the Top 10, as an Abba-singing Meryl Streep, a lovable robot named “WallE” and a Downey-esque “Iron Man “dominated the box office.
Some might argue that the biggest film of the year is really more of a “drama” than a “comic book flick”. But let’s face it – “The Dark Knight” wouldn’t have made US$997.5 million if Christian Bale hadn’t been dressed as a bat.
With the rolling out of serious Oscar contenders over the coming months – including DiCaprio teaming up once again with his “Titanic” co-star for Sam Mendes’ “Revolutionary Road”, Sean Penn as the first openly gay man to be elected to US public office in “Milk”, and real-life political dramas like Ron Howard’s “Frost/Nixon” or Bryan Singer’s “Valkyrie” starring Tom Cruise – the spotlight turns onto the audience.
How will these thought-provoking, heavy-hitting films measure up against the talking animals of “Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa”?
Will you choose an espionage thriller over a dog in a handbag? Or will you only be happy when “High School Musical” wins an Oscar for Best Picture?
Vote wisely.
“Body of Lies” director Ridley Scott and the movie’s leading man, Oscar-winner Russell Crowe, talk about their political agenda and the deflowering of Leonardo Dicaprio.
Channel News Asia