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Brothers can't bring down Virgin |
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The Grimm siblings could not dislocate The 40-Year-Old Virgin from the top spot on the North American box-office chart. The comedy with a heart continues to do solid business and may reach $100 million gross.
The Brothers Grimm, the historical fantasy directed by Terry Gilliam and starring Matt Damon and Heath Ledger, did nothing to the already downcast box-office scene. The film shows how the two brothers are forced by the invading Napoleon's army to investigate a haunted forest where girls have been disappearing. Another new film, The Cave -- about monsters that terrorise a handful of adventurers -- got buried badly while the third new wide release Undiscovered, a romance starring pop singer Ashlee Simpson, lived up to its title and opened with a paltry $690,000. Though Charlie And The Chocolate Factory, which dropped by 42 percent and earned $2.6 million over the weekend, was yanked off the top 10 grossing chart, it will be around for some more weeks. The hit movie has grossed $197.5 million in North America and may end its run with about $203 million.
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1. The 40-Year-Old Virgin Cast: Steve Carell and Catherine Keener. Director: Judd Apatow.  An appealing hero, Carell; many pleasant diversions. Script loses much of its edge as it goes on.Number of weeks: 2. BO Verdict: Hit.
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2. The Brothers Grimm Cast: Matt Damon, Heather Ledger, Monica Bellucci. Director: Terry Gilliam. Some amazing technical moments, subversive plot, and attractive cast.Frustrating story structure.Number of weeks: New. BO Verdict: Disappointing.
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3. Red Eye Cast: Rachel McAdams and Cillian Murphy. Director: Wes Craven. Above average cat-and-mouse hostage drama; good leading pair.More of a vendetta film in the last quarter; loses its focus.Number of weeks: 2. BO Verdict: Success.
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4. Four Brothers Cast: Mark Wahlberg, Andre Benjamin, Tyrese Gibson and Garret Hedlund. Director: John Singleton. A fast and furious revenge drama without pretensions; young cast.Too violent; dialogue lacks sparks.Number of weeks: 3. BO Verdict: Superhit.
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5. Wedding Crashers Cast: Owen Wilson, Vince Vaughn, Christopher Walken, Rachel McAdams. Director: David Dobkin. Bawdy comedy; terrific chemistry between Wilson and Vaughn; Fast tempo in the fist half.Overextends the plot; runs out of humour and salty jokes in the second half.Number of weeks: 7. BO Verdict: Superhit.
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6. The Cave Cast: Morris Chestnut, Eddie Cibrian, Cole Hauser, Piper Perabo, Lena Headey. Director: Bruce Hunt. Nothing to cheer.Lame monsters, lack of pulsating moments and bad performances.Number of weeks: New. BO Verdict: Flop.
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7. March Of The Penguins Narration: Morgan Freeman. Director: Luc Jacquet. Amazing visuals; unbelievable insights into the lives of emperor penguins.A bit too sentimental.Number of weeks: 10. BO Verdict: Superhit.
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8. The Skeleton Key Cast: Kate Hudson, Gena Rowlands, Peter Saarsgard and William Hurt. Director: Ian Softley. Few shivers; a surprising ending if your mind is not really on the screen.Another haunted house film without big surprises; waste of great talent.Number of weeks: 3. BO Verdict: Success.
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9. Valiant Starring: Evan McGregor, Ben Kingsley, John Cleese and Ricky Gervais. Director: Gary Chapman. Top-notch voice talents; solid computer animation; intriguing plot.Too many WW II jokes that may not even click with adults, let alone kids.Number of weeks: 2. BO Verdict: Doomed.
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10. The Dukes Of Hazzard Cast: Johnny Knoxville, Seann Scott Williams, Jessica Simpson, Burt Reynolds and Willie Nelson. Director: Jay Chandrasekhar. Action filled with comedy, Jessica Simpson's sex appeal.Predictable situations, lack of brilliant gags, repetitious car chases.Number of weeks: 4. BO Verdict: Hit.
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Text: Arthur J Pais
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