Brandon Gray of Box Office Mojo:
The Brave One roused a modest estimated $14 million to top a lackluster weekend at the box office…
Pamela McClintock of Variety:
Jodie Foster vigilante drama "The Brave One" rode a soft opening to win the weekend crown at the domestic box office, but the frame's real action came in the specialty race, where David Cronenberg's "Eastern Promises" led with a robust per-location average of $36,851 as the crowded fall prestige race began in earnest.
"Brave One," produced by Joel Silver, debuted to an estimated $14 million from 2,755 locations. Warner Bros. and Village Roadshow Pictures had hoped the R-rated pic would open in the mid to high teens. Foster starrer "Flightplan" debuted at $24.6 million in 2005, while "Panic Room" opened to $30 million in 2002, although those two pics had broader, more commercial appeal.
Focus' "Promises" -- winner of the aud nod this weekend for best film at the Toronto film fest -- was followed in the specialty roster by Julie Taymor's whimsical musical-drama "Across the Universe," which sang to a per-screen average of $29,783, and Paul Haggis' Tommy Lee Jones-Charlize Theron starrer "In the Valley of Elah," which scored a solid per-location average of $16,666, according to Rentrak.
It was a weekend of contradictions: The violent "Brave One," directed by Neil Jordan, seemed to target and pique the interest of older women. "Valley of Elah," from Warner Independent Pictures, is the first of a handful of films set against the backdrop of the Iraq war, but since it's also a whodunit, the opening tally may not signify that auds are ready for war pics. Meanwhile, young people turned out for Sony and Revolution's "Across the Universe," based on music of the Beatles, a band that's ancient history to them.
Serious and violent storylines dominated as the summer tentpole bazaar gave way to the fall specialty arena and overall box office biz slowed. The weekend was up 2% over the same period last year, and the frame was the fifth in a row led by an R-rated title -- the first time that has happened since 2001, according to Nielsen EDI.
R-rated Western and awards hopeful "3:10 to Yuma," the top gunslinger last weekend, narrowly beat preeming laffer "Mr. Woodcock" for the No. 2 spot.
Lionsgate and Relativity Media's "Yuma," declining just 35% in its second frame, grossed an estimated $9.15 million from 2,667 locations; cume in the pic's first 10 days is $28.5 million. Directed by James Mangold, oater stars Russell Crowe, Christian Bale and Ben Foster.
New Line's "Woodcock" grossed an estimated $9.10 million from 2,231 runs.
The third new wide release of the weekend, South Korean English-language "Dragon Wars," didn't show much fight. Pic came in at No. 6, grossing an estimated $4.8 million from 2,269.
... Warner Bros. is looking for some testosterone to boost "Brave One" this coming weekend.
Foster pics like "Flightplan" and "Panic Room" were far less dark and serious than "Brave One." Among her big films, opening is Foster's lowest since "Anna and the King," which debuted to $5.2 million in 1999.
"We are hoping for good word of mouth. When 'Gladiator' opened, there were no women in the audience. By the second weekend, there were," said Warner Bros. [president] of distribution Dan Fellman, adding that the pic posted solid numbers in exit polls.
More than 70% of the "Brave One" aud was over 30...
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Joshua Rich of Entertainment Weekly:
$14 mil debut for the Jodie Foster revenge drama is at low end of expectations, but good enough to outdraw ''Yuma'' and ''Woodcock''...
....And now, I have 2 Last Reel updates for you...
--One of those TV shows that act like movies--Prison Break has its 3rd season premire tonight 8:00 PM EST on FOX.
--My review of Halloween is still being worked on.
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