Kit Kittredge: An American Girl (2008)
79%RT Audience Score: 69%
Awards & Nominations: 2 wins & 5 nominations
Refreshingly sweet and sincere, Kit’s doll-and-book-inspired do-good mystery may be geared towards the tween girl but will please audiences of all ages
Kit Kittredge: An American Girl” is a heartwarming movie that teaches kids about the Great Depression without being a total snooze-fest. Plus, who doesn’t love a movie with Eleanor Roosevelt in the opening scene? The performances are solid and the characters are colorful, making it a fun watch for both kids and adults. Just be prepared for an ending that’s a little too sappy, even for a children’s film. Overall, it’s a great movie to watch with the kids in your life and maybe even learn a thing or two about history.
Production Company(ies)
Distributor
Picturehouse
Release Type
Theatrical
Filming Location(s)
58 Baby Point Road, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
MPAA / Certificate
G
Year of Release
2008
-
Color:Color
-
Sound mix:SDDS DTS Dolby Digital
-
Aspect ratio:1.85 : 1
-
Runtime:1h 40m
-
Language(s):English
-
Country of origin:United States
-
Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Jul 2, 2008 Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Oct 28, 2008
Genre(s)
Comedy/Kids & family
Keyword(s)
Kit Kittredge: An American Girl, Abigail Breslin, Joan Cusack, Jane Krakowski, Stanley Tucci, Chris O’Donnell, Julia Ormond, directed by Patricia Rozema, written by Ann Peacock, comedy, kids & family, drama, box office performance, budget, reviewed by Stephen Garrett, Tim Grierson, Amy Nicholson, Lisa Schwarzbaum, Stephen Hunter, Jeannette Catsoulis, Elaine Goldsmith-Thomas, Ellen L Brothers, Lisa Roberts Gillan, Julie Goldstein, produced by, MPAA rating, Depression-era Cincinnati, crime spree, hobo community, doll-and-book-inspired, do-good mystery, tween girl, refreshing, sweet, sincere, audience of all ages
Worldwide gross: $17,657,973
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $24,323,183
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,634
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 2,652,474
US/Canada gross: $17,657,973
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $24,323,183
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,346
US/Canada opening weekend: $220,297
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $303,451
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,539
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): $10,000,000
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): $13,774,618
Production budget ranking: 1,543
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): $7,417,632
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): $3,130,933
ROI to date (est.): 15%
ROI ranking: 1,320
Joan Cusack – Miss Bond
Jane Krakowski – Miss Dooley
Stanley Tucci – Mr. Berk
Chris O’Donnell – Mr. Kittredge
Julia Ormond – Mrs. Kittredge
Director(s)
Patricia Rozema
Writer(s)
Ann Peacock
Producer(s)
Elaine Goldsmith-Thomas, Ellen L. Brothers, Lisa Roberts Gillan, Julie Goldstein
Film Festivals
Toronto
Awards & Nominations
2 wins & 5 nominations
Academy Awards
All Critics (105) | Top Critics (38) | Fresh (84) | Rotten (21)
November 17, 2011 | Rating: 2/5
Stephen Garrett
Time Out
TOP CRITIC
Emotionally affecting but dramatically wobbly, “Kit Kittredge: An American Girl” touchingly illustrates the sting of poverty without overly resorting to childish shenanigans.
July 22, 2008 | Rating: 3/4
Tim Grierson
Screen International
TOP CRITIC
It’s hard to dislike a tween picture that opens with Eleanor Roosevelt, but if explaining mortgage meltdowns to their tots doesn’t sent parents screaming, the performances will.
July 4, 2008 | Rating: B-
Amy Nicholson
I.E. Weekly
TOP CRITIC
A gently thoughtful, audience-appropriate entertainment that assembles swell actors to play colorful characters who don’t shy away from depicting serious hard times.
July 3, 2008 | Rating: B+
Lisa Schwarzbaum
Entertainment Weekly
TOP CRITIC
The tweener girls for whom it is aimed deserve better. A mind is a terrible thing to waste.
July 2, 2008
Stephen Hunter
Washington Post
TOP CRITIC
This classy, heart-on-its-sleeve movie is packed with laudable life lessons and Depression-era trivia.
July 2, 2008 | Rating: 3.5/5
Jeannette Catsoulis
New York Times
TOP CRITIC
This first full-length film inspired by the American Girl doll series may very well become an American classic to delight young children for years to come.
September 13, 2020 | Rating: 3.5/4.0
Richard Propes
TheIndependentCritic.com
Kittredge may lack the fanfare of its fellow films, but it proves to be an interesting experience that should please its target audience.
October 29, 2019
Micheal Compton
Bowling Green Daily News
Do yourself a favor. Do a favor for the kids you like and love. Take them to see Kit Kittredge: An American Girl. Not just girls you like and love. Boys, too. If you are an adult, you will have a good time.
December 13, 2018
Dan DiNicola
The Daily Gazette (Schenectady, NY)
If you can make it through an ending that’s over-the-top sappy, even for a children’s film, you’ll find a story about a girl who does embody some of the best ideals of American girlhood.
December 13, 2018 | Rating: 2.5/4
Kelly Jane Torrance
Washington Times
By [the end] point, the gentle humor and selfless sentiment of the film has done its work, and you’re likely to walk away with some uplifting life lessons to discuss with your kids.
October 11, 2018
Megan Basham
WORLD
Set in a well-scrubbed Depression-era Cincinnati, Kit Kittredge is surprisingly effective at addressing economic hardship in terms kids can understand.
August 21, 2017
Annie Wagner
The Stranger (Seattle, WA)…
Plot
During the Great Depression, Kit Kittredge and her friends Ruthie and Stirling investigate a crime spree in their Ohio city that is blamed on the local hobo community, but they uncover a plot that goes beyond their city.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
The film stars Abigail Breslin as Kit Kittredge, a girl with a nose for news and a knack for picking up strays.
Patricia-Rozema.jpg
79%
Water Lilies (2008)
79%RT Audience Score: 68%
Awards & Nominations: 4 wins & 7 nominations
Water Lilies is a film that delves into the complexities of teenage relationships, exploring themes of love, manipulation, and betrayal. While some critics have found the film lacking in character development, it is clear that director Céline Sciamma is a force to be reckoned with. The sparse and stripped-down nature of the film is admirable, as it avoids the typical trappings of teenage dramas. Instead, it offers a potent insight into the unspoken desires and unrequited love that often define teenage sexuality. With little dialogue, Sciamma manages to create an intense and deeply personal film that is both moving and fascinating. Overall, Water Lilies is a brave and thought-provoking exploration of female friendship and the complexities of growing up.
Water Lilies is a film that explores the complexities of teenage relationships, particularly those between young girls. While some critics found the lack of character insight disappointing, others praised the film’s bravery in tackling difficult topics without relying on cliches. The movie is a fascinating exploration of female friendship, love, manipulation, betrayal, and healing, and it’s clear that director Céline Sciamma is a force to be reckoned with. Overall, Water Lilies is a must-watch for anyone who wants to relive the awkwardness and intensity of adolescence, but with a French twist.
Production Company(ies)
Kurosawa Production Co., Sammy Toho Company,
Distributor
NA
Release Type
Filming Location(s)
Cergy, Val-d’Oise, France
MPAA / Certificate
Year of Release
2007
-
Color:Color
-
Sound mix:Dolby
-
Aspect ratio:1.85 : 1
-
Runtime:NA
-
Language(s):French
-
Country of origin:United States
-
Release date:Release Date (Streaming): Sep 16, 2008
Genre(s)
Comedy/Drama
Keyword(s)
Water Lilies, Comedy, Drama, French, Céline Sciamma, Bénédicte Couvreur, Jérôme Dopffer, Pauline Acquart, Louise Blachère, Adèle Haenel, Warren Jacquin, Barbara Renard, coming-of-age, teenage sexuality, synchronized swimming, French suburb, box office, $77.3K, reviewed by Drew Gregory, Alyx Vesey, Deborah Ross, Wesley Morris, Melissa Anderson, Michael O’Sullivan, Chase Burns, Lisa Nesselson, Mattie Lucas, Kaleem Aftab, Pamela Jahn, MPAA rating, female friendship, love, manipulation, betrayal, healing
Worldwide gross: $628,258
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $900,022
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,619
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 98,149
US/Canada gross: $85,440
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $122,399
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,638
US/Canada opening weekend: $7,418
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $10,627
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,690
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): NA
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): NA
Production budget ranking: NA
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
ROI to date (est.): NA
ROI ranking: NA
Louise Blachère – Anne
Adèle Haenel – Floriane
Warren Jacquin – François
Barbara Renard – Natacha
Céline Sciamma – Director
Bénédicte Couvreur – Producer
Jérôme Dopffer – Producer
Céline Sciamma – Writer
Director(s)
Céline Sciamma
Writer(s)
Céline Sciamma
Producer(s)
Bénédicte Couvreur, Jérôme Dopffer
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
4 wins & 7 nominations
Academy Awards
All Critics (49) | Top Critics (21) | Fresh (40) | Rotten (9)
The greatest strength of Sciamma’s film is that Sciamma herself is the point of view – not Marie.
February 26, 2021
Drew Gregory
Autostraddle
TOP CRITIC
The film lacks much insight into the characters’ subjectivities…. [But] I think the relationships developed and intimacies shared in [Water Lilies is] moving and deeply felt.
January 11, 2021
Alyx Vesey
Bitch Media
TOP CRITIC
This is a brave film, and admirable for that. It’s brave because it’s sparse and stripped to the bone; because it’s about teenage girls but it doesn’t hide behind cell phones and make-up and fashion and annoying parents who just don’t understand.
August 23, 2018
Deborah Ross
The Spectator
TOP CRITIC
November 24, 2011 | Rating: 2/4
Wesley Morris
Boston Globe
TOP CRITIC
November 17, 2011 | Rating: 3/5
Melissa Anderson
Time Out
TOP CRITIC
A fascinating exploration of female friendship, love, manipulation, betrayal and healing.
July 31, 2008
Michael O’Sullivan
Washington Post
TOP CRITIC
Even with this debut, it’s clear Sciamma is a force.
December 9, 2021
Chase Burns
The Stranger (Seattle, WA)
Parents and other authority figures are so tangential…
November 11, 2020
Lisa Nesselson
France24
Display(s) a potent insight into teenage sexuality, unspoken desires, and unrequited love.
July 6, 2019 | Rating: 3.5/4
Mattie Lucas
From the Front Row
This is all too predictable, though there is sufficient evidence here that Sciamma is a talent to watch out for in the future.
November 4, 2018 | Rating: 3/5
Kaleem Aftab
The List
With little dialogue it is an intense film that, one feels, deeply reflects the director’s personal experience.
September 26, 2017
Pamela Jahn
Electric Sheep
Frankly and sensitively packs in a lot of teen girls’ yearning for conformity above the water line and down below%u2013 pressure, insecurity, romance, and sexual exploration.
December 7, 2008 | Rating: 8/11
Nora Lee Mandel
Film-Forward.com…
Plot
Set in a French suburb during a hot summer, Water Lilies follows Marie’s desire to join the local synchronized swimming team, which may be driven by her attraction to the team’s bad girl, Floriane, in this coming-of-age drama that explores teenage sexuality.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
There is no goofy or funny or odd comment about the film Water Lilies on Fresh Kernels.
Céline-Sciamma.jpg
79%
Tokyo! (2008)
79%RT Audience Score: 72%
Awards & Nominations: NA
An imaginative, if uneven, love letter to a city that signals a great creative enterprise by its three contributing directors
Tokyo! is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you’re going to get. But instead of chocolates, it’s three short films by three different directors. Some critics loved it, some hated it, and some were just plain confused. But one thing is for sure, Tokyo! is a wild ride through the streets of Tokyo, with each director offering their own unique take on the city. Whether you’re a fan of science fiction, fantasy, or just good old-fashioned storytelling, there’s something for everyone in Tokyo! So grab some popcorn, sit back, and enjoy the ride.
Production Company(ies)
Alfred J. Hitchcock Productions,
Distributor
Vitagraph Films
Release Type
Streaming, Theatrical, Theatrical (Limited)
Filming Location(s)
MPAA / Certificate
TV-MA
Year of Release
2008
-
Color:Color
-
Sound mix:Dolby Digital Dolby Atmos
-
Aspect ratio:2.00 : 1
-
Runtime:1h 52m
-
Language(s):
-
Country of origin:Japan, Korea (South), France, Germany
-
Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Mar 6, 2009 Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Jun 30, 2009
Genre(s)
Drama
Keyword(s)
starring Ryô Kase, Ayako Fujitani, Denis Lavant, Teruyuki Kagawa, Yû Aoi, Jean-François Balmer, directed by Bong Joon Ho, Leos Carax, Michel Gondry, written by Bong Joon Ho, Leos Carax, Michel Gondry, drama, box office performance, budget, reviewed by Nicolas Rapold, Hank Sartin, Joshua Rothkopf, Kate Taylor, Philip Kennicott, Dennis Schwartz, Kelly Vance, Sonny Bunch, Fernando F Croce, Leo Goldsmith, Bill Gibron, produced by Michiko Yoshitake, MPAA rating, Tokyo, Japan, city life, surreal, love, loneliness, metamorphosis, sewer-dweller, manhole, pedestrians, trial, courtroom, pizza delivery woman, couple, solitude, exclamation point, city-centric, world-renowned auteurs, fantasy, science fiction, alienation, affection, hidden, disappearing, suppressed, luxury, love letter
Worldwide gross: NA
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): NA
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): NA
US/Canada gross: NA
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada opening weekend:
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): NA
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): NA
Production budget ranking: NA
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
ROI to date (est.): NA
ROI ranking: NA
Ayako Fujitani – Hiroko
Denis Lavant – Merde
Teruyuki Kagawa – The Man
Yû Aoi – Pizza Delivery Girl
Jean-François Balmer – Maître Voland
Bong Joon Ho – Director, Writer
Leos Carax – Director, Writer
Michel Gondry – Director, Writer
Michiko Yoshitake – Producer
Director(s)
Bong Joon Ho, Leos Carax, Michel Gondry
Writer(s)
Bong Joon Ho, Leos Carax, Michel Gondry
Producer(s)
Michiko Yoshitake
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
NA
Academy Awards
All Critics (66) | Top Critics (26) | Fresh (50) | Rotten (16)
Gondry, Carax, and Bong work up three riffs not on Tokyo but on “Tokyo”-all reasonably diverting and offering distinctive curlicues on the title’s exclamation point.
October 20, 2014
Nicolas Rapold
Film Comment Magazine
TOP CRITIC
November 18, 2011 | Rating: 3/5
Hank Sartin
Time Out
TOP CRITIC
November 17, 2011 | Rating: 2/5
Joshua Rothkopf
Time Out
TOP CRITIC
Paris, New York and even Toronto have all gotten their due in a recent wave of city-centric omnibus films that let world-renowned auteurs run wild in their streets. Yet none of these yielded anything as strange or as idiosyncratic as Tokyo!
June 5, 2009 | Rating: 3/4
Jason Anderson
Toronto Star
TOP CRITIC
Perhaps it is inevitable as three foreign directors train their lenses on that unique island culture of the East that all three are propelled by fantasy or science fiction, and suggest more alienation from Tokyo than affection for the great city.
June 5, 2009 | Rating: 3/4
Kate Taylor
Globe and Mail
TOP CRITIC
All three films deal with things hidden, or disappearing, or suppressed. But Tokyo, if anything, becomes more of a mystery after Tokyo! than it was before.
April 9, 2009
Philip Kennicott
Washington Post
TOP CRITIC
My problem is that even though the three weird stories are intriguing and of interest in their own right, but when compiled as one film they seemed undeveloped.
November 9, 2011 | Rating: C+
Dennis Schwartz
Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews
All three screenplays were probably composed on the plane to Japan. With any luck, this trend will die out.
August 16, 2011
Kelly Vance
East Bay Express
If Tokyo! has a unifying idea, it’s the devastating effect loneliness has on the psyche, an interesting choice given Tokyo’s status as one of the world’s densest cities.
August 30, 2009 | Rating: 2.5/4
Sonny Bunch
Washington Times
Tickles, repulses, and beguiles
August 25, 2009
Fernando F. Croce
CinePassion
Sandwiched between Gondry and Bong’s variously euphoric entries, Carax’s contribution seems either a work of deep cynicism from an inveterate party-pooper or a welcome satirical sour note from one of the great talents of 80s and 90s French cinema.
August 8, 2009
Leo Goldsmith
Reverse Shot
Some may consider it a callous critical evaluation. In truth, it’s nothing short of a luxuriant love letter.
June 21, 2009 | Rating: 4/5
Bill Gibron
PopMatters…
Plot
In 1999, When he was hired as a rookie reporter for Yomiuri Shimbun. As a cadet, he describes being taken under the wing of Sekiguchi, an older detective. Adelstein was initially assigned to “tacky” Saitama, and the memoir covers his next 12 years as a staffer for the paper, describing 80-hour work weeks, relationship difficulties, and the interactions between crime reporters and the police. Specific cases involve the search for the killer of Lucie Blackman, and the memoir also facts death threats after he published an expose on Tadamasa Goto. He also uncovered that Saitama Prefecture was altering scientific data on dioxin contamination.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
There is no goofy or funny or odd comment about the film Tokyo! on Fresh Kernels.
Bong-Joon-Ho.jpg
79%
A Mighty Heart (2007)
79%RT Audience Score: 70%
Awards & Nominations: 4 wins & 19 nominations
Angelina Jolie conveys the full emotional range of a woman in a desperate situation in A Mighty Heart, an urgent yet tactful film about a difficult subject
A Mighty Heart is a gripping and intense film that will have you on the edge of your seat. The hand-held digital camera and journalistic approach make you feel like you’re right there in the middle of the action. Angelina Jolie’s performance is powerful and dedicated, proving that her acting skills are worth more discussion than her personal life. It’s not a fun movie to watch, but it’s an important one that sheds light on the complexities of our world. Plus, it’s impressive that the director achieved such a powerful film without bludgeoning the audience with unspeakable violence. Overall, A Mighty Heart is a must-see for anyone who wants to be moved and inspired.
Production Company(ies)
Kudos Film and Television, BBC Films, Serendipity Point Films,
Distributor
Paramount Pictures
Release Type
Theatrical
Filming Location(s)
Islamabad, Pakistan
MPAA / Certificate
Rated R for language
Year of Release
2007
-
Color:Color
-
Sound mix:SDDS Dolby Digital DTS
-
Aspect ratio:2.35 : 1
-
Runtime:1h 43m
-
Language(s):English, French, Urdu, Arabic
-
Country of origin:United States
-
Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Jun 22, 2007 Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Jan 1, 2013
Genre(s)
Drama
Keyword(s)
starring Angelina Jolie, Dan Futterman, Archie Panjabi, Will Patton, Irrfan Khan, Denis O’Hare, directed by Michael Winterbottom, written by John Orloff, drama, R-rated, box office gross $9.2M, reviewed by Namrata Joshi, Ben Kenigsberg, Dave Calhoun, Melissa Anderson, Bob Mondello, Sandra Hall, Tim Basham, Fernando F Croce, Wesley Lovell, Heather Huntington, journalist, terrorism, Pakistan, abduction, international attention, underground politics, Mariane Pearl, Daniel Pearl, The Wall Street Journal, urgent, tactful, emotional, powerful, urgent, docudrama, journalistic approach, hand-held digital camera, real feel, Karachi streets, Brangelina, biopic, memoir, Islamic terrorists, rescue, courage, strength, evil
Worldwide gross: $19,008,745
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $27,231,318
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,576
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 2,969,609
US/Canada gross: $9,176,787
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $13,146,370
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,536
US/Canada opening weekend: $3,948,863
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $5,657,014
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,073
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): $16,000,000
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): $22,921,086
Production budget ranking: 1,292
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): $12,343,005
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): -$8,032,774
ROI to date (est.): -23%
ROI ranking: 1,521
Dan Futterman – Daniel Pearl
Archie Panjabi – Asra Q. Nomani
Will Patton – Randall Bennett
Irrfan Khan – Captain
Denis O’Hare – John Bussey
Director – Michael Winterbottom
Producers – Brad Pitt, Andrew Eaton, Dede Gardner
Writer – John Orloff
Director(s)
Michael Winterbottom
Writer(s)
John Orloff
Producer(s)
Brad Pitt, Andrew Eaton, Dede Gardner
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
4 wins & 19 nominations
Academy Awards
All Critics (195) | Top Critics (67) | Fresh (155) | Rotten (40)
Winterbottom tells the story in a similar docudrama vein: hand-held digital camera, a real feel and journalistic approach. There’s an urgency in the way he shoots the restless Karachi streets.
January 25, 2019 | Rating: 3/4
Namrata Joshi
Outlook
TOP CRITIC
November 16, 2011 | Rating: 4/5
Ben Kenigsberg
Time Out
TOP CRITIC
November 16, 2011 | Rating: 4/5
Dave Calhoun
Time Out
TOP CRITIC
November 16, 2011 | Rating: 4/5
Melissa Anderson
Time Out
TOP CRITIC
Knowing how this harrowing story played out in real life doesn’t diminish its power in the slightest.
October 18, 2008
Bob Mondello
NPR.org
TOP CRITIC
Although it is impossible to erase the spectre of Brangelina from your mind altogether while watching Jolie inhabit the role of Mariane Pearl, you can manage it for surprisingly long stretches at a time.
October 19, 2007 | Rating: 4/4
Sandra Hall
Sydney Morning Herald
TOP CRITIC
No preaching and no proselytizing. Just a horrible happening in a continually complicated world.
September 30, 2010
Tim Basham
Paste Magazine
[Jolie’s] stunning performance is a career best and a powerful dedication to the strength and bravery of the real life Mariane Pearl.
July 6, 2010 | Rating: 4/5
Thomas Caldwell
Cinema Autopsy
Torpid, faux-inspirational
August 27, 2009
Fernando F. Croce
CinePassion
The film would be nothing without Angelina Jolie’s brave, powerful performance.
September 30, 2008 | Rating: 2.5/4
Wesley Lovell
Cinema Sight
It is to director Michael Winterbottom’s (24 Hour Party People, Welcome to Sarajevo) credit that he can achieve such a powerful film without bludgeoning his audience with the images of the unspeakable violence that were inherent in Pearl’s last days.
August 21, 2008 | Rating: 8/10
Heather Huntington
ReelzChannel.com
Angelina Jolie continues to prove her acting is worth more discussion than her personal life. It’s not always fun to watch, but it’s an important piece of work.
March 3, 2008 | Rating: 8/10
Jeff Bayer
The Scorecard Review…
Plot
On January 23, 2002, Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl is to fly from Karachi to Dubai with his pregnant wife, Mariane, also a reporter. On the day before, with great care, he has arranged an interview in a café with an Islamic fundamentalist cleric. When Danny doesn’t return, Mariane initiates a search. Pakistani police, American embassy personnel, and the FBI examine witnesses, phone records, e-mails, and hard drives. Who has him? Where is he? There’s also the why: because of U.S. abuse of prisoners at Guantanamo, because of a history of Journal cooperation with the CIA, because Pearl is a Jew? Through it all, Mariane is clearheaded, direct, and determined.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
Angelina Jolie delivers a powerful performance as Mariane Pearl in A Mighty Heart.
Michael-Winterbottom.jpg
79%
Dreamgirls (2006)
79%RT Audience Score: 71%
Awards & Nominations: Won 2 Oscars
67 wins & 92 nominations total
Dreamgirls’ simple characters and plot hardly detract from the movie’s real feats: the electrifying performances and the dazzling musical numbers
Dreamgirls is like a rollercoaster ride of emotions, with high energy and glamorous costumes that will make you want to dance along. While some critics may find it lacking in originality or coherence, this musical is still a fun and fresh take on the classic story of stardom and heartbreak. So grab some popcorn, sit back, and enjoy the show!
Production Company(ies)
Bi Bi Film, Rai Fiction, Film Commission Torino-Piemonte
Distributor
Paramount Pictures
Release Type
Theatrical
Filming Location(s)
Los Angeles Center Studios – 450 S. Bixel Street, Downtown, Los Angeles, California, USA
MPAA / Certificate
Rated PG-13 for language, some sexuality and drug content
Year of Release
2006
-
Color:Color
-
Sound mix:DTS Dolby Digital SDDS
-
Aspect ratio:2.35 : 1
-
Runtime:2h 11m
-
Language(s):English
-
Country of origin:United States
-
Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Jan 12, 2007 Wide
Release Date (Streaming): May 1, 2007
Genre(s)
Musical/Drama
Keyword(s)
starring Beyoncé, Jamie Foxx, Jennifer Hudson, Anika Noni Rose, Eddie Murphy, Keith D Robinson, directed by Bill Condon, written by Bill Condon, produced by Laurence Mark, musical, drama, PG-13, box office performance, budget, reviewed by Namrata Joshi, Bob Mondello, Roger Moore, Brian Tallerico, James Christopher, Joshua Rothkopf, David Lamble, Mattie Lucas, Kaleem Aftab, Joel Siegel, Emanuel Levy, Fernando F Croce
Worldwide gross: $155,430,335
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $229,206,443
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 621
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 24,995,250
US/Canada gross: $103,365,956
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $152,429,338
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 508
US/Canada opening weekend: $378,950
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $558,821
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,377
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): $70,000,000
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): $103,225,995
Production budget ranking: 391
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): $55,587,198
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): $70,393,249
ROI to date (est.): 44%
ROI ranking: 1,175
Beyoncé – Deena Jones
Eddie Murphy – James `Thunder’ Early
Jennifer Hudson – Effie White
Anika Noni Rose – Lorrell Robinson
Keith D. Robinson – C.C. White
Director(s)
Bill Condon
Writer(s)
Bill Condon
Producer(s)
Laurence Mark
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
Won 2 Oscars
67 wins & 92 nominations total
Academy Awards
Oscar Best Achievement in Sound Mixing Winners, Oscar Nominees, Oscar Winners
All Critics (206) | Top Critics (62) | Fresh (162) | Rotten (44)
Neither thought-provoking nor entertaining enough – remains largely average and underwhelming.
January 24, 2019 | Rating: 2/4
Namrata Joshi
Outlook
TOP CRITIC
The energy is so high in sequences like this — and there are lots of them — that it almost doesn’t matter that we’ve seen this story before, in Ray and other film biographies about the “heartbreak” of musical stardom.
July 6, 2010
Bob Mondello
NPR.org
TOP CRITIC
It compares to that other “legitimate” musical smash of recent vintage, Chicago. It just doesn’t have the life or fun of Chicago.
May 13, 2009 | Rating: 4/5
Roger Moore
Orlando Sentinel
TOP CRITIC
You may not be expecting this from a musical, but Dreamgirls is one of the most fast-paced, frenetically-edited, roller-coaster rides of a movie that you’ll see all year.
March 24, 2007
Brian Tallerico
UGO
TOP CRITIC
Few pictures can match the glamorous pull of Dreamgirls. Bill Condon’s first big musical since Chicago is a glossy, gleaming Cadillac of a film with a vintage rhythm and blues engine tuned to perfection. The cast is dressed to kill.
February 5, 2007 | Rating: 4/5
James Christopher
Times (UK)
TOP CRITIC
The opening rump-shaking immediately sets the tone: Dreamgirls pulses with sheer exuberance. When was the last time a musical, much less a huge Hollywood production, felt this alive?
February 3, 2007 | Rating: 4/6
Joshua Rothkopf
Time Out
TOP CRITIC
It has taken 25 years for Michael Bennett’s Dreamgirls to go from Broadway to the big screen. The delay can be forgiven, however, because the film rocks on all levels.
May 19, 2020
David Lamble
Bay Area Reporter
Very much rooted in its disco-era decadence, but it is always fiercely, vibrantly fresh
June 6, 2019 | Rating: 3.5/4
Mattie Lucas
The Dispatch (Lexington, NC)
While Dreamgirls has many fantastic attributes — brilliant musical numbers, top performances, and some amazing camerawork and editing — it doesn’t quite gel, ensuring that this musical never moves from being a good film to a supreme one.
November 3, 2018 | Rating: 4/5
Kaleem Aftab
The List
This film could earn eight Oscar nominations. It’s so much fun. Let’s go see a movie where you smile, and cheer … and tap your feet a little, too.
January 5, 2018
Joel Siegel
Good Morning America
Condon’s adaptation is polished and enjoyable and yet something is missing from making it a truly great musical movie–perhaps a more coherent vision or unity.
January 6, 2010 | Rating: B+
Emanuel Levy
EmanuelLevy.Com
A musical for people who’ve forgotten how to listen, and how to feel
August 28, 2009
Fernando F. Croce
CinePassion…
Plot
Detroit, the early 1960s. Curtis Taylor, Jr., a car salesman, breaks into the music business with big dreams. He signs a trio of young women, the Dreamettes, gets them a job backing an R&B performer, James “Thunder” Early, establishes his own record label and starts wheeling and dealing. When Early flames out, Curtis makes the Dreamettes into headliners as the Dreams, but not before demoting their hefty big-voiced lead singer, Effie White, and putting the softer-voiced looker, Deena Jones, in front. Soon after, he fires Effie, sends her into a life of proud poverty, and takes Deena and the Dreams to the top. How long can Curtis stay there, and will Effie ever get her due?
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
Nothing to add here about Dreamgirls.
Bill-Condon.jpg
79%
L’ Avocat de la Terreur (Terror’s Advocate) (2007)
79%RT Audience Score: 66%
Awards & Nominations: Nominated for 2 Oscars
5 wins & 33 nominations total
Terror’s Advocate is a fascinating portrayal of a controversial political figure; both morally unsettling and emotionally gripping
Terror’s Advocate is like a real-life James Bond movie, but instead of a suave spy, we get a smug and conceited lawyer who defends some of the most notorious terrorists in history. Jacques Vergès is a fascinating figure, and the documentary does a great job of showing his complex and often contradictory character. It’s both thrilling and disturbing to see how he manipulated his humanistic sympathies to defend people with agendas of horror. The interviews with key figures in Vergès’ career and the grainy historical footage make for a gripping non-fiction international thriller. And let’s be real, Vergès makes every lawyer joke you’ve ever heard seem eminently fair.
Production Company(ies)
Jalem Productions,
Distributor
Magnolia Pictures
Release Type
Filming Location(s)
Middletown, Ohio, USA
MPAA / Certificate
Rated R for language throughout, drug content and some violence
Year of Release
2007
-
Color:Color
-
Sound mix:Dolby Atmos
-
Aspect ratio:2.39 : 1
-
Runtime:2h 18m
-
Language(s):English
-
Country of origin:United States
-
Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Oct 12, 2007 Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Feb 19, 2008
Genre(s)
Documentary
Keyword(s)
Terror’s Advocate, documentary, Jacques Verges, lawyer, Free French Forces, war criminals, Holocaust, Barbet Schroeder, Rita Dagher, Jorge Arriagada, Caroline Champetier, Jean-Luc Perréard, Magnolia Pictures, Dolby, English, $46.8K, reviewed by Richard Brody, Melissa Anderson, Geoff Pevere, Jason McBride, Moira MacDonald, Mark Feeney, Kaleem Aftab, John Powers, Pablo Villaça, Dennis Schwartz, directed by Barbet Schroeder, produced by Rita Dagher, starring Jacques Verges
Worldwide gross: NA
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): NA
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): NA
US/Canada gross: NA
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada opening weekend:
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): NA
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): NA
Production budget ranking: NA
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
ROI to date (est.): NA
ROI ranking: NA
Rita Dagher – Producer
Jorge Arriagada – Original Music
Caroline Champetier – Cinematographer
Jean-Luc Perréard – Cinematographer
Director(s)
Barbet Schroeder
Writer(s)
NA
Producer(s)
NA
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
Nominated for 2 Oscars
5 wins & 33 nominations total
Academy Awards
All Critics (46) | Top Critics (20) | Fresh (40) | Rotten (6)
The story Schroeder unfolds is also his own-that of a generation that had its humanistic sympathies manipulated by unscrupulous people with agendas of horror.
January 2, 2019
Richard Brody
New Yorker
TOP CRITIC
November 17, 2011 | Rating: 4/5
Melissa Anderson
Time Out
TOP CRITIC
The movie functions crackingly well as a non-fiction international thriller.
November 16, 2007 | Rating: 3/4
Geoff Pevere
Toronto Star
TOP CRITIC
The lawyer’s intense isolation, his solitary, perverse rage against the world, against France, against conventional opinion, is felt most deeply.
November 16, 2007 | Rating: 3.5/4
Jason McBride
Globe and Mail
TOP CRITIC
Schroeder’s film, which combines interviews with many of the key figures in Vergs’ career with grainy historical footage, lets its subject speak for itself but leaves little doubt of where the filmmaker stands.
November 9, 2007 | Rating: 3/4
Moira MacDonald
Seattle Times
TOP CRITIC
For just a moment, ignore politics. Consider Jacques Vergs simply as star. The radical French lawyer is an absolutely compelling figure onscreen: exotic, resolute, beguilingly smug.
November 9, 2007 | Rating: 3.5/4
Mark Feeney
Boston Globe
TOP CRITIC
Terror’s Advocate is a history lesson in modern insurgency and terrorism paranoia without ever being lecturing at any point. The conceited Vergès is always entertaining and clearly loves his own notoriety in this engrossing film.
November 4, 2018 | Rating: 4/5
Kaleem Aftab
The List
Makes every lawyer joke you’ve ever heard seem eminently fair.
May 17, 2018
John Powers
NPR’s Fresh Air
This movie is packed with so much glamour and carnage you won’t believe it’s a documentary about one man.
August 22, 2017
Annie Wagner
The Stranger (Seattle, WA)
Ainda que falhe em decifrar seu complexo protagonista, o documentrio estabelece um intrigante retrato de um homem cujos princpios morais e ideolgicos eventualmente se tornam to flexveis quanto o espectro alcanado por sua clientela.
February 28, 2009 | Rating: 4/5
Pablo Villaça
Cinema em Cena
At its best, the documentary shows us an unsavory character answering a bunch of softball questions and whose best logic is to play the Third World race card.
January 23, 2009 | Rating: B-
Dennis Schwartz
Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews
May 19, 2008 | Rating: 3.5/5
Jennie Kermode
Eye for Film…
Plot
Terror’s Advocate is a documentary about Jacques Verges, a controversial lawyer who defends war criminals and Holocaust deniers, and the moral and emotional complexities of his work.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
Fresh Kernels doesn’t provide any goofy or funny comments about the film Terror’s Advocate.
Barbet-Schroeder.jpg
79%
Tristram Shandy: A Cock & Bull Story (2005)
79%RT Audience Score: 66%
Awards & Nominations: Nominated for 1 BAFTA Award
2 wins & 14 nominations total
Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon add madcap, knowing performances to the mix, and the result is a fun, postmodern romp
Tristram Shandy: A Cock and Bull Story is like a funhouse mirror version of a literary adaptation. It’s goofy, messy, and utterly entertaining. Steve Coogan shines as one of the best comic actors of our time, and the film’s meta-fictional discourse and inside-showbiz comedy make it both clever and funny. Director Michael Winterbottom may not have proved that you can film this unfilmable book, but he definitely proved that you can make a hilarious movie about trying to film it. It’s a rare gem that will leave you laughing until you’re weak.
Production Company(ies)
Strike Entertainment, New Amsterdam Entertainment, Metropolitan Filmexport
Distributor
NA
Release Type
Filming Location(s)
Blickling Hall, Blickling, Norfolk, England, UK
MPAA / Certificate
Rated R for language and sexual content
Year of Release
2006
-
Color:Color
-
Sound mix:Dolby Digital
-
Aspect ratio:2.35 : 1
-
Runtime:NA
-
Language(s):English
-
Country of origin:United States
-
Release date:Release Date (Streaming): Jul 11, 2006
Genre(s)
Comedy
Keyword(s)
starring Steve Coogan, Rob Brydon, Keeley Hawes, Shirley Henderson, Dylan Moran, Jeremy Northam, directed by Michael Winterbottom, written by Frank Cottrell Boyce, comedy, R rating, box office gross $1.2M, reviewed by Catherine Shoard, Nell Minow, Kim Newman, David Edelstein, Kimberley Jones, Roger Moore, David Walsh, Nathanael Hood, Steve Erickson, Dorothy Woodend, David Nusair, Tristram Shandy, Walter Shandy, Capt Toby Shandy, Elizabeth, Susannah, Dr Slop, Mark, postmodern, literary adaptation, meta-fictional, inside-showbiz, madcap, knowing performances, fun, romp
Worldwide gross: $3,931,982
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $5,798,325
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,128
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 632,315
US/Canada gross: $1,253,413
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $1,848,354
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,051
US/Canada opening weekend: $60,886
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $89,786
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,975
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): £2,800,000
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): NA
Production budget ranking: NA
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
ROI to date (est.): NA
ROI ranking: NA
Rob Brydon – Capt. Toby Shandy, Rob Brydon
Keeley Hawes – Elizabeth, Keeley Hawes
Shirley Henderson – Susannah
Dylan Moran – Dr. Slop
Jeremy Northam – Mark
Director(s)
Michael Winterbottom
Writer(s)
Frank Cottrell Boyce
Producer(s)
NA
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
Nominated for 1 BAFTA Award
2 wins & 14 nominations total
Academy Awards
All Critics (129) | Top Critics (46) | Fresh (114) | Rotten (15)
Coogan may be game and there are plenty of nods to assorted sexploits, but this riffing on his caddish public image was done a lot more amusingly and a lot less smugly in a 10-minute skit in Jim Jarmusch’s Coffee and Cigarettes.
January 17, 2018
Catherine Shoard
Daily Telegraph (UK)
TOP CRITIC
February 18, 2012 | Rating: B
Nell Minow
Movie Mom
TOP CRITIC
A successful mix of literary adaptation, meta-fictional discourse and inside-showbiz comedy. Both funny and clever.
December 30, 2006 | Rating: 4/5
Kim Newman
Empire Magazine
TOP CRITIC
Tristram Shandy: A Cock & Bull Story is a hall of mirrors that doesn’t tease the brain (it’s easier to watch than to read about) so much as goose it into submission.
May 12, 2006
David Edelstein
New York Magazine/Vulture
TOP CRITIC
By all accounts, Sterne’s novel is nutty and ribald and utterly defiant of conventional storytelling techniques … hence this adaptation’s wonderfully meta take.
April 1, 2006 | Rating: 3.5/5
Kimberley Jones
Austin Chronicle
TOP CRITIC
[Michael Winterbottom’s] goofy, messy version of Tristram Shandy puts the Fellini back in ‘Fellini-esque.’
March 10, 2006 | Rating: 4/5
Roger Moore
Orlando Sentinel
TOP CRITIC
Winterbottom’s film … is not, in the end, a serious effort. It competently incorporates a few of the novel’s more celebrated episodes, but prefers to take the line of least resistance.
February 14, 2021
David Walsh
World Socialist Web Site
A Cock and Bull Story is an admirable effort, but an ultimately disappointing one.
January 12, 2019 | Rating: 6/10
Nathanael Hood
Nate Hood Reviews
… it’s a great deal of sheer fun, showcasing Coogan as one of the best comic actors working today.
March 6, 2018
Steve Erickson
Gay City News
Films where you suddenly hear yourself laughing, where you leave the theatre a little weakened by the violence of your own hilarity, are extremely rare.
August 24, 2017
Dorothy Woodend
The Tyee (British Columbia)
A typically rambling, freewheeling effort from Michael Winterbottom…
June 22, 2011 | Rating: 2/4
David Nusair
Reel Film Reviews
Director Michael Winterbottom may not have proved that you can film this unfilmable book, but he definitely proved he can film a funny movie about trying to film it.
October 6, 2010 | Rating: 3.5/4
Scott Nash
Three Movie Buffs…
Plot
Two actors, as their make up is applied, talk about the size of their parts. Then into the film: Laurence Sterne’s unfilmable novel, Tristram Shandy, a fictive autobiography wherein the narrator, interrupted constantly, takes the entire story to be born. The film tracks between “Shandy” and behind the scenes. Size matters: parts, egos, shoes, noses. The lead’s girlfriend, with their infant son, is up from London for the night, wanting sex; interruptions are constant. Scenes are shot, re-shot, and discarded. The purpose of the project is elusive. Fathers and sons; men and women; cocks and bulls. Life is amorphous, too full and too rich to be captured in one narrative.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon add madcap, knowing performances to the mix, and the result is a fun, postmodern romp.
Michael-Winterbottom.jpg
79%
Idiocracy (2006)
79%RT Audience Score: 60%
Awards & Nominations: NA
Idiocracy is a film that is both a scathing critique of society’s descent into idiocy and a hilarious romp through a dystopian future. Mike Judge’s brand of satire is not for the faint of heart, as he refuses to distance himself from his targets, risking being mistaken for what he’s satirizing. However, this is part of the film’s genius, as it forces the audience to confront the uncomfortable truth that we are not too far off from the world depicted in the film. While some may find the film intermittently amusing or lazy, it is easily the most potent political film of the year and a stirring defense of traditional values. So, grab a Brawndo and buckle up for a ride through a world that is both hilarious and terrifyingly close to reality.
Idiocracy is a movie that will make you laugh, cringe, and maybe even question the future of humanity. While some critics found it frustrating or lazy, I found it to be a hilarious and scathing commentary on our society’s obsession with entertainment and consumerism. The characters may be exaggerated caricatures of stupidity, but let’s be real, we all know someone who could fit right in with the world of Idiocracy. Plus, who doesn’t love a good Brawndo joke? Overall, if you’re looking for a movie that’s both funny and thought-provoking, Idiocracy is definitely worth a watch. Just maybe don’t drink any electrolytes while you do.
Production Company(ies)
20th Century Studios
Distributor
20th Century Fox
Release Type
Theatrical
Filming Location(s)
Texas, United States
MPAA / Certificate
NR
Year of Release
2006
-
Color:Color
-
Sound mix:Dolby
-
Aspect ratio:NA
-
Runtime:1h 24m
-
Language(s):English
-
Country of origin:United States
-
Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Sep 1, 2006 Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Jan 9, 2007
Genre(s)
Comedy/Sci-fi
Keyword(s)
starring Luke Wilson, Maya Rudolph, Dax Shepard, Terry Crews, David Herman, directed by Mike Judge, written by Mike Judge, Etan Cohen, comedy, sci-fi, box office performance, budget, reviewed by Reihan Salam, Bilge Ebiri, Ann Hornaday, Nick Schager, Fernando F Croce, J R Jones, Dennis Schwartz, Peter Schom, Lucy Barrick, Jorge Loser, Dorothy Woodend, Rob Vaux, R rating, private Joe Bowers, secret military experiment, hibernation, forgotten, stasis, 2505, average intelligence, smartest man in the world, Twentieth Century Fox, Dolby, DTS, producer Mike Judge, Elysa Koplovitz, MPAA rating, satire, traditional values, Edmund Burke, Reflections on the Revolution in France, Futurama, Brawndo, dumb society, Maya Rudolph
Worldwide gross: NA
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): NA
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): NA
US/Canada gross: NA
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada opening weekend:
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): $5,000,000
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): $7,829,688
Production budget ranking: 1,761
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): $4,216,287
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
ROI to date (est.): NA
ROI ranking: NA
Maya Rudolph – Rita
Dax Shepard – Frito
Terry Crews – President Camacho
David Herman – Secretary of State
Erik Anderson – Angry Court Member
Director – Mike Judge
Producers – Mike Judge, Elysa Koplovitz
Writers – Mike Judge, Etan Cohen
Production Company – Twentieth Century Fox
Sound Mix – Dolby, DTS
Director(s)
Mike Judge
Writer(s)
Mike Judge, Etan Cohen
Producer(s)
Mike Judge, Elysa Koplovitz
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
NA
Academy Awards
All Critics (52) | Top Critics (12) | Fresh (37) | Rotten (15)
Idiocracy is easily the most potent political film of the year, and the most stirring defense of traditional values since Edmund Burke’s Reflections on the Revolution in France.
April 9, 2020
Reihan Salam
Slate
TOP CRITIC
The whole film has a drab, somnambulant rhythm. Intentional or not, this is part of its genius.
October 4, 2016
Bilge Ebiri
Village Voice
TOP CRITIC
If the world is going to hell in any number of handbaskets — as Judge so acutely demonstrates that it is — you might as well hitch a ride in his.
May 7, 2009
Ann Hornaday
Washington Post
TOP CRITIC
An intermittently amusing — and sometimes lazy — satire that plays like a so-so episode of Futurama.
January 18, 2007 | Rating: B-
Nick Schager
Lessons of Darkness
TOP CRITIC
By refusing to distance itself from its targets, Mike Judge’s brand of satire risks being mistaken for what it’s satirizing.
January 8, 2007 | Rating: 3/4
Fernando F. Croce
Slant Magazine
TOP CRITIC
The movie is bracing for its bile but ultimately more frustrating than funny.
October 3, 2006
J. R. Jones
Chicago Reader
TOP CRITIC
Crappy film.
November 20, 2020 | Rating: D
Dennis Schwartz
Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews
While dumb people are an easy target, Judge makes a mistake in only working variants of this one riff.
April 9, 2020 | Rating: 4/10
Peter Schom
IGN Movies
Although Wilson’s everyman is a bit too much of a blank slate to really care about, the gaudy visuals and cynical gags more than compensate.
April 9, 2020 | Rating: 3/5
Lucy Barrick
Radio Times
A movie not too bright, not funny, but that guessed right and predicted the incredible… The Apocalypse is now. [Full Review in Spanish]
August 20, 2019
Jorge Loser
Espinof
The film was shelved good and hard after its initial release, and it’s not difficult to see why. It’s just a little too close to genuine reality.
August 22, 2017
Dorothy Woodend
The Tyee (British Columbia)
Here we are, watching TPTB water the crops with Brawndo EVERY SINGLE DAY and a substantial chunk of the populace actively wondering why the rest of us are freaking out.
February 28, 2017
Rob Vaux
Cinema-stache…
Plot
In Idiocracy, a man and woman are forgotten in hibernation for 500 years and wake up to a world where intelligence has drastically decreased, making the man the smartest person alive.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
Terry Crews plays President Camacho, a former professional wrestler and porn star who becomes the President of the United States in the year 2505.
Mike-Judge.jpg
79%
Tell Them Who You Are (2005)
79%RT Audience Score: 66%
Awards & Nominations: NA
As a highly intellectual and verbose critic, I must say that Tell Them Who You Are is a remarkable documentary that delves into the complex relationship between a father and son, both of whom are successful filmmakers. The film is a unique and luminous achievement that radiates dignity and warmth, despite the frustration of trying to know someone. It’s a fascinating blend of fact and friction, as dad calls junior’s filmmaking skills into question at every turn. The result is a compelling and tremendously moving portrait of two men whose determination to rebel against their heritage and succeed in their artform has rendered them unable to communicate. This is a great movie about a filmmaker, but more importantly, it’s a great movie about fathers and sons.
Tell Them Who You Are is a documentary that explores the complicated relationship between a father and son, who happen to be famous filmmakers. It’s a fascinating blend of fact and friction, with dad calling junior’s filmmaking skills into question at every turn. The film radiates dignity, warmth, and frustration, as the two men struggle to communicate and understand each other. It’s a rare film of startling sincerity, and a unique and luminous achievement. Plus, it’s a great movie about fathers and sons, and a reminder that even the most successful people have their own struggles and insecurities.
Production Company(ies)
Jet Tone Production
Distributor
ThinkFilm
Release Type
Theatrical
Filming Location(s)
Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA
MPAA / Certificate
Rated R for language and some sexual images
Year of Release
2006
-
Color:Color
-
Sound mix:Stereo
-
Aspect ratio:1.33 : 1
-
Runtime:1h 33m
-
Language(s):English
-
Country of origin:United States
-
Release date:Release Date (Theaters): May 13, 2005 Original
Release Date (Streaming): Oct 18, 2005
Genre(s)
Documentary
Keyword(s)
documentary, Haskell Wexler, Mark Wexler, Robert DeMaio, cinematographer, Oscars, father-son relationship, dysfunctional, rebellion, communication, Medium Cool, Coming Home, Elia Kazan, left wing politics, career, accomplishments, irascible, critic reviews, Christy Lemire, David Parkinson, Matthew Leyland, Mike Clark, Ken Tucker, Roger Moore, Robert Davis, Jason Gorber, Robert W Butler, Chris Cabin, Kurt Loder, Mattias Frey, audience reviews, Walter M, Julia Roberts, Paul Newman, Peter Bart, Verna Bloom, Billy Crystal, Michael Douglas, R rating, English, ThinkFilm, box office, budget, producer, directed by Mark Wexler, written by Mark Wexler and Robert DeMaio, reviewed by Christy Lemire, David Parkinson, Matthew Leyland, Mike Clark, Ken Tucker, Roger Moore, Robert Davis, Jason Gorber, Robert W Butler, Chris Cabin, Kurt Loder, Mattias Frey, MPAA rating, genre, streaming, theaters, runtime
Worldwide gross: $46,741
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $68,927
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 3,061
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 7,517
US/Canada gross: $39,075
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $57,622
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,739
US/Canada opening weekend: $4,060
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $5,987
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,789
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): NA
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): NA
Production budget ranking: NA
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
ROI to date (est.): NA
ROI ranking: NA
Paul Newman – Self
Peter Bart – Self
Verna Bloom – Self
Billy Crystal – Self
Michael Douglas – Self
Director(s)
Mark Wexler
Writer(s)
Mark Wexler, Robert DeMaio
Producer(s)
Mark Wexler
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
NA
Academy Awards
All Critics (65) | Top Critics (29) | Fresh (57) | Rotten (8)
It works as a portrait of a father-son relationship that’s awkward, volatile, uneven and always painfully real.
March 6, 2007
Christy Lemire
Associated Press
TOP CRITIC
A desperately sad look at two men whose determination to rebel against their heritage and succeed in their artform has rendered them unable to communicate. Compelling stuff, though.
June 2, 2006 | Rating: 3/5
David Parkinson
Empire Magazine
TOP CRITIC
With dad calling junior’s filmmaking skills into question at every turn, this is a fascinating blend of fact and friction.
May 30, 2006 | Rating: 4/5
Matthew Leyland
BBC.com
TOP CRITIC
What we really get from son Mark’s unusual take is a sterling movie about fathers (especially famous fathers) and offspring.
November 22, 2005 | Rating: 3.5/4
Mike Clark
USA Today
TOP CRITIC
[A] tremendously moving documentary.
October 13, 2005
Ken Tucker
New York Magazine/Vulture
TOP CRITIC
A real gem of a film.
August 18, 2005 | Rating: 4/5
Roger Moore
Orlando Sentinel
TOP CRITIC
Tell Them Who You Are radiates dignity, the unusual warmth given off by the frustration of trying to know someone.
June 5, 2008 | Rating: 4/5
Robert Davis
Paste Magazine
It’s a remarkable documentary, thoroughly enjoyable and one of the most powerful films I’ve seen in quite some time.
June 21, 2007 | Rating: A
Jason Gorber
Film Scouts
In the end this is a great movie about a filmmaker. It’s also a great movie about fathers and sons.
July 28, 2006 | Rating: 3.5/4
Robert W. Butler
Kansas City Star
a rare film of startling sincerity
October 19, 2005 | Rating: 4/5
Chris Cabin
Filmcritic.com
A unique and luminous achievement.
October 13, 2005
Kurt Loder
MTV
Equal parts fan mail and home video from Hell, Tell Them Who You Are is a fascinating piece of father-son psychotherapy la Hollywood.
October 13, 2005 | Rating: 3.5/4
Mattias Frey
Boston Phoenix…
Plot
“Tell Them Who You Are” is a documentary about the complex relationship between acclaimed cinematographer Haskell Wexler and his son, filmmaker Mark Wexler, as they navigate their personal and professional lives.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
The documentary features appearances from Julia Roberts, Paul Newman, Billy Crystal, and Michael Douglas.
Mark-Wexler.jpg
79%
Keane (2005)
79%RT Audience Score: 70%
Awards & Nominations: NA
The scrutinizing camera angles of Keane might at first feel too close for comfort, but this powerful portrait of a man distraught by the abduction of his child plumbs the depths of mental illness and the corners of fleabag hotels in an intimate and touching examination of the seedier side of life
Keane is like a rollercoaster ride that you’re not sure you want to be on, but once you’re strapped in, you can’t look away. It’s a movie that will make you feel all the feels, from harrowing to deeply moved, and everything in between. Lewis’s acting is so good, you’ll forget it’s not real life. And while it may not be for everyone, it’s definitely worth the ride.
Production Company(ies)
Distributor
Magnolia Films
Release Type
Theatrical
Filming Location(s)
MPAA / Certificate
Year of Release
2005
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Color:Color
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Sound mix:Dolby
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Aspect ratio:NA
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Runtime:1h 32m
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Language(s):
-
Country of origin:United States
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Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Sep 5, 2005 Original
Release Date (Streaming): Mar 21, 2006
Genre(s)
Drama
Keyword(s)
starring Damian Lewis, Abigail Breslin, Amy Ryan, directed by Lodge Kerrigan, written by Lodge Kerrigan, drama, box office performance, budget, reviewed by Nigel Andrews, Geoff Pevere, Kate Taylor, Roger Moore, Richard Nilsen, Marjorie Baumgarten, Anton Bitel, Chelsea Bain, Ken Eisner, Bruce Kirkland, Staci Layne Wilson, R rated, mental illness, schizophrenia, Port Authority Bus Terminal, New York City, drugs, alcohol, abduction, single mother, daughter, gritty, disturbing, intense, suspenseful, unpredictable, raw, documentary-like, unapologetic, voyeuristic, harrowing, unsettling, grim, seedy, non-idealized, claustrophobic, empathy, revulsion, delusions, reality, fantasy, personal odyssey, fleabag hotels, underbelly of Manhattan, tenuous, substance abuse, seedy Manhattan locales, feverish purpose, passersby, newspaper photo, reality or delusion, uneasy alliance, questionable woman, bewildered daughter, helpless situation, personal eccentricities, unbuffered reality, harsh, unapologetic, non-idealized, unsoftened, mood-setting background music, storybook establishing shots, gloomy, seamy visual footprint, alter-ego, uncertain path, falling short, Magnolia Films
Worldwide gross: NA
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): NA
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): NA
US/Canada gross: NA
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada opening weekend:
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): NA
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): NA
Production budget ranking: NA
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
ROI to date (est.): NA
ROI ranking: NA
Abigail Breslin – Kira Bedik
Amy Ryan – Lynn Bedik
Liza Colón-Zayas – Ticket Agent
John Tormey – Ticket Agent
Ed Wheeler – Bus Driver, Ticket Taker
Director(s)
Lodge Kerrigan
Writer(s)
Lodge Kerrigan
Producer(s)
Andrew Fierberg
Film Festivals
Cannes
Awards & Nominations
NA
Academy Awards
All Critics (62) | Top Critics (28) | Fresh (50) | Rotten (12)
It is like bad Bresson, if that were a possibility. All signifiers and no meaning; all tics and no truths; all mute emoting and no emotion.
May 15, 2015 | Rating: 2/5
Nigel Andrews
Financial Times
TOP CRITIC
Unshakably harrowing but deeply moving.
June 16, 2006 | Rating: 3.5/4
Geoff Pevere
Toronto Star
TOP CRITIC
The film achieves a dramatic intensity that is both admirable and frustrating.
June 16, 2006 | Rating: 2.5/4
Kate Taylor
Globe and Mail
TOP CRITIC
Lewis makes Keane’s paranoia our paranoia. Kerrigan limits our world to his world. And that’s how this grimly shot, roughly felt drama pulls us in.
January 20, 2006 | Rating: 4/5
Roger Moore
Orlando Sentinel
TOP CRITIC
When it comes to an emotional payoff at the end, unlike most Hollywood films, it has earned it.
January 12, 2006 | Rating: 3.5/5
Richard Nilsen
Arizona Republic
TOP CRITIC
Lodge Kerrigan is one of the great, though largely unheralded, filmmakers of our time.
December 6, 2005 | Rating: 4/5
Marjorie Baumgarten
Austin Chronicle
TOP CRITIC
Only Kerrigan’s previous Clean, Shaven surpasses it as a sympathetic study of a man unravelled.
February 24, 2021
Anton Bitel
Projected Figures
October 21, 2006 | Rating: 3/4
Chelsea Bain
Boston Herald
One’s compassion is both challenged and expanded by a rare movie that really does go its own way.
September 29, 2006
Ken Eisner
Georgia Straight
[Lewis] immerses himself so deeply in Keane’s psyche and skin that you easily forget this is acting, not real life.
June 16, 2006 | Rating: 3.5/5
Bruce Kirkland
Jam! Movies
Aside from Lewis’s excellent acting, there’s little reason to spend two hours with Keane.
March 17, 2006
Staci Layne Wilson
Buzzine Magazine
A small wonder of a minimalist morality tale.
January 19, 2006
Steve Schneider
Orlando Weekly…
Plot
A mentally unbalanced man roams the Port Authority Bus Terminal in New York City, looking for his daughter who was supposedly kidnapped a year earlier, but ends up helping a young single mother and her daughter in the process in Keane.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
Damian Lewis delivers a powerful performance as the mentally unbalanced protagonist in Keane.
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