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November 17, 2003
WINDY AND WATER-LOGGED
"Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World," which opened Friday, was way overrated by the critics. (Admittedly, some were underwhelmed, like Stephen Hunter.) Not being a devotee of Patrick O'Brian's seafaring novels, the basis for the movie, I'm in no position to judge whether they've been faithfully translated to the screen -- and couldn't care less -- though I can't imagine stunning "visuals" and a drum-beating score (the movie's strong suits) are the novels' main strengths.
In any case, what do you make of this MSNBC.com headline: "Crowe's new film dwarfed by 'Elf'"? When you read the story beneath it, you discover that "Elf" earned $27.2 million, while "Master and Commander" earned $25.7 million. Dwarfed, huh? I guess the headline writer couldn't resist playing with words in an attempt at cuteness. We used to talk about truth in advertising. How about accuracy in headlines?
Posted by at November 17, 2003 08:23 AM