Close to 10 people saw the screening late Tuesday afternoon (Nov. 15) at the Deluxe NY and 2 people tweeted reactions. The small group was a mixture of bloggers and media types -- other attendees included the writer of Jezebel and possibly Anna Wintour. This was not a critics screening. Screenings are typically held everyday during this period which is a particularly busy one for critics so they would have had their own screening -- and all are honoring the embargo.
The feedback so far from all sources -- from Rich Cohen, Matt Mazur, Ken Adams, David Ehrenstien to the two who attended Tuesday's screening -- have been very positive. The picture that emerges is of a violent, moving, disturbing, and thought-provoking film. It isn't a rousing picture that will bring audiences to their feet and yet what is most telling is that all of the the aforementioned viewers are very passionate supporters of the film. That is something the current frontrunners in the Oscars race lack. The Descendants and The Artist have their ardent supporters but few exhibit the kind of passion and excitement that B&H's disparate group of early viewers have.
Critics will likely love B&H but its hard to predict if the brutality onscreen will be too much for the older, conservative Academy members. A young feminist blogger who attended one of the early screenings couldn't sit through it.
A poster at the Awards Daily forum wrote "This is probably going to pull a Letters From Iwo Jima. Most people won't be predicting it, but it'll show up on nomination morning. I think the film being in a foreign language is going to earn Jolie a lot of respect; she'll be seen as taking a huge risk." It's an astute call as they have a lot in common. Both deal with the war, both are in a foreign language, both have violent and disturbing scenes. Letters scored Oscar nods for Best Picture, Best Director and Best Original Screenplay and won for Best Sound Editing. It also won several Best Foreign Language film awards including one from the Golden Globes.
Blood and Honey is everything Letters is and more. More brutal and disturbing with a deeper, more political story that will likely provoke more impassioned debates and discussions -- exactly what Angelina was aiming for. But as far as the Academy is concerned, the most important difference may be that is it isn't by Clint Eastwood, who seems to get reverential treatment from both critics and Academy members. So despite their similarities, it's not possible to extrapolate that B&H will have similar awards success.
Angelina will undoubtedly emerge from this with newfound respect from the film industry for her talents as a filmmaker. The big question is whether that translates into awards recognition. The most hopeful sign is the passion that B&H has ignited among its viewers. The Academy's complex voting process rewards candidates who can stir passionate support among the voters to secure the all important #1 spot in their ballots. B&H looks like it may have the clear edge in that department.
julswu
Julia Wu
@julswu Brooklyn, NY
@julswu Brooklyn, NY
Digital Strategy at @BondInfluence. Book lover and all-around curious cat.
Angelina Jolie's 'In The Land of Blood and Honey' left my head spinning. She doesn't mess around. #LookOutOscars
BLOOD AND HONEY promises that the war in Bosnia will never be forgotten. #mustsee ow.ly/1fFxI9
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Very graphic and disturbing, but good. Brings awareness to the world outside of the U.S. where the grass isn't always green.
Attending an advanced screening for @FilmDistrict's 'In The Land Of Blood And Honey' tonight! Angelina Jolie's directional debut.. #movies
It was a small group of people, maybe 10.. everyone walked out pretty much silent.
At this point, it is almost a given that the Globes will nominate the film.
Angelina Jolie’s feature directorial debut 'In The Land Of Blood And Honey' to be released December 23 in NYC and L.A. #films
