Limited Releases - Rocket Man

April 21, 2006

It's a bit of a slow week for limited releases, with just six films on this list, including one opening only in Canada. Not only are they few in number, but none seems like it is obviously destined for mainstream success.

The Almost Guys - Reviews
Two repo men, Eric Fleming and Robert Culp, find a major league pitcher tied up in the trunk of a car they just repossessed... and the World Series starts in just three days. The film is an enjoyable indie film written and directed by its star, Eric Fleming, but it's not memorable enough to have much staying power. The Almost Guys opens tonight at the Laemmles Monica Fourplex in Santa Monica.

In Her Line of Fire - No Reviews
It's strange that two movies featuring the Secret Service are opening in the same week, but that's the case tonight with The Sentinel and In Her Line of Fire. Given the first film's reviews, I would almost assume that this one is the better of the two, at least when you take into account the vastly different budgets. (The Sentinel clocks in at $60 million while In Her Line of Fire cost just $1 million.) However, there have been no reviews, at least none that I could find. In Her Line of Fire opens tonight at the Pioneer Theatre in New York City, the Roxie Cinema in San Francisco, and the Palm D'Or in Palm Springs.

Mongolian Ping Pong - Reviews
Bilike lives in a remote part of Mongolia without electricity and running water. When he and his two friends see a ping pong ball float down the river, they wonder where it came from and begin to question the world around them. The cinematography is certainly one of the main reasons to see this film, while the charming story also helps. Mongolian Ping Pong opens tonight in two theatres including the ImageAsian in New York City.

The Rocket, a.k.a. Maurice Richard - No Reviews
A biopic about legendary hockey superstar, Maurice "The Rocket" Richard. This film already opened in Quebec and quickly became a fan favorite. It's making its English Canada debut tonight, which is the start of the Stanley Cup playoffs. This seems incredibly stupid, as its target audience is going to be watching playoff hockey, either live or on TV. No wonder Canada has such problems making homegrown hits. (On a side note, the best time to open a sports movie is either early in the season or during the trade deadline, as you will get the most publicity without as much competition.)

Somersault - Reviews
The best new release of the week, this Australian film won all 13 AFI awards back in 2004 and had two nominations in both Best Supporting Actor and Best Supporting Actress. That's the first time in the award's 50-year history that that has happened. In fact, no other film has won more than 8 awards. However, it only made about $1 million in its home country, and seems unlikely to make much more than that here. Somersault opens tonight in 5 theatres including the Sunshine Cinema in New York City and Laemmles Sunset 5 in Los Angeles.

Standing Still - Reviews
This is the limited release with the most well known cast and also the one getting the widest release. It is also earning the weakest reviews. I'd like to say I'm surprised about this, but I'm not. The film is about a drunken movie star who returns home and reunites with his High School classmates for a wedding. The film has a big cast, but this means you never get past a superficial understanding of any of the characters. Standing Still opens tonight in more than a dozen theatres, but it is unlikely to expand much further than that.

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Filed under: Limited Releases, Standing Still