How were the houses when you saw ALLIED?

I went to the avant-premiére on Tuesday in Paris and it was almost full at 7.30pm - they were only showing it then and at 10pm so not sure if that one was completely full. I'm going again tomorrow at 5pm so my guess is it won't be full either given the time and day but I'm actually kind of hoping to not catch it with a crowd. I did find a site that said it was the most seen film in France yesterday so I think that means it had a good first day. The reviews are so mixed though that I'm not sure how it will hold up.

Checking through Rotten Tomatoes, I do read all of Cotillard's reviews, but only really pay attention to the "Top Critics." Too many of the entries are bloggers who have deemed themselves film critics because they've seen a lot of movies. They usually influence no one except those of us who want to see the full reaction coming at the actors and directors of major films. The "Top Critics" represent people being paid to review film by the major print media -- newspapers and magazines. They can get people to give a film a try; the bloggers do not have any real power -- Cotillard and Pitt and Zemeckis own that.

As the auditorium had very little heat, not too many people saw this film at my theatre on Thanksgiving day. We were comped for a subsequent showing which is good as I would like to see it again. All things considered, I thought it was a good film.

I feel like taking any critics (top or no) seriously, is a silly thing to do anyway. Being paid to review a film does not make one an expert, and it does not make a review any more than a personal opinion. I do realise people look at reviews to decide on whether to see a film or not, but looking at Rotten Tomatoes and even spending five minutes on researching my all time favourite films makes me realise that what critics loved I didn't necessarily like that much, and that some of the films I've watched countless times and love dearly are among some of the most "rotten" in the critics eye. In the end it's about whether YOU felt something or not. Personally, I feel that what did Allied a great disservice was the putting together of the trailer - it sold the film as a genre it isn't, and the disappointment is what seems to be leading many to give it a poor review.

Well done analysis.

The multiplex where I saw ALLIED in Houston moved from only three shows a day to nine now. So they must be getting some people in. I'll see it again on Monday and will report any news or changes. Thanks for any input. By the way, this is not our usual arthouse location. Regal has 24 theaters there.