The Brass Teapot

Last updated

The Brass Teapot
The Brass Teapot Official Poster.jpeg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Ramaa Mosley
Written byTim Macy
Starring Juno Temple
Michael Angarano
Alexis Bledel
Alia Shawkat
Bobby Moynihan
CinematographyPiotr Simonitski
Edited byRyan Folsey
Music by Andrew Hewitt
Distributed by Magnolia Pictures
Release dates
  • September 8, 2012 (2012-09-08)(Toronto International Film Festival)
  • April 5, 2013 (2013-04-05)(United States)
Running time
101 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Box office$413,733 [1]

The Brass Teapot is a 2012 American fantasy film directed by Ramaa Mosley. [2] The movie's script was written by Tim Macy, who also wrote the short story on which the movie is based. [3] The movie premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 8, 2012, and was released into theaters and video on demand on April 5, 2013. [4]

Contents

Synopsis

John and Alice are a down-on-their-luck couple who come across a magical brass teapot capable of providing them with money. The only catch is that they must experience pain in order for the teapot to provide. They must then decide what they are willing to do (and what they are willing to suffer through) in order to gain financial security.

Cast

Reception

The Brass Teapot garnered negative reviews from critics. It holds a 31% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, based on 32 reviews, with an average rating of 4.7/10. [5] The Film.com review said: "Despite the sometimes patchy moments The Brass Teapot by and large squeaks by as an enjoyable entertainment." The Playlist commented that: "With the help of a talented cast, The Brass Teapot is able to coast on charm."

Hitflix writes: "It is apparent that Ramaa Mosley has a voice, and that The Brass Teapot is a focused, controlled piece of storytelling that displays real control". The Wall Street Journal said: "Alice and John are good company — especially Alice, thanks to Ms. Temple's buoyant humor and lovely poignancy. The problem comes when the couple gets greedy, the gods grow angry and the tone turns dark. It doesn't stay dark, but getting back to the brightness is a painful process."

Nicolas Rapold of The New York Times criticized the film, saying that while the two lead characters were interesting, the "movie's best bits lose out to the requisite moral turnaround". [6] Rob Hunter of Film School Rejects commented that the darker points of the film's story line were "ill fitting" in contrast with the predominantly "comically light and slapsticky" tone of the overall movie. [7] In contrast, Peter Debruge of Variety gave a more positive review for the film, saying that Mosely "makes her low-budget enterprise look as slick as most midrange studio comedies, demonstrating herself a director with both imagination and technical ingenuity." [8]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Julianne Moore</span> American actress (born 1960)

Julie Anne Smith, known professionally as Julianne Moore, is an American actress. Prolific in film since the early 1990s, she is particularly known for her portrayals of emotionally troubled women in independent films, as well as for her roles in blockbusters. She is the recipient of numerous accolades, including an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award, two Golden Globe Awards, and two Emmy Awards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rotten Tomatoes</span> American review aggregator for film and television

Rotten Tomatoes is an American review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee, and Stephen Wang. Although the name "Rotten Tomatoes" connects to the practice of audiences throwing rotten tomatoes in disapproval of a poor stage performance, the direct inspiration for the name from Duong, Lee, and Wang came from an equivalent scene in the 1992 Canadian film Léolo.

Andrew Hewitt is an English composer based in Los Angeles.

<i>The Descent</i> 2005 film directed by Neil Marshall

The Descent is a 2005 British horror film written and directed by Neil Marshall. The film follows six women who enter a cave system and struggle to survive against the humanoid creatures inside.

<i>The Iceman Cometh</i> (1973 film) 1973 film by John Frankenheimer

The Iceman Cometh is a 1973 American drama film directed by John Frankenheimer. The screenplay, written by Thomas Quinn Curtiss, is based on Eugene O'Neill's 1946 play of the same name. The film was produced by Ely Landau for the American Film Theatre, which from 1973 to 1975 presented thirteen film adaptations of noted plays.

<i>Remember the Daze</i> 2007 American film

Remember the Daze, originally titled The Beautiful Ordinary, is a 2007 drama film released in theaters in April 2008. The film was directed by Jess Manafort. The plot of the movie has been described as "a glimpse into the teenage wasteland of suburbia 1999 that takes place over 24-hours, and the teenagers who make their way through the last day of high school in the last year of the past millennium."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Batman in film</span> Film adaptations of the DC superhero

The Batman franchise, based on the fictional superhero Batman who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics, has seen the release of various films. Created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger, the character first starred in two serial films in the 1940s: Batman and Batman and Robin. The character also appeared in the 1966 film Batman, which was a feature film adaptation of the 1960s Batman TV series starring Adam West and Burt Ward, who also starred in the film. Toward the end of the 1980s, the Warner Bros. studio began producing a series of feature films starring Batman, beginning with the 1989 film Batman, directed by Tim Burton and starring Michael Keaton. Burton and Keaton returned for the 1992 sequel Batman Returns, and in 1995, Joel Schumacher directed Batman Forever with Val Kilmer as Batman. Schumacher also directed the 1997 sequel Batman & Robin, which starred George Clooney. Batman & Robin was poorly received by both critics and fans, leading to the cancellation of Batman Unchained.

<i>Luther</i> (TV series) British crime drama television series

Luther is a British psychological crime thriller television series starring Idris Elba as DCI John Luther and Ruth Wilson as Alice Morgan, written by Neil Cross. The detective Luther must make cases against criminals while the murderer Morgan has a complicated relationship with him. The first series is composed of six episodes which ran in May and June 2010. A second series of four episodes aired on BBC One in June and July 2011, and a third was commissioned in 2012 composed of four episodes which aired in July 2013. A two-episode fourth series was broadcast in December 2015, and a fifth series of four episodes premiered on 1 January 2019. BBC Studios handled distribution for the TV series.

<i>Horns</i> (film) 2013 film by Alexandre Aja

Horns is a 2013 dark fantasy mystery comedy horror film directed by Alexandre Aja from a screenplay written by Keith Bunin, based on the 2010 novel by Joe Hill. It stars Daniel Radcliffe as a young man falsely accused of murdering his girlfriend, who uses his newly discovered paranormal abilities to uncover the real killer.

<i>This Is Martin Bonner</i> 2013 American film

This Is Martin Bonner is a 2013 American drama film written and directed by Chad Hartigan. The film stars Paul Eenhoorn as Martin Bonner, a man in his late 50s forced to relocate to Reno, Nevada, for a new job and his attempts to acclimate and make new friends. Through his work at a non-profit organization, he meets Travis Holloway, and the two men form an unlikely friendship. It premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2013, where it won the Audience Award for Best of NEXT.

<i>Glass Chin</i> 2014 American film

Glass Chin is a 2014 American crime drama film written and directed by Noah Buschel, starring Corey Stoll, Billy Crudup, John Moyes, Marin Ireland, Yul Vazquez and Kelly Lynch. It premiered at the 2014 Tribeca Film Festival.

<i>Fargo</i> (TV series) American crime drama television series

Fargo is an American black comedy crime drama television series created and primarily written by Noah Hawley. The show is inspired by the 1996 film of the same name, which was written and directed by the Coen brothers, and takes place within the same fictional universe. The Coens were impressed by Hawley's script and agreed to be named as executive producers. The series premiered on April 15, 2014, on FX, and follows an anthology format, with each season set in a different era and location, with a different story and mostly new characters and cast, although there is minor overlap. Each season is heavily influenced by various Coen brothers films, with each containing numerous references to them.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ramaa Mosley</span> American film director

Ramaa Devi Mosley is an American filmmaker, director, and writer based in Los Angeles. She began directing commercials, music videos, and documentaries at 16-years-old. She is also an activist, known for raising national and international awareness about the importance of education of girls globally and supporting the victims of the Chibok schoolgirl kidnapping in Nigeria by using social media to raise global awareness.

<i>Samba</i> (2014 film) 2014 film

Samba is a 2014 French comedy-drama film co-written and directed by Éric Toledano and Olivier Nakache. It is their second collaboration with actor Omar Sy following The Intouchables (2012).

<i>A Lego Brickumentary</i> 2014 film

A Lego Brickumentary is a 2014 Danish-American documentary film co-directed by Kief Davidson and Daniel Junge, focused on the Danish construction toy Lego. The film was released on July 31, 2014. The film received mixed reviews from critics, who praised its appeal but criticized the promotional tone of the film. It grossed over $100,000 against a production budget of $1 million, although it fared better in home media sales.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">DC Animated Movie Universe</span> American media franchise

The DC Animated Movie Universe (DCAMU) is an American media franchise and shared universe centered on a series of superhero films, produced by Warner Bros. Animation and DC Entertainment and distributed by Warner Home Video. The films are part of the DC Universe Animated Original Movies line, based on the comic books published by DC Comics, and feature plot elements inspired by The New 52 continuity. The continuity, established by crossing over common plot elements, settings, cast, and characters, was introduced in Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox, which was released in 2013. Sequels to The Flashpoint Paradox, Son of Batman, and Justice League Dark co-exist within this continuity. The franchise has received positive reviews for its themes and creative direction, and has obtained high sales. As of 2020, sixteen films have been distributed. Justice League Dark: Apokolips War marks the final film of this specific line. The DC Showcase short Constantine: The House of Mystery was released in May 2022 and is a narrative sequel to Justice League Dark: Apokolips War.

The Wheel is a 2021 American romantic drama film directed by Steve Pink, starring Amber Midthunder, Taylor Gray, Bethany Anne Lind, and Nelson Lee.

References

  1. All Time Worldwide Box Office
  2. Rothman, Lily (April 5, 2013). "Q&A: The Brass Teapot's Juno Temple Talks Indie Movies and Black Magic". Time . Archived from the original on June 18, 2021. Retrieved April 29, 2013.
  3. Olsen, Mark (September 14, 2012). "Magnolia Pictures turns up heat on 'The Brass Teapot'" . Los Angeles Times . Archived from the original on June 13, 2021. Retrieved July 3, 2022.
  4. Matheson, Whitney (April 22, 2013). "Now on demand: 'The Brass Teapot'". USA Today . Archived from the original on June 21, 2021. Retrieved April 29, 2013.
  5. "The Brass Teapot (2013)". Rotten Tomatoes . Fandango Media. Archived from the original on February 3, 2022. Retrieved July 3, 2022.
  6. Rapold, Nicolas (April 5, 2013). "Be Careful What You Wish For" . The New York Times . Archived from the original on May 13, 2019. Retrieved July 3, 2022.
  7. Hunter, Rob (April 5, 2013). "Review: 'The Brass Teapot' Occasionally Shines But Needs Another Polish". Film School Rejects . Archived from the original on July 3, 2022. Retrieved July 3, 2022.
  8. Debruge, Peter (April 2, 2013). "Film Review: 'The Brass Teapot'". Variety . Archived from the original on February 14, 2022. Retrieved April 29, 2013.