Stealth movie


If it weren't for links from IMDB, I never would have known to look for this film in L.A. during the week of Dec 16-22. There was no review or advertising in the L.A. Weekly (the main free paper around here, and full of ads for almost every entertainment venue - even plays at tiny theaters), just a one-line showtime entry I wouldn't have noticed if I hadn't already known about it. At the multiplex where it was playing (only at 11:40 AM each day), it was not listed on the marquee, nor was there a poster for it (and this theater has lots of posters). It was listed at the box office, but the auditorium where it was playing had a sign for "Jesus is Magic", which I guess is what was showing there the rest of the day.

Not surprisingly, this Saturday showing was attended only by me and one other customer. Director Kevin Jordan was there, and said this was a quiet release for Oscar qualification purposes, and a bigger L.A. release would follow later. "Quiet" was an understatement. I thought "Live Nude Girls" from 1995 had a pretty low-key release, but that was a major publicity blitz compared to this one!

My reactions to the film itself are now posted in the "User Comments" section.

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I saw your comments on the film, Arthur, and I thank you for them. I saw the comment from another person, too, to whom you referred, saying that everyone who posted comments about liking the movie must be plants connected to the film in some way, hoping to promote it. I thought that was pretty funny.

I'm posting to say I saw the film yesterday and I also found it a good experience and I'm not connected to it in any way. I'm in the Chicago area and Brooklyn Lobster just opened here and is only at 2 theaters in the entire metro area. My dad is in his 80s and doesn't drive anymore, so I try to get him out to a movie once a week or every other week. I read about this film and had a feeling he might enjoy it, so I took him to it yesterday. We both thought it was pretty good and we enjoyed ourselves.

I can see though why it's not a film that will appeal to a wide-scale audience, which is probably why it's gotten very mixed reviews from critics. I've read comments from people who say nothing much happens in this movie, but I couldn't believe how true that was until I saw it for myself. This is a film where the biggest conflict is about whether a guy's mom likes the engagement ring he bought for the lady he plans to propose to or whether he should give her the ring that belonged to his grandma. Will the water pump be repaired in time to save the lobsters? Will they be able to retrieve all the crates filled w/ lobsters that floated off in the harbor? When will the daughter begin speaking to the father again for not hearing out his son-in-law? Should they go into the business of selling lobster-shaped bread? Will the girlfriend move back to Brooklyn to be close to family? Will the couple break up over the conflict between the father and the girlfriend's uncle? Who will show up at the auction?

The beautiful part of this film was the honest portrayal of the struggle of the small, family-owned business and how the business owner gives up almost his whole life to keep the business from collapse almost every day, living close to the bone, never in luxury or comfort. It doesn't try or pretend to do anything bigger or more exciting than that...and that's not something you see too often. I think it takes a lot of courage and commitment to one's craft to make a movie like this. It's a refeshing change of pace to see a movie that deals honestly and unpretnetiously w/ a slice of very real, everyday life for the independent business owner. The study of characters and relationships in a family is interesting too, and the emphasis of quiet, understated performances by a cast is the low-key strength of this film as well.

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what the hell MdmBadenov maybe you're not connected to the movie but you can't deny that 100% of the "comments" on the 1st page are ALL plants. Please don't be that dense. They are all insanely overly positive, without an ounce of objectivity and if you click the user name of the person, you can see it's the only comment they ever wrote and have never ever logged back onto imdb.com.

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Brooklyn Lobster was an enjoyable movie; the relationships were dutifully explored. Danny Aiello did a sublime job. And Jane Curtin—where have you been? Fantastic. This side of New York needs to be explored more on cinema. Great characters.

I don’t know but I have something with movies about fishing business.
Oyster Farmer was a favorite movie of mine. Anyone who liked this move, I’d say give that one a chance.

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