Markets more than what it delivers

Rating: 7/10 (5 January 2008)

Miramax proves they don't need the Weinsteins to market over-hyped, critic's darlings. We're talking about the studio that stole best picture Oscars in 1996 from Fargo and 1998 from Saving Private Ryan, and got nominations from movies that were okay but not great like Chocolat. I even think there were far better movies in 1999 than the Oscar winner, American Beauty, but you be the judge of that. This movie, if marketed normally, would've tanked in the box office. Here's how they do it: Show it to a handful of critics by year's end, who'll start the buzz and put it in top-ten lists. Premiere it in one or two art houses in New York and L.A., who are obviously going to be sold out because people wanting to see what all the fuzz is about. The thing goes in crecendo, the movie wins some nominations, premiere it in more theaters. Wins some Oscars, do a wide release. By then, the film is bad-word-of-mouth proof. As in "Gangs of New York" Daniel Day Lewis' performance overpowers the film and turns it into a one-man show. Only his scenes with Paul Dano have some balance and are in fact the film's most entertaining exchanges. Not a bad film at all, just a bit overrated.