Estevez and "Bobby'
I scoffed when I heard that a woman from one of the entertainment news shows had flipped over Emilio Estevez's Bobby (Weinstein Co., 11.17). And I've written a couple of pieces expressing doubts about the likelihood that it'll be good-good-good. (Here's one.) But now a fellow journo-columnist has seen it and likes it a lot, and Variety's Deborah Young has given it a pass out of Venice so okay, maybe.
I can't help having an attitude about it (I keep hearing that Estevez quote from John Ridley's Esquire piece -- "Checkmate, asshole!"), but at least I have higher hopes for it than, say, All The King's Men.
This Mike Collett-White Reuters piece about Bobby's debut at the Venice Film Festival errs, however, in saying the film is Estevez's "first feature film in 10 years." He directed, wrote and starred in Rated X, his Mitchell Brothers movie, six years ago. It was a Showtime movie that didn't go out theatrically, but it would have gone in theatres if the right distribution deal had come along. I think it's wrong to say it wasn't a feature -- it was shot as one, and was orginally intended to be seen in theatres...it just happened to wind up on Showtime.
Posted by Jeffrey Wells on September 5, 2006 at 12:08 PM
comment #1
Nicol D
says ...
I think many will fall for this due to the subject matter as opposed to the quality of the direction. Ifind it hard to believe that Estevez has went from little more than a hack to an Oscar auteur overnight...alright over 6 years.
His previous films have been mildly entertaining at best but nothing to write home about.
Posted by Nicol D
at September 5, 2006 12:40 PM
comment #2
Daniel Fienberg
says ...
Curtis Hanson went from "little more than a hack" (albeit a semi-gifted genre hack) to an Oscar auteur overnight. "Bad Influence," "The Hand That Rocks the Cradle" and "The River Wild" are totally proficient movies of their time, but I defy you to find a soul who figured that the director of "Losin' It" was on the verge of becoming one of the industry's most respected and versatile directors. And then he did.
I'm just sayin' that it's possible that Emilio has found a story he wanted to tell and the proper means of telling it.
Or it could just be tripe.
Daniel
Posted by Daniel Fienberg
at September 5, 2006 2:36 PM
comment #3
Jeff
says ...
Variety and HR just posted great reviews of it. It's looking to be a strong contender.
Posted by Jeff
at September 5, 2006 3:11 PM
comment #4
Joe Leydon
says ...
Accoding to IMDB, Estevez has kept busy directing episodic television during the last 2-3 years. Maybe practice really does make perfect.
Posted by Joe Leydon
at September 5, 2006 5:21 PM
comment #5
kittyn
says ...
Jeez, what on earth is wrong with gaining some maturity as an artist? And getting better? That's an accomplishment that should be celebrated. It's so annoying how many people think an artist has to be brilliant and successful immediately when very young, or that's it, game over, he/she will NEVER be brilliant and successful. I think it's awesome Emilio is still out there striving, has made a great new movie, and I'm really looking forward to seeing it.
Posted by kittyn
at September 6, 2006 11:31 PM
comment #6
LoKee
says ...
I've seen four legit reviews of the movie. Two were tepid, one was tepid to negative, the fourth was a rip of the picture. All said the best thing about it was the archival footage. Most said it suffered from a very weak script. People predisposed to like this movie in particular or this kind of movie - something pretending to be grand and full of meaning - will probably LIKE Bobby. Everybody else will probably, probably, be indiferent.
Posted by LoKee
at September 7, 2006 9:34 PM