De Niro's "The Alto Knights" struggles at box office debut

We wrote about Disney's film lately. Let us just remind you that "Snow White" cost over €230 million, and during its premiere weekend, it made only €39 million in the United States, which marks the worst performance for a live-action version of a Disney animated production in history. The second major premiere of the week was the film with Robert De Niro, "The Alto Knights." Both titles are already being shown in Polish cinemas, so you can form your own opinion about them.

Both premieres of the week met the same fate, albeit on a slightly different scale. The productions received poor reviews from critics and much better ones from audiences, although these were also far from enthusiastic. In the case of "The Alto Knights," the situation is more complex and interesting because most people highly praise the role of cinema legend Robert De Niro, even in such a critical review: "A mindless script and poor editing make this failed drama seem like a parody of great De Niro films."

In "The Alto Knights," Robert De Niro takes on a dual role of real-life gangsters – Frank Costello and Vito Genovese. The story is about two mafia bosses competing for influence in New York. Once best friends, due to jealousy and betrayal, they became each other's greatest enemies.

The director of "The Alto Knights" is Barry Levinson, an Oscar winner for "Rain Man," but also the creator of the remarkable drama "Bugsy." Meanwhile, the screenplay is by Nicholas Pileggi, author of "Goodfellas," "Casino," and "City Hall." It's hard to ask for a better recommendation for a gangster film, and yet… "It's shocking how they could mess up such a story," write disappointed critics, but not all. Some highly praise the film.

Levinson, who can find warmth and humor in most circumstances, is naturally drawn toward Frank’s gentility. If the film feels a little juiceless as a result, its restraint seems of a piece with Frank’s own caution. Unfair as it would be to compare "The Alto Knights" to "The Irishman," some of Scorsese’s mournful grandeur—the mounting sense of futility, the bitter awareness of time’s passage—does cling to Levinson’s film by association. In both films, it’s De Niro’s Frankness that keeps you watching. Just when you think you’re out, he pulls you back in," wrote Justin Chang from "The New Yorker."

In American cinemas, interest in the film with Robert De Niro is very low. During the opening weekend, the film earned only €2.8 million (only sixth place on the box office list). "The Alto Knights" cost €40 million. The financial losses will be substantial.