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2 articles from 2005

15 July 2005 | From Studio Briefing | See recent Studio Briefing news

Luc Jacquet, the director of the documentary March of the Penguins, has expressed surprise over the striking success of the film in U.S. art houses since it opened three weeks ago. For the past two weeks, the film has earned more on a per-theater basis than the two blockbuster hits, War of the Worlds and Fantastic Four. It is expected to expand to about 150 theaters today (Friday) and to about 500 theaters by next week. In an interview with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, Jacquet said, "Although the film opened well in Europe, I'm surprised. ... People are liking the film, and I know how difficult it is for a French production to cross over into American theaters." He said that aside from having to film the movie in below-zero weather in the Antarctic, he and his crew also had to complete the film in six months or else they would run out of money. "It's not the kind of movie that you can pitch on paper," he said. "You can't just tell someone, 'OK, I'm going to make a film about penguins, and it's compelling, etc.' It has to be seen. The film, in order to survive and find an audience, had to be shown to get the finishing funds."

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15 July 2005 | From Studio Briefing | See recent Studio Briefing news

Critics have found March of the Penguins to be as wondrous as word-of-mouth has it. Jami Bernard in the New York Daily News concludes: "It will make you want to bill and coo with your mate, cuddle your young and maybe even go for a swim." Nancy Churnin in the Dallas Morning News calls director Luc Jacquet's description of the emperor penguins of Antarctica "stirring profiles in courage." Michael Booth in the Denver Post remarks that the emperors will leave audiences "energized, mesmerized and stupefied by the possibilities of life." The Baltimore Sun's Michael Sragow describes the movie as "eloquent and stirring." Eleanor Ringel Gillespie in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution calls it "an often-miraculous movie." Although the film is attracting families, the Los Angeles Times warns that it may be too intense for small children. But Wesley Morris comments in the Boston Globe: "Kids might blanch at some of the more upsetting images, but ultimately the movie will delight and uplift more families than it will scare."

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2 articles from 2005