The Profit (2001)

User Rating:

7.2/10   

Director:

Peter N. Alexander

Writer:

Peter N. Alexander (writer)

Release Date:

1 April 2001 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

A dark journey into an evil mind where the only good is... The Profit.

Plot:

This period piece is a fictional biography of a cult leader's rise to power and his subsequent descent into isolation and paranoia. |

Plot Keywords:

Cult

Cast

Cliff Roca	...	Mitchell Cabot
Tom Luce	...	The Doctor
Eric Rath	...	Leland Conrad Powers (as Eric F. Rath)
Christine Eads	...	Helen Hughes
Jeff Hughes	...	Zach Carson
Jeff Norton	...	Cop #1
Tad Brown	...	Cop #2
Al Reidel	...	Sheriff
Bob Minton	...	VA Doctor
Margaret Mary Bastick	...	Dr. Mary Kimbrough
Duncan Pierce	...	Mr. Simmons
Jeff Jacobsen	...	Mr. Williams
Jesse Prince	...	Mr. Johnson
Terry Maki	...	Maitre d'
Jack Amos	...	Sr. Naval Officer

Runtime:

128 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Certification:

USA:(Banned) (legal injunction preventing exhibition: April 2002-)

Filming Locations:

Tampa, Florida, USA

Company:

Courage Productions

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "HBO First Look: '10,000 BC': The Making of an Epic World (#15.4)" (2008)

More's the Pity About the Lawsuit, Good Movie

This film could have been a triumph of art and satire. As it stands, it's definitely worth seeing (if you can get your hands on it).

Filming was shut down by Scientologist protesters a week before shooting was scheduled to end and the film has been tied up in litigation in the US ever since. The pity of the situation is that the A-list crewmembers couldn't cross the protest line because it was made up of striking union members. This meant that the production values dropped considerably and in the shots that made it into the film from that period of shooting it is obvious that it is not the same crew.

However, the movie is still a fun journey through one man's life of deceit. The acting is commendable but the standout aspect is definitely the cinematography. It's shot like a comic book, using colors to parallel the characters' journeys and accentuate the contrasts between the on-screen personalities. I could almost watch the movie with the sound off just enjoy the overall look. I strongly encourage anybody who enjoys visual style to see this film. It's also nice that this film isn't liked by scientologists and by seeing it one can thumb one's nose at their attempts to shut down free speech. :)