03/10/2008

Launched by its producer Haut et court on 368 screens, Laurent Cantet’s Palme d’Or winner, The Class [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Carole Scotta
interview: Laurent Cantet
film profile] (see Focus), has claimed top spot at the box office after its first week on release. The title thus relegates Christophe Barratier’s Paris 36 [+see also:
trailer
film profile] to second place, even though the latter was released by Pathé on a far more generous print run of 594.

Unanimously praised by critics, Cantet’s film has become a topic for discussion seized upon by the media, thus leading to lively debates among teachers. The feature – which will represent France in the nomination race for the 2009 Best Foreign Language Film Oscar – has garnered 447,015 admissions in seven days with a high per-screen average of 1,215. Meanwhile, Paris 36 has attracted 438,976 viewers, with a per-screen average of 739.

Next in the weekly top three is another French film: Agnès Jaoui’s Let It Rain [+see also:
trailer
film profile], which amassed 232,874 admissions in its second week (StudioCanal Distribution - 466 screens), for a total 647,170 admissions so far.

This French trio is followed by seven US titles in the weekly rankings. However, another domestic feature – The First Day of the Rest of Your Life [+see also:
trailer
film profile] (see news) – is enjoying immense success and is a fine example of the impact of word-of-mouth publicity. Rémi Bezançon’s film has seen only a 23% drop in admissions in its 10th week on release and has so far attracted 1.09m viewers (StudioCanal - 293 screens).

Another success this summer has been Italian director Matteo Garrone’s Cannes prize-winner, Gomorrah [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Domenico Procacci
interview: Jean Labadie
interview: Matteo Garrone
film profile] (see Focus). The film has seen only a 28% decline in its seventh week and has so far amassed 473,000 admissions (Le Pacte - 162 screens).

Other European titles making a splash include UK directorMike Leigh’s Happy-Go-Lucky [+see also:
trailer
film profile], which has garnered 339,000 admissions in five weeks (MK2 Diffusion - 173 screens); Lorna’s Silence [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Arta Dobroshi
interview: Arta Dobroshi
interview: Jean-Pierre et Luc Dardenne
interview: Olivier Bronckart
film profile] (see Focus) by Belgium’s Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne (Diaphana Distribution - 177 screens), which has drawn 283,000 viewers within the same period; and Rumba [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Charles Gillibert
interview: Dominique Abel and Fiona Go…
film profile] (see Focus), which is performing well. The feature by Dominique Abel, Fiona Gordon and Bruno Romy has seen only a 20% decline in its third week on release and has amassed a total of 77,000 admissions. Its print run was increased from 51 to 63 by MK2 Diffusion.

Finally, Icelandic director Baltasar Kormákur’s Jar City [+see also:
trailer
film profile] has benefited from its enthusiastic critical reception and attracted 55,000 viewers in three weeks (Memento - 47 screens). Meanwhile, French director Pierre Schoeller’s Versailles [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Geraldine Michelot
interview: Pierre Schoeller
film profile] (see Focus) is enjoying lasting success with over 100,000 admissions in seven weeks (Les Films du Losange - 96 screens).

(Translated from French)