2014 09 05 – The Identical

Another summer season is officially closed! Yet the slump in quality and box office numbers of movies continues, and from what I saw in previews it will continue for a whole September. Luckily, we'll get some summer hits on DVD/Bluray. Also, school starts.

This weekend we have one opening.

MONDAY: Official numbers!

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IN THE END THERE CAN BE ONLY ONE ELVIS' LOOK-A-LIKE

This movie, The Identical, is a drama PG movie, from Freestyle Releasing.

The basic drama of this movie is an eternal conflict between parents' expectations and an inner passion. It is a good drama, present and felt in every generation. Although, every generation responds the strongest to a different shade of this conflict. Sometimes it involves agroculture and computers. Sometimes it is country and city. Law and writing. Music and religion. The choice is based on cultural, sociological, technological trends. Sometimes it is easy to pinpoint, sometimes its presence is an amorphous one.

In today's society music and religion doesn't evoke strong emotions anymore. We've got Katy Perry, still active as an artist, so that's done for 20 years.

Having written that, it would still be an interesting movie, if only there was a single lead character. Putting a second "clone" character increases complexity, but decreases emotional engagement. If it was a case of the Prince and the Beggar, right from the start, it would be okay. We're getting two characters we cheer for. But as this movie was made -- and presented in the trailer -- the "clone" is not a full character. It is just a glimpse of ambition and potential. Same effect could be achieved by simple dream sequence.

I don't see this movie getting much money. There is too much clash between its entertainment proposition and audience's expectation.

Shots:

$ 5,9 mln  --  Laremy Legel, RopeOfSilicon
$ 5 mln  --  Ray Subers, BoxOfficeMojo
$ 4,63 mln  --  Mario Ludwinski, USBOPredictions2014  (1956 theaters, $ 2366 per theater)

$ 4 mln  --  C.S. Strowbridge, The-Numbers

$ 4 mln  --  Gitesh Pandya, BoxOfficeGuru
$ 4 mln  --  ThisIsNotMyName, BoxOfficePredictionsOnline
$ 2,4 mln  --  Box Office team
$ 2,3 mln  --  Mitch Metcalf, ShowBuzzDaily
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$ 1,59 mln  --  the official weekend number of the movie  (1956 theaters, $ 811 per theater)

Edward Douglas, of ComingSoon, Sensei White Lotus, of BreitBart, SaberToothDragon, of BoxOfficeFrontier, Andy Burns, of BiffBamPop, didn't post his shot for this movie.

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