"United Passions, the FIFA movie, one of the biggest flops ever"Talk another day of FIFA, the organization that for the last three weeks seems determined to blow up. After the investigations initiated by the US and Switzerland to placate the endemic corruption of the institution, arrests, and the resignation of Blatter, FIFA has received this weekend a new moral (and economic) blow. His film, United Passions, has raised less at its premiere than a spanish Tercera División match. Literally.
Let us turn to the data. In 2014 FIFA announced production, supported largely by the institution, a film that tells the story of the organization, from its ancient beginnings to now, ahem, what it is today. To do so would have as director Frederic Auburtin and a cast of international stature: Tim Roth (playing Sepp Blatter), Gerard Depardieu, Sam Neill and Fisher Stevens. Money? Who cares, is the FIFA! In total, 26 million euro budget.
A figure that actually is quite low (albeit quite high if we consider the annual budget of many national federations). But the profitability of a film can only be measured in terms of its collection. And there FIFA has failed miserably in its release.
In its first weekend on the undercard in the United States, United Passions has raised a whopping
$918 (813 euros). Half of the proceeds will be divided between three theaters in New York, Los Angeles and Washington DC. In Philadelphia only two people dared to see the movie. Elsewhere in the country, 300 million people, the outlook is bleak.
Under the circumstances, FIFA is officially a organization unable to raise more money with a show as almost any game promotion to Second Division B in Spain. Here's an example. The same weekend the premiere, was played in Sariñena (Los Monegros, Huesca) the first leg between CD Sariñena and Numancia B. The local team field, apparently, has a capacity of 4,000 spectators. It seemed pretty full.
Assuming that every single ticket worth 5 euros (a generous assumption for the FIFA) and the stadium recorded media input (or the capacity, as indicated by the pictures, it is actually much less), we may deduce that
the Club Deportivo Sariñena (adding drinks at the bar) raised more money for the match dispute, of Tercera Division, than FIFA itself.Undoubtedly, the Sariñena - Numancia B achieved a higher recognition of the sports (and film) criticism than United Passions. A journalist from The Guardian called it "pure cinematic excrement" and in The New York Times devoted the following beautiful words: "One of the most impossible of seeing films of recent times, a dishonest piece of corporate sanctification is not suitable even to laugh."
On IMDB his score is 2.1 out of 10. In Rotten Tomatoes, 0.7 out of 10.United Passions still has time to pick up, but neither scandal nor the film itself indicate that the film tax collection trend is upward. For now, it can be considered a bomb, and is at the same level as other great successes (?) in the history of Hollywood as Apartment 143, The Marsh, Trojan War, Dog Eat Dog or Zyzzyx Road.
You do not know them? Normal, nor would know nothing of United Passions were it not because, well, it's the film FIFA and participate Depardieu and Tim Roth. At least, the film is already an official candidate list thicken this fantastic "films considered the worst." Other communication and corporate success of our international organization favorite.
Source:
http://magnet.xataka.com/idolos-de-hoy- ... numancia-b (on spanish)
) and the way it takes place in real time (which makes me think of 12 Angry Men, one of my all-time favourite films, which mostly takes place in real-time as well). Anyway, I know what I'm watching tonight!
, eyes watery kind of feel after having experienced the whole thing. Really, really enjoyed it. 
