Columbus (2017 film)
| Columbus | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Kogonada |
| Produced by |
|
| Written by | Kogonada |
| Starring | |
| Music by | Hammock |
| Cinematography | Elisha Christian |
| Edited by | Kogonada |
Production company |
|
| Distributed by | Sundance Institute |
Release date |
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Running time | 104 minutes[1] |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Box office | $28,800[2] |
Columbus is a 2017 American drama film written and directed by Kogonada. The film stars John Cho, Haley Lu Richardson, Parker Posey, Rory Culkin, Michelle Forbes and Jim Dougherty. The film premiered at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival and was released in the United States on August 4, 2017, by the Sundance Institute.
Plot summary
A Korean-born, American-raised man finds himself stuck in Columbus, Indiana, where his architect father is in a coma. The man meets a young woman who wants to stay in Columbus with her mother, a recovering addict, instead of pursuing her own dreams. Together, the two explore the various architectural buildings in Columbus, all the while discovering in each other what they hope to be.
Cast
- John Cho as Jin, an American who lives and works in Korea translating literature.
- Haley Lu Richardson as Casey, a young woman caring for her mother all the while dreaming of a future as an architect.
- Parker Posey as Jin's father’s colleague whom Jin harbored a crush on in his youth.
- Rory Culkin as Gabriel, a Doctoral student and coworker friend of Casey's.
- Michelle Forbes as Casey's working-class mother, who is a recovering drug addict
- Jim Dougherty as Aaron
- Erin Allegretti as Emma
- Rosalyn R. Ross as Christine
- Lindsey Shope as Sarah
- Shani Salyers Stiles as Vanessa
Production
The film was shot on location in Columbus, Indiana over 18 days[3] in the month of August 2016.[4]
Release
The film premiered at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival on January 22, 2017.[1][5] The film was released on August 4, 2017, by the Sundance Institute.[6]
Critical response
On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes the film has an approval rating of 98% based on 40 reviews, with an average rating of 8.5/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "Wonderfully acted and artfully composed, Columbus balances the clean lines of architecture against the messiness of love, with tenderly moving results."[7] On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 91 out of 100, based on 19 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".[8]
Haley Lu Richardson received praise for her performance in the film with Brian Formo of Collider writing "Richardson puts the story on her shoulders and elevates the film into a beguiling, thin air. She lends the beautiful but empty buildings a beating heart"[9] while Oliver Jones of The New York Observor commended Richardson's "naturalism".[10] John Cho received individual praise as well, with Chris Nashawaty of Entertainment Weekly writing that "Cho gives Jin a real warmth and empathy".[11] Other critics, such as Geoff Berkshire of Variety, directed praise toward the leading pair of Cho and Richardson together with Berkshire writing that "At the center of it all, amid the buildings, are Cho and Richardson. One veteran demonstrating his untapped ability as a captivatingly sincere leading man, and one relative newcomer proving her ability of holding the screen with maximum soulfulness in a minimalist drama. Together they form an unexpected, but perfectly constructed, pair."[5]
Peter Travers of The Rolling Stones opened his glowing review saying "How do you make a ravishing romance about architecture? You'll find the answer with Kogonada, the video essayist and critic whose debut feature, Columbus, is a spellbinder." Wrapping up his review, Travers concluded that "Columbus is a whisper-soft debut from Kogonada that nonetheless results in something unique and unforgettable. It's pure cinema." [12]
Box office
Columbus had a solid opening weekend gross of $28,800 from two theaters, one located in New York City and the other located in Los Angeles, averaging $14,400 per theater.[13]
References
- 1 2 Boyd van Hoeij (2017-01-27). "'Columbus' Review". Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2017-06-17.
- ↑ "Columbus (2017)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved August 6, 2017.
- ↑ Brian Brooks (2017-08-04). "Sundance Hits ‘Step’ & Taylor Sheridan’s ‘Wind River’ Blow Into Theaters – Specialty B.O. Preview". Deadline. Retrieved 2017-08-04.
- ↑ Dave McNary (2016-08-19). "John Cho, Parker Posey Starring in Drama ‘Columbus’". Variety. Retrieved 2017-08-04.
- 1 2 Geoff Berkshire (2017-01-29). "‘Columbus’ Film Review: John Cho’s Indie Romance". Variety. Retrieved 2017-06-17.
- ↑ Blair, Brian (2017-05-04). "Sundance to help distribute ‘Columbus’ movie". Therepublic.com. Retrieved 2017-06-17.
- ↑ "Columbus (2017)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved August 6, 2017.
- ↑ "Columbus reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved August 4, 2017.
- ↑ "‘Columbus’ Review: Haley Lu Richardson Lends Immense Heart to Architecture Porn | BAMFest". Collider. Retrieved June 28, 2017.
- ↑ http://observer.com/2017/08/columbus-movie-review-kogonada-indiana-modernist-architecture/
- ↑ http://ew.com/movies/2017/08/04/columbus-ew-review/
- ↑ http://www.rollingstone.com/movies/reviews/peter-travers-columbus-is-a-modern-day-before-sunrise-w495458
- ↑ http://deadline.com/2017/08/taylor-sheridan-wind-river-step-specialty-box-office-1202143488/