The Brass Teapot

The Brass Teapot
Theatrical release poster
Directed byRamaa Mosley
Written byTim Macy
StarringJuno Temple
Michael Angarano
Alexis Bledel
Alia Shawkat
Bobby Moynihan
CinematographyPiotr Simonitski
Edited byRyan Folsey
Music byAndrew Hewitt
Distributed byMagnolia 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 comedy 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]

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."

HitFix 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]

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.