"Find Me Guilty" tenacity
Find Me Guilty producer-co-screenwriter T.J Mancini is doggedly sticking with attempts to explain to anyone who'll listen that the Yari Film Releasing Group (i.e., Bob Yari's outfit) screwed up badly on the distribution and marketing of this esteemed moral fable/courtrom drama, which is one of Sidney Lumet's very best films and easily one of the best of '06.
It's old news and water under the bridge, but Mancini sent me a Find Me Guilty road-to-implosion timeline this morning, with commentary. He points out that Find Me Guilty was the first major film released by the new Yari Film Releasing Group (YFRG), and that
YFRG hired outside consultants to execute all marketing and distribution strategy ad basically "did what it wanted to do" -- i.e., wore blinders, didn't listen to anyone.
Mancini says that in the fall 2005, One Race Films (the producers) "asked YFRG to have the poster/one-sheet and trailer into theatres by Holiday/Xmas 2005...which didn’t happen until mid-February 2006. Around the same time One Race Films asked YFRG to have multiple-market screenings as word-of-mouth would [most likely] drive the film -- but YFRG had only one screening per market."
He says that because YFRG "did not have anyone specifically working for it (aside from Isabel White, vp publicity), all decisions were made by people who had other jobs -- which slowed down the decision-making process. And he says that "as FMG was the YFRG’s first release and all execution was being done by outside consultants, Yari and all of his executives were unaware of the timeliness of all marketing strategy decisions and how those decisions impacted awareness, interest and first choice for opening weekend."
He concludes that "the three Iimportant line items above would have made a difference to the entire campaign for Find Me Guilty and ultimately its opening weekend andoverall box office. These things were stressed to YFRG numerous times over numerous months by myself and the entire One Race Films group." Alas, to little avail.
Perhaps, at the very least, this will inspired some to at least buy or rent the DVD and catch this very fine film.
Posted by Jeffrey Wells on January 17, 2007 at 10:47 AM
comment #1
BNick
says ...
I totally agree that this film was unfairly treated. It was funny, irreverant, and heartwarming. You won't believe that Vin Diesel can pull off "aging Italian mobster" but he does it well.
Plus from what I understand nearly all the dialogue came from courtroom transcripts, so even the most unbelievable scenes (and there are quite a few) actually happened.
Posted by BNick
at January 17, 2007 11:36 AM
comment #2
Noah
says ...
I enjoyed Find Me Guilty a great deal, but one of Lumet's very best?
I don't think it holds a candle to Network, The Verdict, The Pawnbroker, 12 Angry Men, Prince of the City, Equus, Dog Day Afternoon, Serpico, The Hill, Long Day's Journey Into Night, or The Fugitive Kind. Those movies all make Find Me Guilty look silly, but it's still great fun.
Not one of Lumet's best, though, that's blasphemy.
Posted by Noah
at January 17, 2007 11:43 AM
comment #3
Joe B.
says ...
I'm a little confused... Wells refers to this as "esteemed" and "easily one of the best of 2006", yet this bomb has a middling 56% rating on Rotten Tomatoes...
I'm not someone who thinks the sun rises and sets on RT, but I recall Wells ridiculing other films in the past (recent past too) for having mid-range 50s and 60s scores. The difference is that they were probably among the many films he hates in theory (usually without even seeing them).
Anyway, just wondering how he can refer to a 56% film (55% from the majors) as "esteemed" yet use the same site's similar scores as a method of bashing...
Posted by Joe B.
at January 17, 2007 11:48 AM
comment #4
mitch
says ...
Joe B: You're right, as Jeffrey too often shakes with one hand and slaps with another. He'll interchangeably use awards as validation and vilification. Unfortunately, so too do many of this sites posters.
Posted by mitch
at January 17, 2007 12:23 PM
comment #5
Ju-osh
says ...
Fucking horses is a no-no, flogging dead ones is business as usual.
Posted by Ju-osh
at January 17, 2007 12:34 PM
comment #6
dre
says ...
This movie is just okay. Vin is really, really good in it but the screenplay isn't as good as it could have been.
Posted by dre
at January 17, 2007 1:03 PM
comment #7
breadlymoore
says ...
"You won't believe that Vin Diesel can pull off 'aging Italian mobster'"
You're right, I didn't believe.
It's a very bad performance in a very dry and boring film.
My fave review quote about this turkey:
"Given a hairpiece, a gut that Diesel emphatically acknowledges as though he was a first year acting student, and a series of lethargic speeches, the action star can’t keep pace with the rest of the film, and fails to provide the ribbons of charm that helped DiNorscio win the hearts of the jurors and the respect of the lawyers. Diesel’s interpretation resembles a mentally-challenged gangster with inexplicable flashes of sizzling courtroom prowess that come out of nowhere and leave in a hurry."
Posted by breadlymoore
at January 17, 2007 1:16 PM
comment #8
Colin
says ...
I wouldn't call it one of the best of the year or one of Lumet's best, but I thought that it was an entertaining enough movie. Vin was pretty good, but the supporting cast was great. And, Lumet definitely knows his way around a courtroom:
http://hollywood-elsewhere.com/discland/archives/2006/07/find_me_guilty.php
Posted by Colin
at January 17, 2007 1:33 PM
comment #9
jeffmcm
says ...
I'll agree with Wells on this one, it's a very strong movie that offers a lot to think about. Jonathan Rosenbaum has had a lot of interesting stuff to say about it too, and calls it not just 'one of' Lumet's best, but Lumet's best, period.
So maybe there's something in it that appeals to aging leftists...
Posted by jeffmcm
at January 17, 2007 2:27 PM
comment #10
Noah
says ...
I'll say it again...
Network...Dog Day Afternoon...12 Angry Men...
I like the movie, it's entertaining. But to call it Lumet's best is to either have not seen any Lumet film older than 1990 or to be ridiculously idiotic. Lumet's best? Come on, that's just insane.
Posted by Noah
at January 17, 2007 2:38 PM
comment #11
Eddie
says ...
I'd put Night Falls On Manhattan and Critical Care over this as well. Didn't think Diesel was too good. Liked Linus Roache though.
Posted by Eddie
at January 17, 2007 3:03 PM
comment #12
Mike K
says ...
Dinklage and Diesel should have switched roles.
Posted by Mike K
at January 17, 2007 4:30 PM
comment #13
bmcintire
says ...
Someone clearly steered Diesel towards this after he emphatically demanded to be put in a role where he might be taken seriously again. ("Did you see me in BOILER ROOM?") Dre's quote pull was on the mark. Only Santa lovingly caresses his over-fed belly as much. It says a lot more about the state of Sidney Lumet that he took on this sort of vanity project for this sort of "star." It made GUILTY AS SIN and GLORIA look good in comparison.
Posted by bmcintire
at January 17, 2007 4:42 PM
comment #14
filmgirl14
says ...
One of the Best films of 2006. Is he insane? More importantly, if you think this is one of Lumet's best, you must have watched his other films blindfolded and with ear plugs in. You would have to be an idiot to say that. As for this film, Vin Diesel was not believable in this role, and the script had a lot of problems that needed to be worked out. If you want to complain about marketing, how about seeing Vin everywhere and hearing him tell the same story over and over. Their was a lot of marketing behind the film if you ask me. I am sorry but the writer needs to wake up and smell the coffee.
Posted by filmgirl14
at January 17, 2007 4:57 PM
comment #15
The Winchester
says ...
I'm gonna be in Wells' corner on this one. Very good flick. Great performances all around. (You can't beat Peter Dinklage in anything, and Diesel's solid too). I feel it's Lumet's best since Q&A. I even shared my opinion with Wells on this after the screening, that I agree. Just a solid flick all around that won't get much respect.
Posted by The Winchester
at January 17, 2007 8:19 PM
comment #16
Ju-osh
says ...
"Only Santa lovingly caresses his over-fed belly as much."
--That line is great!
Posted by Ju-osh
at January 18, 2007 4:59 PM