SALT LAKE CITY, Dec. 9, 2016 (Gephardt Daily) — The two new films opening this week are “Miss Sloane” and “Office Christmas Party.”
“Miss Sloane” is debuting in just 1,598 theaters around the USA as an Oscar hopeful for its star, Jessica Chastain. The film, which has been facing NRA criticism for its anti-gun views, is predicted to earn about $2.0 million dollars this weekend.
“Office Christmas Party,” however is opening in 3,210 theaters and, according to Box Office Mojo, is predicted to take home $20 million dollars in tickets sales, knocking Disney’s “Moana” off the top spot.
Here is Box Office Mojo’s Weekend Forecast:
Office Christmas Party – $20 million
Moana – $18.9 million
Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them – $11.4 million
Arrival – $4.9 million
Allied – $4.4 million
Doctor Strange – $4.3 million
Trolls – $3.0 million
Manchester by the Sea – $2.4 million
Hacksaw Ridge – $2.3 million
Miss Sloane – $2.0 million
The Reviews:
Miss Sloane
Starring: Jessica Chastain & John Lithgow
Rated R
In the high-stakes world of political power brokers, Elizabeth Sloane is the most sought after and formidable lobbyist in D.C.
Known equally for her cunning and her track record of success, she has always done whatever is required to win. But when she takes on the most powerful opponent of her career, she finds that winning may come at too high a price.
Although well acted by Chastain, the film is really nothing more than a propaganda movie doing as much for the anti-gun argument as “Reefer Madness” did for the anti-marijuana debate.
Most of the film deals will statistics and numbers as Chastain’s Elizabeth Sloane comes under fire for lobbying against the NRA. In the end “Miss Sloane” is simply another agenda movie suffering from it’s own self importance.
It gets a D and is rated R.
Office Christmas Party
Starring: Jason Bateman, Jennifer Aniston and T.J. Miller
Rated R
In the new comedy, a CEO of a large corporation tries to close her hard-partying brother’s branch office. He and his chief technical officer rally their co-workers to host an epic office Christmas party in an effort to impress a potential client and close a sale that will save their jobs.
“Office Christmas Party” on the outset may seem like another party film, but it actually is pretty funny. The characters are all familiar, with Bateman playing the put upon everyman, Aniston as the no-nonsense humorless boss and T.J. Miller as her brother, a frat house escapee who all collide one night.
The film offers up some of the funniest sight gags I’ve seen in sometime with added laughs from SNL’s Kate McKinnon as the company’s HR manager.
All in all “Office Christmas Party” works. It gets a B and is rated R.
