THE HOLY GIRL -- $34,000 from 10 theaters
| Author |
Message |
|
mary
Indiana Jones IV
Joined: Sat Oct 23, 2004 4:35 am
Posts: 1255
|
 dolcevita wrote: Here you go mary. The Holy GirlQuote: Lucrecia Martel takes her careful time to dwell on the circumstances that culminate in the downfall of the middle-aged Dr. Jano. The doctor (Carlos Belloso) attends a week-long conference in an Argentine city; events which will change his life forever. Shrouded in the anonymity of being a stranger in a claustrophobic urban center, he makes improper advances on a random school-girl on the streets one day. The girl, Amalia (Maria Alche), when faced with his erection pushed up against her backside, envisions the opportunity as a calling for her vocation. She and her best friend, Josefina (Julieta Zylberberg) have been obsessively studying the themes of vocation and redemption at the Catholic all-girl’s school they attend. What ensues is Martel’s haunting, yet remarkably non-judgmental exploration of sex, faith, anonymity and maturation in The Holy Girl.
The Holy Girl’s strength lies in its history and its tone. Lucrecia does little to project her own sentiments onto the characters, allowing them to build into full and comprehendible forms rather than revert to the usual exchange between older men and young girls so often the topic of film and literature. Amalia is completely in control of her actions, and rather than being subjected to Dr. Jano’s whims, it is instead she who instigates the cat and mouse chase that runs the length of the movie. She is a complex youth, and her first sexual contact happens to inform her somewhat confused desire to help mankind. Could her vocation be to save just one soul? Amalia is caught at the intersection of adult awakenings and religious faith when she makes the intuitive decision to pursuit her odd attraction to the doctor.
Lucrecia may very well have sourced some of her visual acuity in the horror genre. Amalia has a knack for appearing without a trace. At one point Dr. Jano opens a closet door only to see her reflection suddenly behind his shoulder. She taps harmoniously on metal piping to call for his attention in the hotel swimming pool, and the direction of their peeking and hiding take on a very ominous sense early on. When Amalia, Josephina, and a third friend run frantically through the woods in the notorious area of a deadly car accident and apparition, one has the sense that Lucrecia finds suspense even in the most mundane situations. That she has taken a random physical trespass in a crowd listening to music and transformed the chance encounter into such a true work of anticipation is just proof in the pudding.
Amalia’s mother Helena (Mercedes Moran) watches over her affectionately, and the two live in a hotel. Their history is not revealed, except for that Helena is divorced. When she meets Dr. Jano at the conference, the two begin dating. Helena does not force the situation, and they never engage in anything risqué despite her desire to push the relationship further. Dr. Jano recognizes Helena from her past as a championship diver; an occupation that has left Helena struggling with ear pain and slightly hearing impaired. One wonders about Jano’s hesitancy, especially in light of his lack of awareness that Helena and Amalia are family. That the two meet often, and their conversations are riddled with typical hesitancy and anxiety only adds to The Holy Girl’s already elusive and disturbing tonal quality.
The Holy Girl dwells on sounds, overlooked moments, and youth’s propensity to go looking for danger. It also explores family structure, friendship, memory, and disappointment. There is little that Holy Girl does not touch upon while following its four characters through one week in an Argentine Hotel. Martel holds a heavy hand over the composure of Holy Girl, and every shot feels carefully contrived. The running music of an instrument-less musician wafts off the streets and even into the hotel. As with any hotel, the conversations that waft through the hallways and the random situations that occur in the hallways all feed the mounting pressure of the tricky sex triangle that is Amalia, Helena, and Dr. Jano. All of the actors, in particular Alche and Moran bring a very realist and ultimately appealing sensibility to their characters. Alche is destined for more screen time with her deep brooding eyes yet affectionate character. Amalia is what all pubescent teens in movies should be like. She is full, complex, hard to comprehend. And yet is anything but loathsome.
As The Holy Girl builds towards the inevitable moment, Martel makes her one large misstep. In her desire to keep The Holy Girl open-ended, she instead does never reaches a conclusion. There is a fine difference between incomplete and suggestions of potential. To experience Holy Girl up through the last day of the conference, one can’t help but wish the breaking point was addressed in perhaps five minutes of footage. As it stands The Holy Girl is a rich journey through one week when lives fatefully cross, but the film is just not quite…finished. I actually see this pulling 5 million-ish if marketing is smart. There seems to be some interest in this movie, and even on this site I've noticed some people like movies35 that have wanted to get a look at it. It's awesome review! Thank you~~~~ :razz:
But I think that this movie wouldn't gross more than $600,000. ( I heard that the ending of this movie is very "offbeat"). For a $1.4 million production, this movie would make profit on US home video market and HBO should be happy.
Anyway, I can't wait to see it~~~~
|
| Fri May 06, 2005 4:53 pm |
 
|
|
|
dolcevita
Extraordinary
Joined: Tue Oct 12, 2004 11:24 pm
Posts: 16061
Location: The Damage Control Table
|
mary wrote: ( I heard that the ending of this movie is very "offbeat"). There is no ending! That's the one issue I had with the movie. When it "ended" everyone in the theatre didn't budge. They assumed there was still more to go. No one really could tell the narrative was finished. They just..sat there...waiting. 
|
| Fri May 06, 2005 4:58 pm |
|
|
|
mary
Indiana Jones IV
Joined: Sat Oct 23, 2004 4:35 am
Posts: 1255
|
$13,000 per/theatre average on second weekend.
http://boxofficemojo.com/weekend/chart/ ... =18&p=.htm
This movie has legs. :razz:
|
| Sun May 08, 2005 1:09 pm |
|
|
|
dolcevita
Extraordinary
Joined: Tue Oct 12, 2004 11:24 pm
Posts: 16061
Location: The Damage Control Table
|
=D> I predicted over 10,000 average this weekend! I was so right. If the distribution isn't botched on this, do you still think it can't make 5 million mary?
|
| Sun May 08, 2005 3:06 pm |
|
|
|
mary
Indiana Jones IV
Joined: Sat Oct 23, 2004 4:35 am
Posts: 1255
|
dolcevita wrote: =D> I predicted over 10,000 average this weekend! I was so right. If the distribution isn't botched on this, do you still think it can't make 5 million mary? dolcevita, I hope you will be right.
On this Friday, this movie will expand to several major markets(including my area :razz: ), so we will see how it plays.
|
| Mon May 09, 2005 4:50 pm |
|
|
|
mary
Indiana Jones IV
Joined: Sat Oct 23, 2004 4:35 am
Posts: 1255
|
|
| Thu May 12, 2005 10:05 pm |
|
|
|
dolcevita
Extraordinary
Joined: Tue Oct 12, 2004 11:24 pm
Posts: 16061
Location: The Damage Control Table
|
I smell a weekend near 100K!
Let me know what you thought once you watch it. I'd love to hear from you.
|
| Fri May 13, 2005 1:48 pm |
|
|
|
mary
Indiana Jones IV
Joined: Sat Oct 23, 2004 4:35 am
Posts: 1255
|
I have seen this movie......
My English isn't good, so I can's give a long review. 
I think that the movie is "less" on the story, "more" on characters' development.... I focus on the main characters' development when I watch it, and it is a good way to watch this movie. In fact, I was little disappointed at first, but it gets better and better. Finally, I like the ending more than I thought.
I agree with dolcevita about {THE HOLY GIRL and Pedro}.
I don't love this movie, but I like it. I give it B.
I saw it at Firday morning. There are 9 people -- normal number for my theater.
|
| Sun May 15, 2005 12:53 pm |
|
|
|
mary
Indiana Jones IV
Joined: Sat Oct 23, 2004 4:35 am
Posts: 1255
|
|
| Sun May 15, 2005 1:15 pm |
|
|
|
dolcevita
Extraordinary
Joined: Tue Oct 12, 2004 11:24 pm
Posts: 16061
Location: The Damage Control Table
|
Yeah. That was quite an unexpected plummet from me. I thought it would do quite well in California at least. 1 million will be impossible at this point.
Glad you thought the movie was pretty decenty though.
|
| Sun May 15, 2005 1:29 pm |
|
|
Who is online |
Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 4 guests |
|
You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot post attachments in this forum
|
|
