all the kids have left their tears and gone home...

I was pleased to learn today that Fox Searchlight plans to release Bertolucci's The Dreamers as an NC-17 film. The NC-17 rating is considered certain commercial death, as most theatres will not screen such films, and no persons under the age of 17 are allowed to view. The corollary, of course, is that the integrity of the film is preserved.

I was fortunate enough to see the trailer for The Dreamers on the big screen this weekend as I sat patiently for Patty Jenkins' Monster to begin. I was immediately struck by the freshness of the story, its utterly intriguing, pivotal (and highly controversial) twist, and the fact that it was directed by Bertolucci (of Last Tango in Paris fame). The Dreamers is probably one of the most anticipated movies of the first quarter of 2004, along with Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ, Michel Gondry's Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Lars von Trier's Dogville, and the Coen Brothers' The Ladykillers.