The Dictator that keeps dictating the terms must be applauded, however, Cohen’s Dictator sort of did a belly flop. More people were discussing its ramification to the American Muslim community, but like I suggested in my previous review of the movie, its a bit of a flop because it disappoints in so many ways. Well I hope the financial disappointment is some sense of vindication for folks like my friend Munira Syeda, former colleague at CAIR Los Angeles, who wrote a Huffington Post op-ed on the movie.
Interestingly enough, who would have thunk that the ADL’s Foxman might share a beef with the folks at CAIR in regards to Sacha Cohen Baron’s movie, read here.
The math adds up as such- Paramount Pictures spent $65-million to put together the North African Dictator comedy, within the first three days it grossed $17.5 million dollars in the US, placing it at third place behind Battleship and the raining first place movie The Avengers. Surprisingly though, the Dictator, grossed some $30.3 million in sales overseas. However the dice rolls, the truth is “The Dictator” just was not financially adding up as a great success. Though the sales from DVD’s as well as all the other licensing post theatrical release might bring is questionable. But the fact remains that most viewers found the film polarizing- or they just didn’t get the political satire- and gave it an average rating of C on CinemaScore, Rotten Tomatoes had it at 61% (3.5 stares out of 5.5).
Corner Office Shaikh 