Philip Seymour Hoffman’s death in early February is still casting a large shadow over Hollywood. Josh Hutcherson gave a heartfelt tribute to his Catching Fire co-star at the MTV Movie Awards last night. A trailer for A Most Wanted Man, the critically acclaimed drama starring Hoffman that debuted at Sundance, hit the Internet on Friday, and now, the trailer for another Sundance film with the late Oscar-winner is online. Despite a stunning ensemble cast, though, our first look at God’s Pocket reveals a bit too much about the plot, unfortunately.
God’s Pocket arrived at Sundance with a lot of hype, being the directorial film debut of Mad Men actor John Slattery, but left with mixed reviews. It follows Mickey Scarpato (Hoffman), a lowlife in a small, blue collar town who tries to cover up the death of his stepson that he accidentally caused. The film also stars John Turturro as Mickey’s not-so-law-abiding friend, Richard Jenkins as a local journalist and Christina Hendricks as Mickey’s wife, who has her own suspicious about what caused her son’s death.
Despite that cast, which also includes Eddie Marsan and Caleb Landry Jones, God’s Pocket does not look as promising as Hoffman’s other Park City premiere. Perhaps it is the trailer, which spoils a lot of moments that seem like second and third act plot points, that makes it look so tired and pedestrian. On the bright side, there is some twisted, pitch black humour and one-liners that could have been a part of the dialogue for Slattery’s TV persona, Roger Sterling. Also, the late actor does not seem to be slumming with his acting range, either.
God’s Pocket will be out in limited release on May 9th. Check out the first trailer below and let us know what you think.