Production Company(ies)
Red Crown Productions, The Princess Grace Foundation Participant
 
Distributor
Warner Bros. Pictures
 
Release Type
Theatrical, Theatrical (Wide)
 
Filming Location(s)
Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia
 
MPAA / Certificate
Rated PG-13 for some intense action violence
 
Year of Release
2006
 

 
Genre(s)
Adventure/Action
 
Keyword(s)
starring Brandon Routh, Kate Bosworth, James Marsden, Frank Langella, Eva Marie Saint, Parker Posey, Kevin Spacey, directed by Bryan Singer, written by Michael Dougherty, Dan Harris, Adventure, Action, Fantasy, PG-13, Warner Bros Pictures, box office gross $200.1M, reviewed by Namrata Joshi, Eric Kohn, Brian Tallerico, Peter Bradshaw, Richard Roeper, Neil Smith, David Walsh, Alex Maidy, Nikhat Kazmi, Beatriz Maldivia, Clark Kent, Superman, Lois Lane, Richard White, Perry White, Martha Kent, Kitty Koslowski, Gilbert Adler, Jon Peters, SDDS, Dolby Digital, DTS, Dolby SRD, Scope (2.35:1)
 

Cast & Crew

Brandon Routh

Kate Bosworth

James Marsden

Frank Langella

Eva Marie Saint

Clark Kent

Superman

Lois Lane

Richard White

Perry White

Brandon Routh – Clark Kent, Superman
Kate Bosworth – Lois Lane
James Marsden – Richard White
Frank Langella – Perry White
Eva Marie Saint – Martha Kent
Parker Posey – Kitty Koslowski

 

Bryan Singer

Michael Dougherty

Bryan Singer

Gilbert Adler

Jon Peters

Director

Writer

Producer

Producer

Producer

Director(s)
Bryan Singer
 
Writer(s)
Michael Dougherty, Dan Harris
 
Producer(s)
Bryan Singer, Gilbert Adler, Jon Peters

 

Film Festivals

 
Awards & Nominations
Nominated for 1 Oscar
12 wins & 47 nominations total
 
Academy Awards
Oscar Nominees
 

Top Reviews

Namrata Joshi

Eric Kohn

Brian Tallerico

Peter Bradshaw

Richard Roeper

Outlook

Reverse Shot

UGO

Guardian

Ebert & Roeper

SUPERMAN RETURNS
 All Critics (265) | Top Critics (62) | Fresh (197) | Rotten (68)
 The man doesn’t have an ounce of charisma and at best can only be described as an expressionless log of wood. In retrospect, I’d settle for our own delectable Hrithik.
 
 January 15, 2019 | Rating: 2/4
 
 Namrata Joshi
 Outlook
 TOP CRITIC
 The movie runs nearly half an hour longer than it should, with a new plot strand introduced in the third act that has questionable vitality in the presumed sequel.
 
 July 6, 2010
 
 Eric Kohn
 Reverse Shot
 TOP CRITIC
 May be the most reverent superhero film ever made.
 
 March 24, 2007
 
 Brian Tallerico
 UGO
 TOP CRITIC
 The battle is won: but only just.
 
 July 15, 2006 | Rating: 3/5
 
 Peter Bradshaw
 Guardian
 TOP CRITIC
 … while I can’t call it a home run, I’ll say it’s a solid base hit.
 
 July 5, 2006
 
 Richard Roeper
 Ebert & Roeper
 TOP CRITIC
 Logical progression, intelligent reappraisal, and nostalgia trip all in one, Superman Return is better than we dared hope.
 
 July 4, 2006 | Rating: 5/5
 
 Neil Smith
 BBC.com
 TOP CRITIC
 Superman Returns … is not the worst of today’s entertainments, but interest in it eventually collapses under the weight of the film’s self-seriousness and overbearing special effects.
 
 February 14, 2021
 
 David Walsh
 World Socialist Web Site
 Revisiting Bryan Singer’s underrated SUPERMAN RETURNS, I propose why it is actually one of the best Superman movies of all time. Check out the video above and see if you agree!
 
 October 26, 2020 | Rating: 9/10
 
 Alex Maidy
 JoBlo’s Movie Network
 The film is long. The pace is slow. The mood is solemn. But the action is edge-of-the-seat.
 
 February 28, 2020
 
 Nikhat Kazmi
 The Times of India
 It is beautifully shot. [Full Review in Spanish]
 
 February 12, 2020
 
 Beatriz Maldivia
 Espinof
 The biggest problem with Superman Returns is the script, which bogs down in the love story and forgets the action — which should be the strong point.
 
 November 20, 2019 | Rating: C+
 
 Micheal Compton
 Bowling Green Daily News
 One blockbuster that actually delivers.
 
 June 5, 2019 | Rating: 3/4
 
 Mattie Lucas
 The Dispatch (Lexington, NC)…

 

Plot
Following a mysterious absence of several years, the Man of Steel comes back to Earth in the epic action-adventure Superman Returns, a soaring new chapter in the saga of one of the world’s most beloved superheroes. While an old enemy plots to render him powerless once and for all, Superman faces the heartbreaking realization that the woman he loves, Lois Lane, has moved on with her life. Or has she? Superman’s bittersweet return challenges him to bridge the distance between them while finding a place in a society that has learned to survive without him. In an attempt to protect the world he loves from cataclysmic destruction, Superman embarks on an epic journey of redemption that takes him from the depths of the ocean to the far reaches of outer space.
 
Trivia

 
Goofs / Tidbits
There is no goofy or funny or odd comment about the film Superman Returns on Fresh Kernels.
 

 
Bryan-Singer.jpg

 
Production Company(ies)
Hideout Pictures, Shout! Factory Shout! Studios,
 
Distributor
Buena Vista Pictures
 
Release Type
Theatrical
 
Filming Location(s)
Adrspach National Park, Trutnov, Czech Republic
 
MPAA / Certificate
Rated PG for battle sequences and frightening moments
 
Year of Release
2005
 

 
Genre(s)
Fantasy/Adventure
 
Keyword(s)
starring Georgie Henley, Skandar Keynes, William Moseley, Anna Popplewell, Liam Neeson, Tilda Swinton, directed by Andrew Adamson, written by C.S Lewis, Christopher Markus, fantasy, adventure, PG rating, box office gross $291.7M, reviewed by Namrata Joshi, Sukhdev Sandhu, Ian Freer, Ed Gonzalez, Sandra Hall, Peter Travers, Mike Massie, Grant Watson, Rachel Wagner, Mattie Lucas, Mark Steyn, Dorothy Woodend, special effects, storytelling, source material, World War II, bombings, London, English siblings, country house, magical world, Narnia, Aslan, White Witch, Jadis, battle sequences, frightening moments, Buena Vista Pictures, SDDS, DTS, Surround, Dolby SRD, Scope (2.35:1), Mark Johnson, Liam Neeson as Aslan (voice), Tilda Swinton as Jadis The White Witch, Georgie Henley as Lucy Pevensie, Skandar Keynes as Edmund Pevensie, William Moseley as Peter Pevensie, Anna Popplewell as Susan Pevensie
 

Cast & Crew

Tilda Swinton

Georgie Henley

Skandar Keynes

William Moseley

Anna Popplewell

Jadis The White Witch

Lucy Pevensie

Edmund Pevensie

Peter Pevensie

Susan Pevensie

Tilda Swinton – Jadis The White Witch
Georgie Henley – Lucy Pevensie
Skandar Keynes – Edmund Pevensie
William Moseley – Peter Pevensie
Anna Popplewell – Susan Pevensie
Liam Neeson – Aslan (Voice)

 

Andrew Adamson

C.S. Lewis

Mark Johnson

Director

Writer

Producer

Producer

Producer

Director(s)
Andrew Adamson
 
Writer(s)
C.S. Lewis, Christopher Markus
 
Producer(s)
Mark Johnson

 

Film Festivals

 
Awards & Nominations
Won 1 Oscar
18 wins & 46 nominations total
 
Academy Awards
Oscar Best Achievement in Makeup Winners, Oscar Nominees, Oscar Winners
 

Top Reviews

Namrata Joshi

Sukhdev Sandhu

Ian Freer

Ed Gonzalez

Sandra Hall

Outlook

Daily Telegraph (UK)

Empire Magazine

Slant Magazine

Sydney Morning Herald

THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: THE LION, THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE
 All Critics (218) | Top Critics (57) | Fresh (165) | Rotten (53)
 Incredibly engrossing but intermittently so. It holds you, but the grip could have been even more firm.
 
 January 9, 2019 | Rating: 3/4
 
 Namrata Joshi
 Outlook
 TOP CRITIC
 This is a worthy opening salvo, a film that succeeds through the sheer weight of our expectations, and that won’t disappoint younger audiences.
 
 February 10, 2007
 
 Sukhdev Sandhu
 Daily Telegraph (UK)
 TOP CRITIC
 It’s an enjoyable adaptation and good enough for us to welcome this new franchise.
 
 December 30, 2006 | Rating: 3/5
 
 Ian Freer
 Empire Magazine
 TOP CRITIC
 A fun and literate package.
 
 March 25, 2006
 
 Ed Gonzalez
 Slant Magazine
 TOP CRITIC
 It’s easy to see why Disney chose to start with The Witch and the Wardrobe.
 
 January 17, 2006
 
 Sandra Hall
 Sydney Morning Herald
 TOP CRITIC
 This PG-rated movie feels safe and constricted in a way the story never does on the page. It leaves out the deep magic of a good movie, or a good sermon: the feeling that something vital is at stake.
 
 January 6, 2006 | Rating: 2.5/4
 
 Peter Travers
 Rolling Stone
 TOP CRITIC
 Despite its generic swords-and-sorcery storyline, it’s amusingly padded with extensive fantasy elements, making it a must-see for those itching for magic-doused adventure.
 
 September 29, 2020 | Rating: 6/10
 
 Mike Massie
 Gone With The Twins
 A wonderfully realised and pleasant feature.
 
 April 19, 2020 | Rating: 7/10
 
 Grant Watson
 Fiction Machine
 Tilda Swinton as the ice queen… is so good and so scary.
 
 June 18, 2019 | Rating: B+
 
 Rachel Wagner
 Rachel’s Reviews (YouTube)
 Swinton digs into the icy heart of her character with a chameleon-like prowess that is simply amazing.
 
 June 5, 2019 | Rating: 4/4
 
 Mattie Lucas
 The Dispatch (Lexington, NC)
 Adamson eschews the big look-isn’t-it-magical gestures of the Potter/Tim Burton approach, but he manages to convey the sense of wonder a wartime evacuee might feel at such transportation.
 
 January 25, 2018
 
 Mark Steyn
 The Spectator
 There isn’t a single moment in this film, front to end, that rings true.
 
 August 24, 2017
 
 Dorothy Woodend
 The Tyee (British Columbia)…

 

Plot
Four children from the same family have to leave their town because of the bombings of WWII. A woman and a professor take the children to their house. While playing a game of hide-and-seek, the youngest member of the family, Lucy, finds a wardrobe to hide in. She travels back and back into the wardrobe and finds a place named Narnia. After going in twice, the four children go in together for the last time. They battle wolves, meet talking animals, encounter an evil white witch and meet a magnificent lion named Aslan. Will this be the end of their journey to Narnia or will they stay?
 
Trivia

 
Goofs / Tidbits
Tilda Swinton’s portrayal of the evil White Witch is “so good and so scary,” according to one critic review.
 

 
Andrew-Adamson.jpg

 
Production Company(ies)
X-Filme Creative Pool Westdeutscher Rundfunk ARTE
 
Distributor
Sony Pictures Classics
 
Release Type
Theatrical
 
Filming Location(s)
Amelia Island, Florida, USA
 
MPAA / Certificate
Rated PG-13 for brief strong language, a sexual reference and thematic elements
 
Year of Release
2002
 

 
Genre(s)
Drama
 
Keyword(s)
starring Edie Falco, Angela Bassett, Jane Alexander, Ralph Waite, James McDaniel, Timothy Hutton, directed by John Sayles, written by John Sayles, drama, PG-13, Maggie Renzi, box office, budget, reviewed by David Ansen, Adam Nayman, Peter Howell, Robert Denerstein, Rick Groen, Steve Davis, Stuart Klawans, Emanuel Levy, Jeffrey Overstreet, Michael Dequina, Brett Buckalew, ensemble cast, Florida island, country-club resort developers, woman returning home, forced to sell restaurant and motel, thematic elements, sexual references, brief strong language, Sony Pictures Classics, surround sound, Dolby Stereo, Dolby Digital, Dolby A, SDDS
 

Cast & Crew

Edie Falco

Marly Temple

Angela Bassett

Desiree Perry

Jane Alexander

Marly Temple

Desiree Perry

Delia Temple

Furman Temple

Reggie Perry

Edie Falco – Marly Temple
Angela Bassett – Desiree Perry
Jane Alexander – Delia Temple
Ralph Waite – Furman Temple
James McDaniel – Reggie Perry
Timothy Hutton – Jack Meadows

 

John Sayles

John Sayles

Maggie Renzi

Director

Writer

Producer

Producer

Producer

Director(s)
John Sayles
 
Writer(s)
John Sayles
 
Producer(s)
Maggie Renzi

 

Film Festivals

 
Awards & Nominations
7 wins & 3 nominations
 
Academy Awards

Top Reviews

David Ansen

Adam Nayman

Peter Howell

Robert Denerstein

Rick Groen

Newsweek

eye WEEKLY

Toronto Star

Denver Rocky Mountain News

Globe and Mail

SUNSHINE STATE
 All Critics (109) | Top Critics (38) | Fresh (87) | Rotten (22)
 Who wants to complain abut an American movie that has too much on its mind? … Best of all is Falco, whose bruised, brusque, soulful Southern girl banishes all traces of Carmela Soprano.
 
 March 8, 2018
 
 David Ansen
 Newsweek
 TOP CRITIC
 A fiercely intelligent South Florida mosaic.
 
 August 20, 2002 | Rating: 4/5
 
 Adam Nayman
 eye WEEKLY
 TOP CRITIC
 Sunshine State resembles Sayles’ sketchbook more than his finished work, and we might hope that something more polished might spring from it.
 
 August 9, 2002 | Rating: 3/5
 
 Peter Howell
 Toronto Star
 TOP CRITIC
 Sunshine State is an efficient helping of Sayles, insightful even when it’s not richly entertaining or imbued with apparent passion.
 
 August 9, 2002 | Rating: B-
 
 Robert Denerstein
 Denver Rocky Mountain News
 TOP CRITIC
 Sunshine State has the structure, the theme, the style and, at 141 minutes, the length of a great John Sayles film. What it doesn’t have, alas, is the merit.
 
 August 9, 2002 | Rating: 2.5/4
 
 Rick Groen
 Globe and Mail
 TOP CRITIC
 August 4, 2002 | Rating: 4/5
 
 Steve Davis
 Austin Chronicle
 TOP CRITIC
 All this is admirable. I just wish Sayles would also put a little movie into the movie.
 
 July 21, 2015
 
 Stuart Klawans
 The Nation
 This well acted ensemble melodrama is not one of John Sayles’ strongest films.
 
 July 22, 2011 | Rating: B-
 
 Emanuel Levy
 EmanuelLevy.Com
 Sayles’ writing is so good, and so convincing, he makes the experience more like reading a complex and well-researched novel than watching a movie.
 
 December 6, 2004 | Rating: A-
 
 Jeffrey Overstreet
 Looking Closer
 Click to read review
 
 January 12, 2004 | Rating: 3.5/4
 
 Michael Dequina
 TheMovieReport.com
 Sunshine State certainly ranks as one of the director’s richest, most satisfying films.
 
 May 28, 2003
 
 Brett Buckalew
 FilmStew.com
 Could have been much more than good, if only it didn’t seem so unfocused, and so many characters didn’t seem insufficiently explored.
 
 January 30, 2003 | Rating: 76/100
 
 Brian Webster
 Apollo Guide…

 

Plot
Real estate developers descend upon a sleepy coastal Florida community with the promise of big money and bigger changes. Torn between honoring family obligations and the lure of quick cash, the locals greet the outsiders with a wildly mixed reception. Marly Temple is eager to give in and sell the family business to start over her life. As caretaker of her father’s motel and cafe, she has grown resentful of missed opportunities. However, she finds a glimmer of hope in a tentative romance with a visiting landscape architect. Desiree Perry left town many years ago to escape a scandal and make a name for herself as an actress. Reluctantly returning home, she finds her strong willed mother unwilling to let go of the past.
 
Trivia

 
Goofs / Tidbits
The film features a talented ensemble cast including Edie Falco, Angela Bassett, Jane Alexander, Ralph Waite, James McDaniel, and Timothy Hutton.
 

 
John-Sayles.jpg

 
Production Company(ies)
Anonymous Content
 
Distributor
NA
 
Release Type

 
Filming Location(s)
Lancaster, Pennsylvania, USA
 
MPAA / Certificate
Rated R for language and some sexuality
 
Year of Release
2001
 

 
Genre(s)
Comedy/Drama
 
Keyword(s)
Diamond Men, Robert Forster, Donnie Wahlberg, Jasmine Guy, Bess Armstrong, George Coe, Kristin Minter, directed by Dan Cohen, written by Dan Cohen, Comedy, Drama, R-rated, box office performance, budget, reviewed by Jonathan Rosenbaum, Ella Taylor, Tom Keogh, Robert K Elder, Chris Vognar, Eric Harrison, Joe Leydon, Caffeinated Clint, Emanuel Levy, Philip Martin, David Nusair, Ross Anthony, mentor/protégé buddy film, Pennsylvania, diamond salesman, jewelry, heart attack, insurance risk, sales experience, friends, madam, training, replacement, coarse, brash, small shops, salesman’s life, sense of place, lovingly elaborated detail, rising star, sober authority, approachable masculinity, excellent characters, lame payoff, lost classic, beautiful miniature evocation, pair of exceedingly compelling characters, mildly pleasant film, well-written script, respecting the traditions of the past, small towns, not fearing what will come next
 

Cast & Crew

Robert Forster

Donnie Wahlberg

Bess Armstrong

Jasmine Guy

George Coe

Eddie Miller

Bobby Walker

Katie Harnish

Tina

Tip Rountree

Robert Forster – Eddie Miller
Donnie Wahlberg – Bobby Walker
Bess Armstrong – Katie Harnish
Jasmine Guy – Tina
George Coe – Tip Rountree
Kristin Minter – Cherry
Director – Dan Cohen
Writer – Dan Cohen

 

Dan Cohen

Dan Cohen

NA

Director

Writer

Producer

Producer

Producer

Director(s)
Dan Cohen
 
Writer(s)
Dan Cohen
 
Producer(s)
NA

 

Film Festivals

 
Awards & Nominations
3 wins & 1 nomination
 
Academy Awards

Top Reviews

Jonathan Rosenbaum

Ella Taylor

Tom Keogh

Robert K. Elder

Chris Vognar

Chicago Reader

L.A. Weekly

Seattle Times

Chicago Tribune

Dallas Morning News

DIAMOND MEN
 All Critics (62) | Top Critics (23) | Fresh (50) | Rotten (12)
 October 15, 2009 | Rating: 3/4
 
 Jonathan Rosenbaum
 Chicago Reader
 TOP CRITIC
 The movie is warmed by a fine sense of place and the lovingly elaborated detail of the salesman’s life.
 
 September 26, 2002
 
 Ella Taylor
 L.A. Weekly
 TOP CRITIC
 Wahlberg looks like a rising star, while the seasoned Forster manifests his usual sober authority and approachable masculinity.
 
 September 20, 2002 | Rating: 2.5/4
 
 Tom Keogh
 Seattle Times
 TOP CRITIC
 Sacrificing excellent characters to an ultimately lame payoff, Diamond Men’s potential as a diamond in the rough turn out to be more ‘rough’ than ‘diamond.’
 
 July 20, 2002
 
 Robert K. Elder
 Chicago Tribune
 TOP CRITIC
 Stilted, bland and two-dimensional.
 
 June 13, 2002 | Rating: C-
 
 Chris Vognar
 Dallas Morning News
 TOP CRITIC
 Delightful, low-key comedy.
 
 April 12, 2002 | Rating: B
 
 Eric Harrison
 Houston Chronicle
 TOP CRITIC
 It’s a little movie with a great big selling point: Robert Forster’s subtly nuanced and effortlessly engaging portrayal of Eddie Miller.
 
 July 18, 2014 | Rating: 3/4
 
 Joe Leydon
 The Moving Picture Show
 An excellently performed, superbly written film
 
 October 29, 2005 | Rating: 3/5
 
 Caffeinated Clint
 Moviehole
 August 10, 2005 | Rating: 2/5
 
 Emanuel Levy
 EmanuelLevy.Com
 …a lost classic, a beautiful miniature evocation of a unconventional, minor-key way of life.
 
 February 11, 2005 | Rating: A-
 
 Philip Martin
 Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
 …an incredibly entertaining look at a pair of exceedingly compelling characters.
 
 July 22, 2003 | Rating: 3.5/4
 
 David Nusair
 Reel Film Reviews
 A mildly pleasant film with two charming leads.
 
 April 16, 2003 | Rating: 2/4
 
 Ross Anthony
 Hollywood Report Card…

 

Plot
After a heart attack, diamond salesman Eddie Miller is forced to train his replacement, Bobby Walker, and the two become unlikely friends as Bobby introduces Eddie to a madam named Tina.
 
Trivia

 
Goofs / Tidbits
Robert Forster’s performance in Diamond Men is described as a “tour-de-force.”
 

 
Dan-Cohen.jpg

 
Production Company(ies)
Marvel Studios, Walt Disney Pictures, Moving Pictures, Company,
 
Distributor
E Stars Films, Warner Bros.
 
Release Type

 
Filming Location(s)
Hope, British Columbia, Canada
 
MPAA / Certificate
Rated R for strong violence and language
 
Year of Release
2001
 

 
Genre(s)
Crime/Mystery & thriller
 
Keyword(s)
starring Jack Nicholson, Robin Wright, Aaron Eckhart, Patricia Clarkson, Benicio Del Toro, Dale Dickey, Mickey Rourke, Harry Dean Stanton, Vanessa Redgrave, Sam Shepard, Helen Mirren, Sean Penn, directed by Sean Penn, written by Friedrich Dürrenmatt, Jerzy Kromolowski, Mary Olson-Kromolowski, crime, mystery, thriller, drama, R rating, box office gross, $19.7M, Dolby SR, DTS, Dolby Stereo, Surround, SDDS, Dolby A, Dolby Digital, Friedrich Dürrenmatt, Jerzy Kromolowski, Mary Olson-Kromolowski, reviewed by Jeff Strickler, Peter Rainer, Rick Groen, Nev Pierce, Richard Kelly, Jonathan Rosenbaum, Joanne Laurier, PJ Nabarro, Patrick Nabarro, Blake Howard, Joe Leydon, Nick Rogers
 

Cast & Crew

Jack Nicholson

Robin Wright

Aaron Eckhart

Patricia Clarkson

Benicio Del Toro

Jerry Black

Lori

Sam Krolak

Margaret Larsen

Toby Jay Wadenah

Jack Nicholson – Jerry Black
Robin Wright – Lori
Aaron Eckhart – Sam Krolak
Patricia Clarkson – Margaret Larsen
Benicio Del Toro – Toby Jay Wadenah
Dale Dickey – Strom

 

Sean Penn

Friedrich Dürrenmatt

Sean Penn

Elie Samaha

Michael Fitzgerald

Director

Writer

Producer

Producer

Producer

Director(s)
Sean Penn
 
Writer(s)
Friedrich Dürrenmatt, Jerzy Kromolowski, Mary Olson-Kromolowski
 
Producer(s)
Sean Penn, Elie Samaha, Michael Fitzgerald

 

Film Festivals

 
Awards & Nominations
1 win & 6 nominations
 
Academy Awards

Top Reviews

Jeff Strickler

Peter Rainer

Rick Groen

Nev Pierce

Richard Kelly

Minneapolis Star Tribune

New York Magazine/Vulture

Globe and Mail

BBC.com

Sight & Sound

THE PLEDGE
 All Critics (125) | Top Critics (38) | Fresh (97) | Rotten (28)
 Mystery-thriller buffs, promise yourselves that you’ll see The Pledge. And while you’re at it, be sure to invite along Jack Nicholson fans and anyone who saw the first two movies that Sean Penn directed.
 
 November 6, 2002 | Rating: 3.5/4
 
 Jeff Strickler
 Minneapolis Star Tribune
 TOP CRITIC
 Penn can’t be faulted for his work with the actors. Most of the featured players have only a scene or two, but they’re indelible.
 
 September 26, 2002
 
 Peter Rainer
 New York Magazine/Vulture
 TOP CRITIC
 Ultimately, the payoffs just aren’t there, either psychologically or dramatically.
 
 March 22, 2002 | Rating: 2.5/4
 
 Rick Groen
 Globe and Mail
 TOP CRITIC
 As enthralling as it sometimes is, there isn’t any point to the relentless grimness.
 
 October 12, 2001 | Rating: 3/5
 
 Nev Pierce
 BBC.com
 TOP CRITIC
 An elegant rejoinder to a tired genre, a consummate work of screen adaptation, and further evidence that there is precious little Sean Penn can’t achieve on film, whether before or behind the lens.
 
 October 4, 2001
 
 Richard Kelly
 Sight & Sound
 TOP CRITIC
 February 7, 2001 | Rating: 3/4
 
 Jonathan Rosenbaum
 Chicago Reader
 TOP CRITIC
 Penn has accommodated himself to the political and artistic status quo in an unfortunate manner.
 
 March 5, 2021
 
 Joanne Laurier
 World Socialist Web Site
 Penn intrinsically understands that there can be no epiphanies nor catharsis, as important portents and clues go unanswered as Black drifts into the mire of his obsession.
 
 December 2, 2018 | Rating: 4/5
 
 PJ Nabarro
 Patrick Nabarro
 It’s “one last ride” for our leading character Jerry Black (Nicholson), until he abandons the case and retires. It examines a man trying to relinquish his deduction instincts in exchange for a slippery grip on a ‘normal’ life.
 
 April 9, 2017 | Rating: 4/5
 
 Blake Howard
 Graffiti With Punctuation
 [Penn] sustains a mesmerizing intensity while relentlessly building toward an emotionally wrenching climax.
 
 July 18, 2014 | Rating: 4/4
 
 Joe Leydon
 The Moving Picture Show
 Sean Penn’s agonizing, angst-ridden “The Pledge” feels like a mystery less about murder and more about the inexplicable dangers of impulse and guilt. It’s also a waning opportunity to see Jack Nicholson as anything besides a silver-haired hornball.
 
 September 17, 2010 | Rating: 4/4
 
 Nick Rogers
 The Film Yap
 Its grip is on the mind but not the heart–a problem for a film that clearly aims for some emotional impact.
 
 March 26, 2010 | Rating: 2.5/4
 
 Michael Dequina
 TheMovieReport.com…

 

Plot
On the night he retires as a Reno, Nevada detective, Jerry Black (Jack Nicholson) pledges to the mother of a murdered girl that he will find the killer. Jerry doesn’t believe the Police arrested the right man. He discovers that this is the third incident in the area in the recent past with victims young, blonde, pretty, and small for their ages. So he buys an old gas station in the mountains near the crimes in order to search for a tall man who drives a black station wagon, gives toy porcupines as gifts, and calls himself “the wizard”, all clues from a drawing by the dead girl. Jerry’s solitary life gives way to friendship with a woman and her small, blonde daughter. Has Jerry neglected something that may prove to be fatal?
 
Trivia

 
Goofs / Tidbits
The Pledge features an excellent, subtle performance by Jack Nicholson.
 

 
Sean-Penn.jpg

 
Production Company(ies)
Warner Bros., Heyday Films, 1492 Pictures,
 
Distributor
NA
 
Release Type
Theatrical
 
Filming Location(s)
Brampton, Ontario, Canada
 
MPAA / Certificate
Rated R for some sexuality and language
 
Year of Release
2000
 

 
Genre(s)
Drama
 
Keyword(s)
starring Sigourney Weaver, Julianne Moore, David Strathairn, Ron Lea, Arliss Howard, Chloë Sevigny, directed by Scott Elliott, written by Peter Hedges, drama, box office performance, budget, reviewed by Emanuel Levy, Kevin Maynard, Jay Carr, Mike Clark, Janet Maslin, Lisa Schwarzbaum, Cole Smithey, Betsy Bozdech, Emanuel Levy, Robin Clifford, Sarah Chauncey, R MPAA rating, Kathleen Kennedy, Frank Marshall produced
 

Cast & Crew

Sigourney Weaver

Julianne Moore

David Strathairn

Ron Lea

Arliss Howard

Alice Goodwin

Theresa Collins

Howard Goodwin

Dan Collins

Paul Reverdy

Sigourney Weaver – Alice Goodwin
Julianne Moore – Theresa Collins
David Strathairn – Howard Goodwin
Ron Lea – Dan Collins
Arliss Howard – Paul Reverdy
Chloë Sevigny – Carole Mackessy

 

Scott Elliott

Peter Hedges

Kathleen Kennedy

Frank Marshall

Director

Writer

Producer

Producer

Producer

Director(s)
Scott Elliott
 
Writer(s)
Peter Hedges
 
Producer(s)
Kathleen Kennedy, Frank Marshall

 

Film Festivals

 
Awards & Nominations
3 wins & 6 nominations
 
Academy Awards

Top Reviews

Emanuel Levy

Kevin Maynard

Jay Carr

Mike Clark

Janet Maslin

Variety

Mr. Showbiz

Boston Globe

USA Today

New York Times

A MAP OF THE WORLD
 All Critics (56) | Top Critics (18) | Fresh (37) | Rotten (19)
 Sigourney Weaver dominates with her powerful performance but the film, a feature debut from theater director Scott Elliott, is so poorly conceived and staged that much of the emotional impact gets lost
 
 December 26, 2006 | Rating: C+
 
 Emanuel Levy
 Variety
 TOP CRITIC
 Worth navigating for its refusal to play to the crowd. There’s certainly nothing safe or sweet about Weaver’s performance.
 
 January 1, 2000
 
 Kevin Maynard
 Mr. Showbiz
 TOP CRITIC
 Gives three first-rate actors a chance to stretch.
 
 January 1, 2000 | Rating: 3/4
 
 Jay Carr
 Boston Globe
 TOP CRITIC
 Too many situations are set up or suggested without much follow-through.
 
 January 1, 2000 | Rating: 2.5/4
 
 Mike Clark
 USA Today
 TOP CRITIC
 The film overflows with the studied ordinariness that prevails in Mom movies, where glamorous Hollywood stars muck about in pajamas and a little epiphany may be signaled by a broken cereal bowl on the kitchen floor.
 
 January 1, 2000 | Rating: 2/5
 
 Janet Maslin
 New York Times
 TOP CRITIC
 In this season of Oscar-bait overacting, I’m grateful that “A Map of the World” includes recognizable emotional landmass.
 
 January 1, 2000 | Rating: B-
 
 Lisa Schwarzbaum
 Entertainment Weekly
 TOP CRITIC
 October 22, 2006 | Rating: 4/5
 
 Cole Smithey
 ColeSmithey.com
 A Map of the World is an actors’ movie, and it shows.
 
 October 21, 2006 | Rating: 3.5/4
 
 Betsy Bozdech
 DVDJournal.com
 June 30, 2005 | Rating: 2/5
 
 Emanuel Levy
 EmanuelLevy.Com
 April 9, 2005 | Rating: B
 
 Robin Clifford
 Reeling Reviews
 February 7, 2005 | Rating: 2/5
 
 Philip Martin
 Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
 June 4, 2004 | Rating: 4/5
 
 Sarah Chauncey
 Reel.com…

 

Plot
School nurse Alice Goodwin lives with her husband and two daughters on a dairy farm in a small Wisconsin community. After an accident on her property involving a friend’s child, the town turns against her and Alice finds herself fighting charges of child abuse.
 
Trivia

 
Goofs / Tidbits
Sigourney Weaver dominates with her powerful performance in A Map of the World.
 

 
Scott-Elliott.jpg

 
Production Company(ies)

 
Distributor
Touchstone Pictures, Buena Vista Pictures
 
Release Type
Theatrical
 
Filming Location(s)
New York City, New York, USA
 
MPAA / Certificate
Rated R for some language and sexuality
 
Year of Release
2000
 

 
Genre(s)
Drama
 
Keyword(s)
starring Hank Azaria, Ruben Blades, Joan Cusack, John Cusack, Cary Elwes, Philip Baker Hall, Angus Macfadyen, Susan Sarandon, directed by Tim Robbins, written by Tim Robbins, drama, R rating, Touchstone Pictures, Buena Vista Pictures, Lydia Dean Pilcher, Jon Kilik, Tim Robbins produced, $2.9M box office, reviewed by Anthony Lane, Christy Lemire, Walter Goodman, Nell Minow, David Ansen, Janet Maslin, Matt Brunson, Emanuel Levy, Rob Gonsalves, Betsy Bozdech, Brandon Judell, labor strikes, cultural revolution, Nelson Rockefeller, Diego Rivera, Margherita Sarfatti, Orson Welles, “The Cradle Will Rock”, U.S soldiers, capitalism, class warfare, artistic expression, Depression-era unions, FDR, Marc Blitzstein, anti-Semitic, Mussolini, fascism, 1930s, theatre, political power, Diego’s painting
 

Cast & Crew

Hank Azaria

Marc Blitzstein

Rubén Blades

Diego Rivera

Joan Cusack

Marc Blitzstein

Diego Rivera

Hazel Huffman

Nelson Rockefeller

John Houseman

Hank Azaria – Marc Blitzstein
Rubén Blades – Diego Rivera
Joan Cusack – Hazel Huffman
John Cusack – Nelson Rockefeller
Cary Elwes – John Houseman
Philip Baker Hall – Gray Mathers
Director – Tim Robbins
Producers – Lydia Dean Pilcher, Jon Kilik, Tim Robbins
Writer – Tim Robbins

 

Tim Robbins

Tim Robbins

Lydia Dean Pilcher

Jon Kilik

Tim Robbins

Director

Writer

Producer

Producer

Producer

Director(s)
Tim Robbins
 
Writer(s)
Tim Robbins
 
Producer(s)
Lydia Dean Pilcher, Jon Kilik, Tim Robbins

 

Film Festivals

 
Awards & Nominations
5 wins & 7 nominations
 
Academy Awards

Top Reviews

Anthony Lane

Christy Lemire

Walter Goodman

Nell Minow

David Ansen

New Yorker

ChristyLemire.com

New York Times

Common Sense Media

Newsweek

CRADLE WILL ROCK
 All Critics (74) | Top Critics (22) | Fresh (48) | Rotten (26)
 It could have been a mess, and there are patches where Robbins’s inspiration wears a little thin; yet, all in all, his ambitious tolerance pays off…
 
 February 1, 2021
 
 Anthony Lane
 New Yorker
 TOP CRITIC
 The let’s-put-on-a-show energy can be intoxicating. But man, does it take a long time to achieve that high.
 
 May 7, 2018 | Rating: 2/4
 
 Christy Lemire
 ChristyLemire.com
 TOP CRITIC
 It is impossible to take the show seriously, as put together in Mr. Robbins’s cliche-jammed version…
 
 November 30, 2017
 
 Walter Goodman
 New York Times
 TOP CRITIC
 Art and politics and ideals; mature.
 
 December 22, 2010 | Rating: 4/5
 
 Nell Minow
 Common Sense Media
 TOP CRITIC
 Robbins eschews leftist diatribes for a bold cartoon version of history. It’s as crowded and energetic as a big parade.
 
 March 31, 2008
 
 David Ansen
 Newsweek
 TOP CRITIC
 January 1, 2000 | Rating: 3/5
 
 Janet Maslin
 New York Times
 TOP CRITIC
 While writer-director Tim Robbins uses this entertaining film to touch upon capitalism and class warfare, he’s mainly interested in championing artistic expression.
 
 June 7, 2021 | Rating: 3.5/4
 
 Matt Brunson
 Film Frenzy
 Art and politics collide in Tim Robbins’ ambitious but not entirely successful effort to recreate a unique moment in American culture circa 1937.
 
 August 14, 2010 | Rating: C+
 
 Emanuel Levy
 EmanuelLevy.Com
 The movie’s radical stance is that artists should get to do their art without being destroyed by mean rich people, and aren’t we just wonderful for agreeing with that?
 
 July 30, 2007 | Rating: 3/5
 
 Rob Gonsalves
 eFilmCritic.com
 As passionate and interesting as the film is, it’s about as subtle as a brick wall.
 
 September 1, 2006 | Rating: 3/4
 
 Betsy Bozdech
 Reel.com
 Bertolt Brecht is probably doing somersaults of joy in his grave or wherever his remains happen to be.
 
 August 6, 2006
 
 Brandon Judell
 PlanetOut
 Cradle Will Rock is a far from perfect film, but it’s never less than fascinating.
 
 May 26, 2006 | Rating: 3/4
 
 Jeffrey M. Anderson
 Combustible Celluloid…

 

Plot
In 1930s New York Orson Welles tries to stage a musical on a steel strike under the Federal Theater Program despite pressure from an establishment fearful of industrial unrest and red activity. Meanwhile Nelson Rockefeller gets the foyer of his company headquarters decorated and an Italian countess sells paintings for Mussolini.
 
Trivia

 
Goofs / Tidbits
The film boasts an impressive all-star cast, including John Cusack, Susan Sarandon, and Cary Elwes.
 

 
Tim-Robbins.jpg

 
Production Company(ies)
micro_scope T S Productions, Phi Group
 
Distributor
Miramax Films
 
Release Type
Theatrical
 
Filming Location(s)
Agnes Scott College – 141 E. College Avenue, Decatur, Georgia, USA
 
MPAA / Certificate
Rated R for language and strong bloody violence
 
Year of Release
1997
 

 
Genre(s)
Horror/Comedy
 
Keyword(s)
starring Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox, David Arquette, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Jamie Kennedy, Laurie Metcalf, Timothy Olyphant, Rebecca Gayheart, directed by Wes Craven, written by Kevin Williamson, produced by Cathy Konrad, Marianne Maddalena, horror, comedy, box office performance, budget, reviewed by Nick Schager, Chris Nashawaty, Leonard Klady, Kim Newman, Lisa Alspector, Derek Adams, Stephanie Archer, Ian Thomas Malone, Trace Thurman, Mike Massie, Federico Furzan, C.H Newell, R MPAA rating, college, copycat killer, slasher, satire, horror movie conventions, sequel, self-awareness, violence in media, effects on youth, scary movie, terrible horror sequels, survivors, murder spree, mystery, twist ending, Ghostface killings, campus, satire on horror movie sequels
 

Cast & Crew

David Arquette

Neve Campbell

Courteney Cox

Sarah Michelle Gellar

Jamie Kennedy

Dwight “Dewey” Riley

Sidney Prescott

Gale Weathers

Casey “Cici” Cooper

Randy Meeks

David Arquette – Dwight “Dewey” Riley
Neve Campbell – Sidney Prescott
Courteney Cox – Gale Weathers
Sarah Michelle Gellar – Casey “Cici” Cooper
Jamie Kennedy – Randy Meeks
Laurie Metcalf – Debbie Salt

 

Wes Craven

Kevin Williamson

Cathy Konrad

Marianne Maddalena

Director

Writer

Producer

Producer

Producer

Director(s)
Wes Craven
 
Writer(s)
Kevin Williamson, Kevin Williamson
 
Producer(s)
Cathy Konrad, Marianne Maddalena

 

Film Festivals

 
Awards & Nominations
8 wins & 13 nominations
 
Academy Awards

Top Reviews

Nick Schager

Chris Nashawaty

Leonard Klady

Kim Newman

Lisa Alspector

Lessons of Darkness

Entertainment Weekly

Variety

Empire Magazine

Chicago Reader

SCREAM 2
 All Critics (80) | Top Critics (22) | Fresh (65) | Rotten (15)
 Its self-awareness has a brashness that can be enlivening.
 
 May 20, 2011 | Rating: B
 
 Nick Schager
 Lessons of Darkness
 TOP CRITIC
 The rest of the cast of disposable archetypes deadpanned about why ”sequels suck” — a particularly funny joke, since this one didn’t.
 
 March 24, 2011 | Rating: B
 
 Chris Nashawaty
 Entertainment Weekly
 TOP CRITIC
 Visceral, witty and appropriately redundant…
 
 July 28, 2008
 
 Leonard Klady
 Variety
 TOP CRITIC
 Clever parody of the sequel trend; once again we are treated to a movie mocking its own conventions. Some great comic — and terrifying — moments, but suffers for not being as original as the original.
 
 September 23, 2007 | Rating: 3/4
 
 Kim Newman
 Empire Magazine
 TOP CRITIC
 If you liked Scream there’s no reason you shouldn’t like this sequel.
 
 September 23, 2007
 
 Lisa Alspector
 Chicago Reader
 TOP CRITIC
 The film itself is stuck in a cycle of repetition, with slight variations.
 
 June 24, 2006
 
 Derek Adams
 Time Out
 TOP CRITIC
 While the film does fall into place alongside many of its horror predecessors, its awareness of self and strive for continuity elevates it beyond “just another sequel”.
 
 November 13, 2021
 
 Stephanie Archer
 Film Inquiry
 Craven almost surpasses the original Scream, a top-notch narrative that’s just a bit too overstuffed for its runtime.
 
 October 14, 2021
 
 Ian Thomas Malone
 Ian Thomas Malone
 A perfect horror sequel.
 
 December 30, 2020 | Rating: 5/5
 
 Trace Thurman
 Horror Queers Podcast
 At least the movie-within-a-movie angle and the creative liberties taken with details in Gale’s book are somewhat clever.
 
 September 24, 2020 | Rating: 4/10
 
 Mike Massie
 Gone With The Twins
 A solid sequel that does a great job at making fun of itself. [Full review in Spanish].
 
 April 22, 2020 | Rating: 3/4
 
 Federico Furzan
 Cinelipsis
 Running the gamut from horror parody to the inclusion of high art and stage tragedy, Scream 2 like a great piece of literary fiction.
 
 May 6, 2019 | Rating: 4/5
 
 C.H. Newell
 Father Son Holy Gore…

 

Plot
Two years after the events of Scream, Sidney Prescott and Randy are attending Windsor college. They are trying to get on with their lives…Until a new Ghostface killing spree begins. With the help of Dewey and Gale, Sidney must find out who’s behind the murders. As the body count goes up, the list of suspects goes down.
 
Trivia

 
Goofs / Tidbits
There is no goofy or funny comment about the film in the Fresh Kernels database.
 

 
Wes-Craven.jpg

 
Production Company(ies)
Walt Disney Animation Studios, Walt Disney Pictures,
 
Distributor
Paramount Pictures
 
Release Type

 
Filming Location(s)
Tsavo National Park, Kenya
 
MPAA / Certificate
Rated R for some violence and gore involving animal attacks
 
Year of Release
1996
 

 
Genre(s)
Adventure
 
Keyword(s)
starring Michael Douglas, Val Kilmer, Tom Wilkinson, John Kani, Bernard Hill, Brian McCardie, Henry Cele, directed by Stephen Hopkins, written by William Goldman, adventure, R rating, box office gross $38.6M, reviewed by Lisa Schwarzbaum, Susan Stark, Mick LaSalle, Liam Lacey, Peter Travers, Kenneth Turan, Wesley Lovell, Don Shanahan, Mike Massie, Barbara Shulgasser, Lions, Africa, railroad, engineer, hunter, supernatural, suspenseful, true story, Paramount Pictures, Paul B Radin, Gale Anne Hurd, A Kitman Ho, sound mix surround
 

Cast & Crew

Michael Douglas

Val Kilmer

Tom Wilkinson

John Kani

Bernard Hill

Charles Remington

Col. John Henry Patterson

Robert Beaumont

Samuel

Dr. David Hawthorne

Michael Douglas – Charles Remington
Val Kilmer – Col. John Henry Patterson
Tom Wilkinson – Robert Beaumont
John Kani – Samuel
Bernard Hill – Dr. David Hawthorne
Brian McCardie – Angus Starling
Director – Stephen Hopkins
Producer – Paul B. Radin, Gale Anne Hurd, A. Kitman Ho
Writer – William Goldman

 

Stephen Hopkins

William Goldman

Paul B. Radin

Gale Anne Hurd

A. Kitman Ho

Director

Writer

Producer

Producer

Producer

Director(s)
Stephen Hopkins
 
Writer(s)
William Goldman
 
Producer(s)
Paul B. Radin, Gale Anne Hurd, A. Kitman Ho

 

Film Festivals

 
Awards & Nominations
NA
 
Academy Awards

Top Reviews

Lisa Schwarzbaum

Susan Stark

Mick LaSalle

Liam Lacey

Peter Travers

Entertainment Weekly

Detroit News

San Francisco Chronicle

Globe and Mail

Rolling Stone

THE GHOST AND THE DARKNESS
 All Critics (51) | Top Critics (12) | Fresh (26) | Rotten (25)
 September 7, 2011 | Rating: C
 
 Lisa Schwarzbaum
 Entertainment Weekly
 TOP CRITIC
 July 2, 2002 | Rating: 1/4
 
 Susan Stark
 Detroit News
 TOP CRITIC
 The picture is too lightweight, too posturing and too self-important to go in an introspective direction.
 
 June 18, 2002 | Rating: 1/4
 
 Mick LaSalle
 San Francisco Chronicle
 TOP CRITIC
 Ranges in quality from adolescent boys’ adventure stories to Heart of Darkness.
 
 April 12, 2002 | Rating: 2/4
 
 Liam Lacey
 Globe and Mail
 TOP CRITIC
 When the movie sticks to fact, the result is a hypnotic spectacle.
 
 May 12, 2001
 
 Peter Travers
 Rolling Stone
 TOP CRITIC
 Can’t transcend a too-familiar script.
 
 February 14, 2001 | Rating: 2/5
 
 Kenneth Turan
 Los Angeles Times
 TOP CRITIC
 The Ghost in the Darkness tries to give the audience a connection between the desire to finish what one has started with the notion of fatherhood, but some of that salience is lost by the films exciting finale.
 
 February 12, 2022 | Rating: 3.5/4
 
 Wesley Lovell
 Cinema Sight
 Aurally, the movie sneaks up on you from all directions with maximized terror.
 
 August 11, 2021 | Rating: 4/5
 
 Don Shanahan
 25YL (25 Years Later)
 The use of real Maasai warriors and location shooting in South Africa increases the authenticity of the production.
 
 September 14, 2020 | Rating: 3/10
 
 Mike Massie
 Gone With The Twins
 Lions terrorize bridge-building crew; gore and violence.
 
 May 21, 2020 | Rating: 2/5
 
 Barbara Shulgasser
 Common Sense Media
 Hopkins’ direction is competent, and Goldman’s screenplay merely serves its purpose.
 
 June 23, 2019 | Rating: C
 
 Zaki Hasan
 Zaki’s Corner
 May 6, 2006 | Rating: 6/10
 
 JoBlo
 JoBlo’s Movie Network…

 

Plot
Sir Robert Beaumont is behind schedule on a railroad in Africa. Enlisting noted engineer John Henry Patterson to right the ship, Beaumont expects results. Everything seems great until the crew discovers the mutilated corpse of the project’s foreman, seemingly killed by a lion. After several more attacks, Patterson calls in famed hunter Charles Remington, who has finally met his match in the bloodthirsty lions.
 
Trivia

 
Goofs / Tidbits
Michael Douglas is “wildly scenery chewing” in his role as Charles Remington.
 

 
Stephen-Hopkins.jpg

 
Production Company(ies)
Ear Goggles
 
Distributor
Fox
 
Release Type
Theatrical
 
Filming Location(s)
Brolio, Castiglion Fiorentino, Arezzo, Tuscany, Italy
 
MPAA / Certificate
Rated R for strong sexuality, nudity, some drug use and language
 
Year of Release
1996
 

 
Genre(s)
Drama
 
Keyword(s)
starring Liv Tyler, Sinead Cusack, Donal McCann, Jeremy Irons, Jean Marais, Rachel Weisz, directed by Bernardo Bertolucci, written by Bernardo Bertolucci, Susan Minot, drama, R rating, box office gross $4.6M, Fox, produced by Jeremy Thomas, reviewed by Joe Morgenstern, Anne Billson, Adam Mars-Jones, Desson Thomson, Jonathan Rosenbaum, Geoff Andrew, Michael Atkinson, Joyce Slaton, Cole Smithey, Jeffrey M Anderson, Susan Granger, coming of age, Tuscany, poetry, family history, suicide, male suitors, lessons about love, unattainable love, callow, pretty, unexpected lessons, ensemble cast, glancing richness, pseudo-profundity, eroticism, parabohemian lifestyles, meditation on sex, life, death, older teens only, radiant, self-indulgence, arthouse, sculpting, virginity, Italian countryside, tastefully done, beautiful story, cinematography, mature performance, box office performance
 

Cast & Crew

Liv Tyler

Sinead Cusack

Donal McCann

Jeremy Irons

Jean Marais

Lucy

Diana

Ian

Alex

M. Guillaume

Liv Tyler – Lucy
Sinead Cusack – Diana
Donal McCann – Ian
Jeremy Irons – Alex
Jean Marais – M. Guillaume
Rachel Weisz – Miranda

 

Bernardo Bertolucci

Bernardo Bertolucci

Jeremy Thomas

Director

Writer

Producer

Producer

Producer

Director(s)
Bernardo Bertolucci
 
Writer(s)
Bernardo Bertolucci, Susan Minot
 
Producer(s)
Jeremy Thomas

 

Film Festivals
Sundance, Cannes
 
Awards & Nominations
3 wins & 11 nominations
 
Academy Awards

Top Reviews

Joe Morgenstern

Anne Billson

Adam Mars-Jones

Desson Thomson

Jonathan Rosenbaum

Wall Street Journal

Daily Telegraph (UK)

Independent (UK)

Washington Post

Chicago Reader

STEALING BEAUTY
 All Critics (51) | Top Critics (17) | Fresh (26) | Rotten (25)
 Very pretty, and very creepy.
 
 December 12, 2018
 
 Joe Morgenstern
 Wall Street Journal
 TOP CRITIC
 Is there not something a little disturbing about the way in which ageing male film-makers are applauded for their ogling of actresses young enough to be their granddaughters?
 
 November 22, 2017
 
 Anne Billson
 Daily Telegraph (UK)
 TOP CRITIC
 Unusually for Bertolucci, the film is an ensemble piece, with great glancing richness of detail conveyed by a wonderful cast.
 
 November 16, 2017
 
 Adam Mars-Jones
 Independent (UK)
 TOP CRITIC
 [A] hilariously inscrutable exercise in pseudo-profundity.
 
 December 7, 2007
 
 Desson Thomson
 Washington Post
 TOP CRITIC
 A civilized, mellow, and generally graceful chamber piece.
 
 December 7, 2007
 
 Jonathan Rosenbaum
 Chicago Reader
 TOP CRITIC
 A welcome reminder of Bertolucci’s directorial assurance.
 
 February 9, 2006
 
 Geoff Andrew
 Time Out
 TOP CRITIC
 Bertolucci’s florid, rather sophomoric notions of decadent eroticism and parabohemian lifestyles are delivered in elliptical, inconclusive fiction-workshop parcels.
 
 October 25, 2019
 
 Michael Atkinson
 Spin
 Meditation on sex, life, death; older teens only.
 
 January 2, 2011 | Rating: 4/5
 
 Joyce Slaton
 Common Sense Media
 December 14, 2007 | Rating: 4/5
 
 Cole Smithey
 ColeSmithey.com
 I find it to be one of his most sublime achievements, filled with a sunny laziness and slow awakening.
 
 May 26, 2006 | Rating: 3/4
 
 Jeffrey M. Anderson
 Combustible Celluloid
 December 16, 2005 | Rating: 3/5
 
 Susan Granger
 www.susangranger.com
 Liv Tyler is radiant, but the film itself suffers from the same self-indulgence that always hampers Bertolucci’s work.
 
 October 9, 2005 | Rating: 2/5
 
 Chuck O’Leary
 Fantastica Daily…

 

Plot
For 20 years, many visitors have come to the villa on an Italian hilltop owned by an English artist. Lucy, a 19-year-old American, was last there four years ago and wants to meet up again with the young Italian who kissed her and corresponded for a while. She has brought the diary of her late mother, filled with enigmatic poems that suggest Lucy was conceived on that hilltop. Lucy wants to find out if Daddy is the Italian war correspondent who wrote to her mother for 20 years. Then again Daddy could be the dying English playwright in residence, or the artist who uses a chainsaw on tree trunks for his sculptures. The three, of course, have no idea that Lucy is there to solve a mystery. They, the artist’s wife and daughter, and the daughter’s American lover are most intrigued by Lucy’s virginity.
 
Trivia

 
Goofs / Tidbits
Liv Tyler plays the lead role of Lucy Harmon in Stealing Beauty.
 

 
Bernardo-Bertolucci.jpg