Entertainment reporter Sandro Monetti’s business take on this weekend’s new movie releases.

BY THE SEA – Brad Pitt plays an American novelist in a career slump who goes to stay in a beautiful European resort, hoping the glorious views of the Mediterranean will inspire him to write a great book. But he barely writes a word as he keeps being distracted by his bored and depressed wife’s attempts to break up the marriage of the couple in the next hotel room by seducing the husband. His real life spouse, Angelina Jolie Pitt, plays the wife with the wandering eye and also wrote and directed this Universal release, The film is far more languid and artistic than the couple’s previous on screen collaboration, 2005 action blockbuster “Mr. and Mrs. Smith.” Will that prove a box office challenge?

THE 33 – You probably remember the story: A mine caves in, trapping 33 miners deep underground with little hope of survival. The mining company is slow to act, forcing government to take charge of rescue efforts. Antonio Banderas stars in this dramatization of the Chilean mining disaster of five years ago where the men somehow survived for 69 days before being pulled to safety. The challenge of this Warner Bros. movie is to keep the suspense going when any audience member with a passing knowledge of the news will know how the story ends. Still, “Titanic” was a huge hit despite everyone knowing that the boat sinks.

LOVE THE COOPERS – When a single father of three loses his job and can’t find new work, he keeps his jobless status secret from his family. That includes his sister, a failed playwright who has her own problems. As if things aren’t bad enough for the sad siblings, played by Ed Helms and Olivia Wilde, they have to spend Christmas with their overbearing parents. Narrating the movie is the family dog – yes, seriously – voiced by Steve Martin. The problem for this CBS Films festive release, billed as a comedy drama, is how to serve up holiday cheer for the audience when the characters are so full of sorrow.