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==Plot==
==Plot==
In 1995, straight-and-narrow businessman Jack Harris ([[Luke Wilson]]) who builds the first online billing company dealing exclusively with adult entertainment, finds himself in the middle of a whirlwind filled with starlets, con men, Russian mobsters, federal agents, and international terrorists. Caught between a porn star and the FBI, Harris learns that even becoming one of the wealthiest entrepreneurs of his generation may not be enough to keep him out of trouble.

It's 1997, and Jack Harris ([[Luke Wilson]]) is a businessman splitting his time between ventures in LA and his home in Houston, where he lives with his wife X ([[Jacinda Barrett]]). Harris and his right-hand man Frank ([[Terry Crews]]) run a successful nightclub they fixed up as a favor for a friend.

Childhood friends Buck Dolby ([[Gabriel Macht]]), a former NASA scientist, and Wayne Beering ([[Giovanni Ribisi]]) live in LA. Strung out on cocaine, they come up with the idea to scan pornographic pictures onto a website, and write a software program subscribers can use to pay for access. Desperate for new content, they find a partner in strip club owner and Russian mobster Nikita Sokoloff [[]] and use his girls to film new content. Millionaires in a matter of months, they blow most of their money in Vegas and end up indebted to Sokoloff. Corrupt lawyer Jerry Haggarty [[James Caan]] brings Jack in to reorganize the business.

Jack realizes that the website, instead of producing its own content, can serve as an intermediary between content producers (pornstars and production companies) and individual consumers, providing the consumers with a guilt-free credit statement at the end of the month. Jack also tricks Jerry, who is under FBI investigation, by telling him Buck and Wayne are untrustworthy and paying him to go away. Jack's efforts to deal with the Russian situation by paying down the debt result in the accidental death of Sokoloff's nephew, Ivan. Jack, Frank, Buck, and Wayne dispose of the body, and Jack swears them to silence.

The business becomes wildly successful, and Jack becomes well-known in the adult film industry. He spends less and less time at home, and finally separates from his wife and moves in with solo pornstar Audrey Dawn ([[Laura Ramsey]]). However, a jealous Buck and Wayne, at the urging of a disgruntled Jerry, team up with a producer named Denny Z behind Jack's back. Without checking with anyone, Denny produces a website featuring underage girls. A misunderstanding with some FBI agents lead the pair to think they are being investigated for child pornography. Frightened, the two confide in Jerry, and also tell him about Ivan's death.

When Jack discovers the child porn website, he goes to Denny Z's house and shoots him in the foot. There he sees Audrey in the midst of an orgy. Disillusioned, Jack breaks up with her and tries to go back to his wife. However, Sokoloff's men have visited Jack's family and kidnapped the housekeeper's son by accident. Jack goes to meet Sokoloff with a bag of cash. There, he learns Jerry, Buck, and Wayne have set him up, and is forced to sign a document giving the business away, although he backdates the contract. Sokoloff then kill the untrustworthy Jerry and lets Jack go.

Jack reunites with his wife and leaves the business for good. Buck and Wayne are shown after being arrested for distributing child pornography. Trying to blame Jack, they learn he backdated the contract to a time before the website was up, rendering him immune from prosecution.


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Revision as of 05:25, 19 February 2011

Middle Men
Luke Wilson is pictured inside the outline of a woman.
Theatrical poster
Directed byGeorge Gallo
Written byGeorge Gallo
Andy Weiss
Produced byChristopher Mallick
William Sherak
Jason Shuman
Michael Weiss
StarringLuke Wilson
Giovanni Ribisi
Gabriel Macht
James Caan
CinematographyLukas Ettlin
Edited byMalcolm Campbell
Music byBrian Tyler
Production
companies
Oxymoron Entertainment
Mallick Media
Distributed byParamount Vantage[1]
Release dates
  • May 17, 2009 (2009-05-17) (Cannes)
  • August 6, 2010 (2010-08-06) (United States)
Running time
105 minutes
CountryTemplate:Film US
LanguageEnglish
Budget$20 million[2]
Box office$754,301[2][3]

Middle Men is a comedy-drama film directed by George Gallo and written by Gallo and Andy Weiss. It stars Luke Wilson, Giovanni Ribisi, Gabriel Macht and James Caan.[4] The film is based on the experiences of producer Christopher Mallick.

Plot

In 1995, straight-and-narrow businessman Jack Harris (Luke Wilson) who builds the first online billing company dealing exclusively with adult entertainment, finds himself in the middle of a whirlwind filled with starlets, con men, Russian mobsters, federal agents, and international terrorists. Caught between a porn star and the FBI, Harris learns that even becoming one of the wealthiest entrepreneurs of his generation may not be enough to keep him out of trouble.

Cast

Soundtrack

  1. Who Do You Love – George Thorogood
  2. You Make My Dreams – Hall & Oates
  3. Honey – Moby
  4. Sympathy For The Devil – The Rolling Stones
  5. How Bizarre – OMC
  6. Oye Como Va – Tito Puente
  7. Buona Sera – Louis Prima
  8. Sweet Dreams – Patsy Cline
  9. Everybody Wants to Rule The World – Tears for Fears
  10. Freeze Frame – J. Geils Band
  11. Body Rock – Moby
  12. You Can’t Always Get What You Want – The Rolling Stones
  13. The Way You Move – Outkast (featuring Sleepy Brown)
  14. California Love (Remix) – 2Pac (featuring Dr. Dre & Roger Troutman)
  15. 24-7 – Brian Tyler
  16. Middle Men Suite – Brian Tyler
  17. Hypnotize - Notorious B.I.G.
  18. Tubthumping - Chumbawumba

Release

Middle Men was released on August 6, 2010.

The first official theatrical trailer for the film was released on June 16, 2010.[5]

A red band trailer was released on July 10, 2010.

A long take sequence taking place at an orgy was cut from the film. The scene's inclusion would have pushed the film from an R rating to an NC17 rating. The scene was subsequently leaked to adult video clip website Pornhub.[6] It was subsequently included on the home-video release.

Home Media

Middle Men was released February 8, 2011.

Reception

The film received mixed reviews. Rotten Tomatoes gives the film a score of 41% based on 46 reviews. The site consensus is "Middle Men benefits from a solid cast, particularly Luke Wilson, but its muddled script lets them down".[7] Metacritic gives the film a weighted average score of 60% based on reviews from 20 critics.[8]

The film grossed only $733,000 at the box office during its three-week run. The budget was $20 million.[2]

References

  1. ^ Rich, Katey (2010-02-19). "Paramount Picks Up Luke Wilson Indie Middle Men". Cinema Blend. Retrieved 19 November 2010.
  2. ^ a b c "Middle Men". Box Office Mojo. Amazon.com.
  3. ^ "Middle Men - Box Office Data, Movie News, Cast Information". The Numbers. Retrieved 2010-09-16.
  4. ^ Dave McNary (2008-09-18). "Wilson, Ribisi to star in 'Middle Men'". Variety. Retrieved 2009-04-01.
  5. ^ "Middle Men Full Trailer". The Film Stage. June 16, 2010. Retrieved June 16, 2010. {{cite web}}: External link in |work= (help)
  6. ^ "Luke Wilson's New Movie -- Deleted Orgy Scene". July 23, 2010.
  7. ^ "Middle Men (2010)". Rotten Tomatoes. Flixster.
  8. ^ "Middle Men". Metacritic. CBS.

External links

  • Forbes article on adult industry: Seth Lubove (2001-09-17). "Middlemen". Forbes Magazine. Archived from the original on 2002-03-06.
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