Dreaming of Limited Releases
May 21, 2010
We are a few weeks into summer and we are still waiting for the first film to break out from limited release. We have five films on this week's list, but only one of them, Solitary Man, has a real chance at going wide.
After the Cup: Sons of Sakhnin United - Reviews
Holly Rollers - Reviews
Perrier's Bounty - Reviews
Cillian Murphy stars as Michael McCray, who is in the hole to a Irish gangster, Darren Perrier, to the tune of 1000 pounds. Every time he's late with a payment, one of his limbs will be broken. When Darren Perrier sends a thug to inflict the first round of punishment, Michael kills him. Now he has to go on the run, with his father and the woman he's in love with. I have very little hope for this film's box office chance, despite its cast. First of all, its reviews are merely mixed. Secondly, it opened on Video on Demand on Wednesday, so a lot of people who are interested in seeing it may have already done so. Perrier's Bounty opens tonight at the IFC Center in New York City.
Racing Dreams - Reviews
Solitary Man - Reviews
A documentary about the Israeli soccer team that represented the nation in the UEFA Cup. The twist is, it is was the first Israeli club from a predominately Arab city to do so. Some thought the team's success on the international stage could help heal the wounds in the Middle East conflict, but this isn't Invictus and nothing is that simple in the Middle East. After the Cup opens tonight in the Cinema Village in New York City.
A drama based on the real-life story of orthodox Hasidic Jews being used as drug mules to smuggle ecstasy into the country. It's an interesting clash of cultures premise, but the reviews are only average, not nearly strong enough for a limited release. Holly Rollers opens tonight in three theaters, two in New York City and the other in Los Angeles.
A documentary about what is sometimes referred to as NASCAR's Little League. Obviously, the appeal of this movie will depend greatly on your appreciation of NASCAR. However, with a perfect Tomatometer score so far, even those who are only mildly interested in the sport will want check out the film. On the other hand, Racing Dreams is opening in more than 30 theaters, which might be too much, even though the studio is concentrating the release in NASCAR country.
Michael Douglas stars as Ben Kalmen, a car dealer whose life takes a turn for the worse after his business and personal misdoings start to catch up with him. This movie has an impressive cast that includes Susan Sarandon, Danny De Vito, Jenna Fischer, and Jesse Eisenberg. It is also earning some of the best reviews for any release this week. That said, it is never easy for a limited release to thrive, but hopefully this one will be an exception. Solitary Man opened tonight in four theaters, three in New York City and the other in Hollywood.
Filed under: Limited Releases, Perrier’s Bounty, Solitary Man, Holy Rollers