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Show Hero' tops slow Labor iiema Day box office Jet Li's Chinese martial-art- s epic "Hero" relegated four new movies to the nether regions of the box office in what ended up as one of the most feeble Labor Day weekends in memory. "Hero" ranked No. 1 by cok tecting an estimated $115 million over the four-daholiday, which is traditionally a slowv' time at movie theaters as many people try to enjoy their last big summer weekend outdoors. But this one was particularly low. "Talk about ending the summer with a whimper," said Paul Dergarabedian, president of tracker Exhibitor Relations Co. "This is the lowest-grossiNo. 1 film of the year, and one of the lowest grossing Labor Day weekends that I've ever seen." It's the competition that proved to be lacking. Four new movies debuted in theaters this week: the Josh Hartnett romantic thriDer d "Wicker Park"; the Mel "Paparazzi" about overzealous celebrity photographers; Reese Witherspoon's take on the 19th century class- . .warfare novel "Vanity Fair"; and the comedy "The y Si box-offi- v H Gibson-produce- hip-ho- p Cookout." , All had lackluster showings. SUZANNE HANOVERWamer John C Reify, left Diego Luna, Independent Pictures center, and Maggie Gyflenhaal star in "CriminaL" The Associated Press The con is oil Compiled by Exhibitor Relations Co. and Nielsen HX Jnc for last John C Reilly steals show with a rare lead performance David Germain THE ASSOCIATED PRESS "f . . "l ven when he's repel-- I i V tent, John G Reilly manages to endear. Vj,V A ubiquitous sup-- porting and ensemble player in such films as "The Hours; "Gaagaf .Nw York," I "MagiKlkaiKi'3iicagp?...,,T (which earned him an Acade my Award nomination), ReiDy steps into the lead with "Criminal" a solid, engaging take on e . the genre. A remake of the 2000 Ar- 0mtmian flick "Nine fhlMWlSL". "Criminal" spins the tale of a veteran con man woo latces on 3.a new protege. -shell-gam- - First-tim- e writer-direct- Gregory Jacobs makes a skill- ful and assured debut, 'deliver-m- e a tautlittle thriDer that dips along effortlessly while packing in a great deal of ac- - ' , given he spent the past decade as an apprentice to Steven Soderbergh, a producer on "GiminaT along with filn -making partner George , , Oooney. v An assistant director on ,.. Soderbergh's movies, Jacobs .... had been encouraged by his boss to find a project to direct ' on his own Soderbergh and .. Oooney steered him toward . adapting "Nme Queens" into , . : 'Criminal. The story unfolds in a single day in Los Angeles as cynical, heartless con man Richard ' Gaddis (Reilly) takes on new partner Rodrigo (Diego Luna of "YTu Mania Tarnbten"),- whom he finds working grifts in a bar. A raw recruit, Rodrigo nevertheless ; has an attribute that Gaddis finds valuable in pulling swin-- ' ' : -- - , " , "You have one thing money ' "and practice cant buy," Gaddis. tionandtackstoryv tells Rodrigo. "You look like a Jacobs ability to load up on i nice guy." the drama is small surprise s' , -- , Gaddis is definitely not a -' nice guy. Through the course of their rambfings, it's re--' vealed that Gaddis bilked his Criminal sister Valerie (Maggie Gyllen-batDirector Gregory Jacobs and younger brother (Jonathan Tucker) out of their John Cast C Reilly, Diego Luna, rightful inheritance. Maggie Gyllenhaal, Peter Mullan -. , The bitterness between Vaterie and Gaddis is so sharp she Running tone 1 hr, 27 min. has a lawsuit pending over the Rating: R for language money, and she becomes irate Location: Opens Friday in select when her brother turns up at cities ,, the hotel where she works to check out a possible scam. - Gaddis has stumbled onto a "Criminal" is packed with the obligatory surprises and forgery of a rare piece of 19th questions about who's conning century American currency, which he's hoping to peddle to ' whom. The plot twists are not a higlifolling hotel guest $ek , terrfljly hard to figure out, but ter MuDan) who must leave the they prove satisfying enough even n you see them coming. country so quickly he cannot Jacobs is blessed with wait around for proper tests to earnest players inhabiting the determine the bill's authentic!--- ? 3i '. rotes as though the movie " U : ty. score of were their own big con. a lifetime, It's the " but one obstacle after another Reilly is so much fun to . he here's whittles away Gaddis' profit watch, gets hoping opportunimargin while fueling his desire more leading-maties. ':,.':...;.:::. to pull off the con at an costs. u) pen-ny-a- ' 1. "Hera," Miramax, $11,514,779, 2,092 locations, $5,504 average, $35,237,282, two weeks. . Q3) -- dies." "For Tiero' to take on an the newcomers and stfll be No. lis impressive," Dergarabedian said. n 2. "Wthouta Paddfc' Paramount, $9,014,918, 2,756 locations, $3,271 average, $39,854,910, three weeks. 3. Anacondas: the Hunt For the Blood OrchW," Screen Gems, $8,008,188, 2,905 locations, $2,757 average, $23,860,466, two weeks. 4 'Paparaai, Fox, $7355,111, 2,115 locations, $3,714 average, $7,855,111, ' one week. : 5. The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement Disney, $7,537,330, 3,139 locations, $2,401 average, $85,500,804, four weeks. 6. "Wicker Park," MGM, $6,819,393, 2,598 locations, $2,625 average, $6,819393, one week. 7. 'Collateral, DreamWorks, $6,480,801, 2,348 locations, $2,760 average, $88,897,193, five weeks. . 8. "Vary Fair," Focus Features, $6,268,925, 1,051 locations, $5,965 '' ' average, $7,406,660, one week. 9. "The Cookout' lions Gate, $6,219,794, 1,303 locations, $4,773 ,$6,219,794, one week. . 10. haJourne Supremacy," Universal, $5.314,115, 1317 locations, $3,095 average, $1 64,2SUli.seven weeks. 4 |