The Weinstein Company will have a busy November this year. Recently it was announced that the “My Week with Marilyn” will be released wide later in the month to capitalize on Thanksgiving audiences, while festival sensation “The Artist” finally hits the marketplace in limited release around the same time.
“Marilyn” will certainly give the company plenty to work with in the Best Actress arena, as Michelle Williams’s performance as Marilyn Monroe has been high on the buzz meter since the film’s New York Film Festival debut. But it seems they want a little more muscle in the category, as plans have been announced to re-release “Sarah’s Key” on 300 screens tomorrow in advance of its November 22 DVD/Blu-ray release.
The film features a leading performance from Kristin Scott Thomas that has been lurking on the outside of our Contenders page for the field for a few weeks now. There has always been some rumblings within that she could make a play, but this move certainly seems to indicate an aggressive attempt to re-insinuate it in the conversation, no matter how tight the lead actress field may be.
“Audiences responded to ‘Sarah’s Key’ for its great story, its emotional impact, and its historical importance,” Weinstein president of distribution Erik Lomis said in the press release. “And the power of that word-of-mouth made it one of the most successful indie releases of the summer. We know there’s an even bigger audience for the movie, and that’s why we’re re-releasing it now, in a wider pattern, and just in time for awards consideration.”
I actually hadn’t taken note of the film’s admittedly impressive $7 million haul since its July 22 release. That is an accomplishment. Can the film register as an awards player? Maybe. It certainly has the trappings, and it certainly has its champions.
The release reminds us of that, quoting National Director of the Anti-Defamation League and a Holocaust survivor Abraham H. Foxman thusly: “‘Sarah’s Key’ is much more than a Holocaust film. It is an emotional tour-de-force, a compelling Holocaust drama writ large that examines the interconnected lives of a series of unforgettable characters through time.
“Along the way we witness the worst and the best of humanity. We see in the most graphic terms the horrible and tragic choices that Jews had to make facing the Nazi onslaught. There were no good choices and whatever one decided, the price to pay was momentous and long-lasting. ‘Sarah’s Key’ is a must see for that alone.”
Lord knows the Academy loves it some Holocaust dramas. But will they spark to this one? It’s an interesting season with a lot of question marks and a lot of holes waiting to be filled, so maybe it’s a shrewd move to strike.
“Sarah’s Key” hits theaters again tomorrow, November 4. It makes its way to DVD and Blu-ray Tuesday, November 22.