Disappointing box office weekend: De Niro's "Alto Knights" flops
It was not a good weekend for movies in American theaters. Not only did Disney's high-budget production "Snow White" face a setback, but Robert De Niro's opus magnum, the gangster drama "The Alto Knights," also struggled.
We've already discussed Disney's movie lately. Just to recap, "Snow White" cost over 250 million dollars, but during its premiere weekend, it earned only 43 million dollars in the U.S., marking the worst result for a live-action adaptation of a Disney animated film in history. The second major premiere of the week was Robert De Niro's "The Alto Knights." Both titles are already being shown in Polish theaters, so you can form your own opinion about them.
Both premieres encountered similar fates, albeit on slightly different scales. The productions received poor reviews from critics but somewhat better reception from audiences, though far from enthusiastic. In the case of "The Alto Knights," the situation is more complex and intriguing because many people highly praise the role of cinema legend Robert De Niro, even amidst critical reviews: "A mindless script and poor editing make this failed drama seem like a parody of great De Niro movies."
In "The Alto Knights," Robert De Niro takes on the dual roles of real-life gangsters Frank Costello and Vito Genovese. The story centers on two mafia bosses competing for influence in New York. Once best friends, they became each other's greatest enemies due to jealousy and betrayal.
The director of "The Alto Knights" is Barry Levinson, an Oscar winner for "Rain Man" and the creator of the remarkable drama "Bugsy." Meanwhile, the screenplay is by Nicholas Pileggi, author of "Goodfellas," "Casino," and "City Hall." With credentials like these, expectations were understandably high for a gangster film. Yet, "It's shocking how they could mess up such a story," write the disappointed critics, although not all share this sentiment. Some highly praise the movie.
"Hats off to De Niro. A great role, great roles. It is undoubtedly his opus magnum. (…) The sincerity of De Niro makes the film watchable with attention. Even after weaker parts, it pulls you back in. Levinson managed to find warmth and humor in a story dominated by a sense of futility and the bitter awareness of the passage of time," wrote Justin Chang from "The New Yorker."
In American theaters, interest in the film with Robert De Niro remains very low. During the opening weekend, the film earned only 3.2 million dollars, placing sixth on the box office list. With a production cost of 45 million dollars, the losses could be significant.
