Melanie Dishman's archive

Film plays deadly serious marketing game

With book sales of more than 26 million for Suzanne Collins’ futuristic trilogy, a lot is riding on this initial film that introduces teen heroine Katniss Everdeen to audiences in what will be the first of at least three, possibly four, movies. Aimed at what marketers call the coveted “YA” or “young adult” market, the film has obviously been toned down from the book to earn the all-important PG-13 rating.

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In the dark

For an actor who has such a reputation for histrionics that his last name ought to be Rage rather than Cage, Nicolas plays against the type here as a passive, high school English teacher in this B-movie thriller set in New Orleans. Unfortunately, it doesn’t portray the Crescent City in a very flattering way.

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Clever NYC rom-com lacks credibility

This romantic comedy tries to be all things to all people with its cutesy, erudite banter coupled with coarse language and a myriad of characters ranging from sweet to self-centered. Written and directed by Jennifer Westfeldt, the co-writer and director of “Kissing Jessica Stein,” this is another NYC-based look at love and marriage — and children.

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