Whether it was the serious subject matter or the stiff competition, Shake Hands with the Devil opened to mediocre audiences Friday, despite a hefty $2-million push from distributor Seville Pictures.

The retelling of the Rwandan genocide, starring Roy Dupuis as Lt.-Gen. Roméo Dallaire, grossed nearly $235,000 over the weekend for a per-screen average of $2,580, according to Seville. The film was better received in Quebec, likely due to Dupuis’ star status there, where it made a per-screen of $2,889.

‘We are pleased with the result in Quebec, where we are expecting [Shake Hands] to continue to perform well, as the word of mouth spreads about the film, and particularly about Roy Dupuis’ performance,’ a spokesperson for Seville tells Playback Daily, noting that results in English Canada were ‘disappointing.’

Shake Hands faced new releases including Disney’s The Game Plan, the surprise winner at the North American box office with US$22.7 million, and the Saudi Arabia-set actioner The Kingdom, starring Jamie Foxx and Jennifer Garner, which grossed US$17.7 million for Universal Pictures.

Meanwhile, Odeon Films’ $35-million drama Silk, which opened in English Canada Friday, earned $43,900 for a per-screen average of $1,569. The film, directed by Montreal’s François Girard, has made $500,000 to date on about 60 screens in Quebec, after opening to tepid reviews on Sept. 21.