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Product Description
Holy Rollers stars heavyweight performers BAFTA and Oscar nominated*Jessie Eisenberg ( The Social Network , Zombieland ) and Justin Bartha ( The Hangover 1 & 2 ). Set between the bustling streets of New York City and Amsterdam, Holy Rollers is a story based on true events about an innocent young man, Sam (Eisenberg) who is lured into a dark, seedy underworld and becomes involved in smuggling drugs. As the stakes get higher, Sam becomes ever more involved in these corrupt dealings, as he forgets his friends, family and values. Can Sam set himself straight before it is too late, or is the draw or money, woman and power too great...? With electrifying performances from both Eisenberg and Bartha and featuring Ari Graynor and Q-Tip, Holy Rollers is an intense, dangerous journey and is set to be the next indie smash.
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UK seller, brand new sealed ,with sleeve
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
By BPR
This is loosely based on the true story of an orthadox Jew who gets involved with smuggling ecstacy tablets from Europe into the US and how they hired other orthadox Jews to smuggle the tablets (it is thought they managed to smuggle a million tablets in the six months before they were caught). I was originally drawn to the movie by the appearances of Jesse Eisenberg as the main character, Sam Gold, Justin Bartha as Yosef Zimmerman and Ari Graynor as Rachel Apfel but, unlike previous excellent performances from these actors this was merely average, particularly Eisenberg. The story itself is interesting if a little slow in parts but the dialogue flows well and I still found the film to be entertaining enough. Rent it. 3/5
By Sam
Jesse Eisenberg is an actor who has the rare ability to span both the serious drama and comedy genres. `Holly Rollers' is a film that fits squarely into the serious drama bracket, but perhaps should be pushed further into the dull drama bracket. Eisenberg play Sam, an Orthodox Jew who is tricked into carrying drug on a plane; rather than learning from his mistake Sam realises that this is an easy way to make money. His criminality is diametrically opposite to the values of his friends and family, will he repent before it is too late?
`Holly Rollers' is a film that is hard to like, because so many of the people involve seem alien or unlikable. The Orthodox Jewish society is a closed one so it should be interesting that director Kevin Asch has chosen to peer inside. However, rather than making the viewer relate with the family of Sam, you feel just as alienated as he does. In many ways the family's strict lifestyle is to blame for Sam's actions. I'm not sure if this lack of sympathy is due to inadequate direction and acting on the part of the film makers, or my own inability to understand. Either way, with the moral compass of the film being off it is hard to care about anyone at all.
Eisenberg himself does not fare much better as he plays such as wimpish character that he soon becomes unlovable. Rather than facing his issues he chooses to whine about them. The one glimmer of light is Justin Bartha as the fallen Yosef. Bartha is able to bring some life into an otherwise near death film. Directed on a relatively low budget, Asch paints a grey world that is not great to look at, so High Definition is not really needed. The extras show that the intentions behind the filmmakers were good, but perhaps the tone was wrong.
`Holly Rollers' is a film that is hard to like, because so many of the people involve seem alien or unlikable. The Orthodox Jewish society is a closed one so it should be interesting that director Kevin Asch has chosen to peer inside. However, rather than making the viewer relate with the family of Sam, you feel just as alienated as he does. In many ways the family's strict lifestyle is to blame for Sam's actions. I'm not sure if this lack of sympathy is due to inadequate direction and acting on the part of the film makers, or my own inability to understand. Either way, with the moral compass of the film being off it is hard to care about anyone at all.
Eisenberg himself does not fare much better as he plays such as wimpish character that he soon becomes unlovable. Rather than facing his issues he chooses to whine about them. The one glimmer of light is Justin Bartha as the fallen Yosef. Bartha is able to bring some life into an otherwise near death film. Directed on a relatively low budget, Asch paints a grey world that is not great to look at, so High Definition is not really needed. The extras show that the intentions behind the filmmakers were good, but perhaps the tone was wrong.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
4.0 out of 5 stars
1 review
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
A Great Surprise--A True Life Crime Drama Set In The Hasidic Community
16 Feb 2012
By K. Harris
- Published on Amazon.com
In truth, I had never heard of the picture "Holy Rollers" but the idea of Jesse Eisenberg as a Hasidic Jew who becomes entrenched in a drug mule operation held an undeniable appeal. And this film is one of those undiscovered little gems--it may not rock your world, but it's a solidly constructed character study based on a real world case. Funny, moving, and suspenseful--I quite enjoyed this film. The depiction of Eisenberg's orthodox upbringing is well served, but his decision to color outside the lines is also believably demonstrated. As he is seduced to the dark side, the transition is well wrought. In fact, I think this is one of Eisenberg's most well rounded performances--one that uses his offbeat mannerisms to good affect.
The story, in and of itself, is undeniably fascinating--it documents a ring of Ecstasy smugglers in the late nineties who transported their wares internationally using the least likely suspects. Justin Bartha colorfully portrays the neighborhood bad boy who eschews the conventional expectations of the Hasidic community. Eisenberg is his neighbor and friend who becomes a bit disillusioned as his life does not seem to be going precisely as planned. When Bartha proposes an opportunity for Eisenberg to score some cash for traveling to Amsterdam, he is reluctant. But after an initial foray into this new venture, he begins to embrace it more and more. The corruption of innocence and the seduction of power are primary themes in this tale of lawlessness. But how far is he willing to go? And is there any way out?
A taut and succinct screenplay maintains the film's momentum as Eisenberg rises in importance. The movie does a great job documenting the real danger of the enterprise and undeniable allure it holds for our young protagonist. Wrestling the classic demons of evil versus good, Eisenberg relates the moral and ethical dilemma with precision. But Bartha also steals just about every scene he's in! Clearly on a path to destruction, he nevertheless maintains a charisma and likability that keeps the film grounded. The film doesn't provide an easy out and everyone must face the consequences of their choices. "Holy Rollers" is quite entertaining and an easy recommendation, but beware of the hyperbole of one critic that is printed on the DVD. Comparing this to "Scarface" or "The Godfather" will set unreasonable expectations. It shares some of the same basic themes, but this small and understated film is much more specific in its tone and modest in its goals! KGHarris, 3/11.
The story, in and of itself, is undeniably fascinating--it documents a ring of Ecstasy smugglers in the late nineties who transported their wares internationally using the least likely suspects. Justin Bartha colorfully portrays the neighborhood bad boy who eschews the conventional expectations of the Hasidic community. Eisenberg is his neighbor and friend who becomes a bit disillusioned as his life does not seem to be going precisely as planned. When Bartha proposes an opportunity for Eisenberg to score some cash for traveling to Amsterdam, he is reluctant. But after an initial foray into this new venture, he begins to embrace it more and more. The corruption of innocence and the seduction of power are primary themes in this tale of lawlessness. But how far is he willing to go? And is there any way out?
A taut and succinct screenplay maintains the film's momentum as Eisenberg rises in importance. The movie does a great job documenting the real danger of the enterprise and undeniable allure it holds for our young protagonist. Wrestling the classic demons of evil versus good, Eisenberg relates the moral and ethical dilemma with precision. But Bartha also steals just about every scene he's in! Clearly on a path to destruction, he nevertheless maintains a charisma and likability that keeps the film grounded. The film doesn't provide an easy out and everyone must face the consequences of their choices. "Holy Rollers" is quite entertaining and an easy recommendation, but beware of the hyperbole of one critic that is printed on the DVD. Comparing this to "Scarface" or "The Godfather" will set unreasonable expectations. It shares some of the same basic themes, but this small and understated film is much more specific in its tone and modest in its goals! KGHarris, 3/11.
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