Winnebago Man (2010)
87%RT Audience Score: 80%
Awards & Nominations: 5 wins
Though it doesn’t quite answer all of the questions it raises, Winnebago Man is nevertheless a fascinating, hilarious, and surprisingly poignant look at a geniunely colorful internet celebrity
Winnebago Man is a documentary that follows the story of Jack Rebney, a man who became an internet sensation for his hilarious outtakes while filming a Winnebago commercial. The film explores the impact of the internet on our society and how it can turn complex behavior into a spectacle. Despite the serious themes, the film manages to be both entertaining and touching, with a surprising amount of depth. It’s a must-watch for anyone who wants to understand the power of the internet and the human experience. Plus, who doesn’t love a good Winnebago blooper reel?
Production Company(ies)
Paramount Pictures, Scott Rudin Productions,
Distributor
Kino International
Release Type
Theatrical
Filming Location(s)
California, USA
MPAA / Certificate
Not Rated
Year of Release
2009
-
Color:Color
-
Sound mix:Dolby
-
Aspect ratio:1.85 : 1
-
Runtime:1h 27m
-
Language(s):English
-
Country of origin:United States
-
Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Jul 9, 2010 Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Nov 2, 2010
Genre(s)
Documentary/Biography
Keyword(s)
documentary, biography, comedy, Winnebago Man, Jack Rebney, Ben Steinbauer, Joel Heller, James D Payne, Malcolm Pullinger, directed by Ben Steinbauer, written by Malcolm Pullinger and Ben Steinbauer, starring Jack Rebney, Nick Prueher, Mike Mitchell, Kent Osborne, Joe Pickett, produced by Joel Heller, James D Payne, Malcolm Pullinger, Ben Steinbauer, reviewed by Greg Quill, Simon Abrams, Matt Singer, Rick Groen, Roger Ebert, Rob Nelson, Malcolm Pullinger, Ben Steinbauer, MPAA rating, box office gross, Kino International, internet celebrity, viral video, outtakes, industrial film, recreational vehicles, cult hero, banal spectacle, poignant, enduring, thought-provoking, entertaining, fascinating, touching, human connection, personal safety, self-image, isolation, defensive, insightful, surprising
Worldwide gross: $181,039
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $250,216
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,893
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 27,286
US/Canada gross: $181,039
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $250,216
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,499
US/Canada opening weekend: $16,469
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $22,762
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,467
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
Jack Rebney – Self
Nick Prueher – Self
Mike Mitchell – Self
Kent Osborne – Self
Joe Pickett – Self
Joel Heller – Producer
James D. Payne – Producer
Malcolm Pullinger – Writer, Producer
Ben Steinbauer – Writer, Producer
Director(s)
Ben Steinbauer
Writer(s)
Malcolm Pullinger, Ben Steinbauer
Producer(s)
Joel Heller, James D. Payne, Malcolm Pullinger, Ben Steinbauer
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
5 wins
Academy Awards
All Critics (62) | Top Critics (30) | Fresh (56) | Rotten (6)
Perhaps the most disturbing issue raised in Ben Steinbauer’s fascinating and often hilarious Winnebago Man has to do with the Internet’s awesome ability to reduce complex and apparently dangerous behaviour to the level of banal spectacle.
December 10, 2010 | Rating: 3/4
Greg Quill
Toronto Star
TOP CRITIC
A surprisingly poignant and enduring film.
December 8, 2010
Simon Abrams
The L Magazine
TOP CRITIC
Absorbing and thought-provoking.
December 8, 2010
Matt Singer
IFC.com
TOP CRITIC
When the director laments, “I feel like I’ve stepped into the Winnebago Man outtakes,” we can only concur.
October 29, 2010 | Rating: 2/4
Rick Groen
Globe and Mail
TOP CRITIC
Although we find out a lot about this virtual hermit and develop an admiration for his cantankerous principles, the movie leaves some questions unanswered.
October 14, 2010 | Rating: 3/4
Roger Ebert
Chicago Sun-Times
TOP CRITIC
The movie becomes oddly deep and even poignant.
September 23, 2010 | Rating: 3/4
Rob Nelson
Minneapolis Star Tribune
TOP CRITIC
One of the funniest, most perceptive, humane and culturally relevant documentaries in ages.
June 7, 2019 | Rating: 3.5/4
Mattie Lucas
The Dispatch (Lexington, NC)
Filmmaker Ben Steinbauer went searching for the man behind the rants. Against all odds, Rebney manages to emerge with his dignity intact.
December 10, 2010
Philip Martin
Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
The director’s true subject, however, is the great American love of subcultures.
December 8, 2010
Steve Erickson
Nashville Scene
Steinbauer doesn’t shy away from the moral queasiness of that arrangement, and that’s what gives Winnebago Man a lot of its appeal — that tension between the considerable laughter it provokes and the questions raised about that laughter.
December 8, 2010
Rob Thomas
Capital Times (Madison, WI)
A shrewd, entertaining, fascinating and surprisingly touching documentary.
December 8, 2010
Stephen Rebello
Playboy Online
It isn’t perfect, but hell, neither was the Winnebago.
December 8, 2010 | Rating: 3.5/4
Michael Wilmington
Movie City News…
Plot
Filmmaker Ben Steinbauer interviews Jack Rebney, whose profanity-strewn outtakes from a 1988 industrial film about a line of recreational vehicles turned him into a cult hero.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
The documentary features Jack Rebney, whose profanity-laced outtakes from a 1988 industrial film about recreational vehicles turned him into a cult hero.
Ben-Steinbauer.jpg
87%
No One Knows About Persian Cats (Les Chats Persans) (2010)
87%RT Audience Score: 76%
Awards & Nominations: 7 wins & 5 nominations
Bringing a dose of humor and a fresh perspective to a very serious subject, No One Knows About Persian Cats is an exhilarating, quietly powerful tribute to the courage of Iran’s underground musicians
No One Knows About Persian Cats” is a film that takes you on a wild ride through the underground music scene in Tehran. The movie follows a group of young musicians who are trying to form a band and play their music without getting caught by the authorities. The film is shot in a semi-improvised style, which gives it a raw and authentic feel. The music is fantastic, and the shots of the city are stunning. The movie ends on a tragic note, but it’s still a bracing and vibrant film that’s teeming with life and the overwhelming, sustaining power of artistic expression. If you’re a fan of music and indie films, then this is definitely a movie you don’t want to miss!
Production Company(ies)
Columbia Pictures, Huayi Brothers Media, National Geographic World Films,
Distributor
IFC Films
Release Type
Theatrical
Filming Location(s)
Tehran, Iran
MPAA / Certificate
Year of Release
2009
-
Color:Color
-
Sound mix:Dolby Digital
-
Aspect ratio:2.35 : 1
-
Runtime:1h 46m
-
Language(s):Persian
-
Country of origin:Iran
-
Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Apr 16, 2010 Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Mar 15, 2011
Genre(s)
Drama
Keyword(s)
starring Negar Shaghaghi, Ashkan Koshanejad, Hamed Behdad, directed by Bahman Ghobadi, written by Bahman Ghobadi, Hossein Mortezaeiyan, Roxana Saberi, drama, Persian language, box office gross $79.8K, IFC Films, reviewed by Nicolas Rapold, Cliff Doerksen, Rene Rodriguez, Ann Hornaday, Ty Burr, Michael Phillips, Stuart McGurk, Richard Propes, Mattie Lucas, John Powers, Jason Best, Mark Dujsik, others, produced by Bahman Ghobadi
Worldwide gross: $901,037
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $1,245,333
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,547
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 135,805
US/Canada gross: $81,768
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $113,012
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,649
US/Canada opening weekend: $8,843
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $12,222
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,663
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
Ashkan Koshanejad – Ashkan
Hamed Behdad – Nader
Bahman Ghobadi – Director, Screenwriter
Hossein Mortezaeiyan – Screenwriter
Director(s)
Bahman Ghobadi
Writer(s)
Bahman Ghobadi, Hossein Mortezaeiyan, Roxana Saberi
Producer(s)
Bahman Ghobadi
Film Festivals
Cannes
Awards & Nominations
7 wins & 5 nominations
Academy Awards
All Critics (62) | Top Critics (26) | Fresh (59) | Rotten (3)
What really distinguishes the film-banned in Iran, it goes without saying-is the enormous risks these musicians take, which Ghobadi ultimately drives home with legitimate dramatic license.
July 1, 2013
Nicolas Rapold
Film Comment Magazine
TOP CRITIC
An appealing cast of aspiring young musicians ostensibly play themselves in this naive, shapeless, but often fascinating 2009 drama.
December 30, 2010
Cliff Doerksen
Chicago Reader
TOP CRITIC
No One Knows About Persian Cats ends on a sudden note of tragedy that almost ruins the exuberant spirit of everything that has preceded it.
May 19, 2010 | Rating: 2.5/4
Rene Rodriguez
Miami Herald
TOP CRITIC
Ghobadi has emerged as a filmmaker whose gift for poetic realism was only equaled by an unerring sense of precisely when and how to break the viewer’s heart.
May 14, 2010 | Rating: 3.5/4
Ann Hornaday
Washington Post
TOP CRITIC
Over and over, the movie stops in its tracks to listen to musicians play, offering witness to their travails and ingenuity.
May 13, 2010 | Rating: 3.5/4
Ty Burr
Boston Globe
TOP CRITIC
The underground music scene in Tehran comes to life in all these different sort of clandestine studio scenes.
May 10, 2010
Michael Phillips
At the Movies
TOP CRITIC
A rambling but powerful docu-style drama about underground Iranian indie…
May 19, 2021 | Rating: 3.5/5
Stuart McGurk
NME
The film is loosely structured, mostly out of necessity given the constraints of filming under constant threat, but this gives the film a sense of unpredictability.
September 18, 2020 | Rating: 3.5/4.0
Richard Propes
TheIndependentCritic.com
A bracing and vibrant film, one teeming with life and the overwhelming, sustaining power of artistic expression.
August 5, 2019 | Rating: 3.5/4
Mattie Lucas
From the Front Row
As we listen to the various bands, Ghobadi offers us video montages of that city – shades of early-’80s MTV. The shots give us a feel for the texture of a sprawling metropolis defined by wealth and poverty, exuberance and repression.
May 17, 2018
John Powers
NPR’s Fresh Air
Semi-improvised and shot on the run, No One Knows About Persian Cats is undeniably rough around the edges, but its raw immediacy is exhilarating.
August 2, 2012
Jason Best
Movie Talk
Moves forward with a carefree appreciation for music and the people who make it, and all the while, bitter reality is waiting in the background, waiting to take over.
December 29, 2010 | Rating: 3/4
Mark Dujsik
Mark Reviews Movies…
Plot
Negar and Ashkan, two young Iranian songwriters, decide to set up an underground band and look for other musicians to join them, but the authorities keep putting a spanner in the works. Fed up with being hindered from expressing themselves, the two young people try to get documents to leave the country for Europe.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
The film features real-life Iranian musicians playing fictionalized versions of themselves.
Bahman-Ghobadi.jpg
87%
Fish Tank (2010)
87%RT Audience Score: 79%
Awards & Nominations: Won 1 BAFTA Award
21 wins & 29 nominations total
Cannes Jury Prize-winner Fish Tank is gritty British realism at its very best, with flawless performances from newcomer Kate Jarvis, and Michael Fassbender
Fish Tank is a movie that will make you feel like you need a drink afterwards, but not in a bad way. It’s gritty, raw, and real, and Katie Jarvis gives an incredible performance as Mia. Plus, Michael Fassbender is in it, so that’s always a plus. It’s not a feel-good movie, but it’s definitely worth watching if you want to see a different side of life. Just make sure you have a glass of wine handy.
Production Company(ies)
Distributor
IFC Films
Release Type
Theatrical
Filming Location(s)
Barking, London, England, UK
MPAA / Certificate
Not Rated
Year of Release
2009
-
Color:Color
-
Sound mix:Dolby Digital
-
Aspect ratio:1.33 : 1
-
Runtime:2h 4m
-
Language(s):English
-
Country of origin:United Kingdom
-
Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Jan 15, 2010 Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Jun 8, 2010
Genre(s)
Drama
Keyword(s)
starring Michael Fassbender, Katie Jarvis, Kierston Wareing, Harry Treadaway, Charlotte Collins, Jason Maza, Rebecca Griffiths, directed by Andrea Arnold, written by Andrea Arnold, drama, box office performance, budget, reviewed by Deborah Ross, Kristin M Jones, Keith Uhlich, David Denby, Nick Schager, Ian Buckwalter, MPAA rating, produced by Kees Kasander, gritty British realism, Cannes Jury Prize-winner, rebellious teenager, hard-partying mother, neglect, dance, relationships, tower-block dwellers, social realism, trauma, youth, low-income families, charismatic man, Michael Fassbender’s performance, newcomer Kate Jarvis, realistic acting, believable situations, complex motivations, subtle details, female characters, emotional satisfaction, intriguing, unexpected places, gritty realism, kitchen sink productions, desire to belong, 15-year-old, wannabe dancer
Worldwide gross: $2,404,300
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $3,323,009
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,288
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 362,378
US/Canada gross: $374,675
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $517,842
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,315
US/Canada opening weekend: $25,854
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $35,733
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,312
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): $3,000,000
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): $4,146,332
Production budget ranking: 1,941
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): $2,232,800
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): -$3,056,123
ROI to date (est.): -48%
ROI ranking: 1,675
Katie Jarvis – Mia
Kierston Wareing – Mia’s mother
Harry Treadaway – Kyle
Charlotte Collins – Sophie
Jason Maza – Liam
Director(s)
Andrea Arnold
Writer(s)
Andrea Arnold
Producer(s)
Kees Kasander
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
Won 1 BAFTA Award
21 wins & 29 nominations total
Academy Awards
All Critics (150) | Top Critics (61) | Fresh (136) | Rotten (14)
It’s not wholly convincing and its view of tower-block dwellers may well be patronising, but it is utterly absorbing and has such impact that you seriously have to gather yourself afterwards.
August 30, 2018
Deborah Ross
The Spectator
TOP CRITIC
[Andrea] Arnold has a knack for subtle details but also for portraying female characters whose natural warmth and energy have been muted by trauma or social isolation.
September 24, 2014
Kristin M. Jones
Film Comment Magazine
TOP CRITIC
An assured piece of phoniness.
November 17, 2011 | Rating: 2/5
Keith Uhlich
Time Out
TOP CRITIC
Fish Tank may begin as a patch of lower-class chaos, but it turns into a commanding, emotionally satisfying movie, comparable to such youth-in-trouble classics as The 400 Blows.
July 7, 2010
David Denby
New Yorker
TOP CRITIC
The film’s rough patches are … considerably smoothed over by its performers.
July 5, 2010 | Rating: B
Nick Schager
Lessons of Darkness
TOP CRITIC
A bold new entry in the long-standing British tradition of disquieting social realism.
July 4, 2010 | Rating: 9.7/10
Ian Buckwalter
NPR
TOP CRITIC
Agritty, gripping drama that boasts a terrific performance by newcomer Katie Jarvis.
November 24, 2020
Jason Best
Movie Talk
If you come for Fassbender, you’ll stay for Jarvis. A nonprofessional actor who got the role after being scouted during an argument with her then-boyfriend, she’s extraordinary…
November 6, 2020
Charlotte Harrison
Charlotte Sometimes Goes to the Movies
Always vibrantly alive, teeming with energy and a raw, compelling power.
August 5, 2019 | Rating: 3/4
Mattie Lucas
From the Front Row
Jarvis brings an abrasive brilliance to the role of Mia…
July 26, 2019
Brian D. Johnson
Maclean’s Magazine
Arnold nails the gnarled world of Mia: by product of a neglectful mother, and a landscape awash in booze and deprived of the educational and fiscal means of social betterment.
February 4, 2019 | Rating: 3/5
PJ Nabarro
Patrick Nabarro
Arnold’s script and camera close in and tear apart ideas of the poor, youth, and what makes a good man.
May 18, 2018
Shelagh Rowan-Legg
That Shelf…
Plot
Mia, an aggressive fifteen-year-old girl, lives on an Essex estate with her tarty mother, Joanne, and precocious little sister Tyler. She has been thrown out of school and is awaiting admission to a referrals unit and spends her days aimlessly. She begins an uneasy friendship with Joanne’s slick boyfriend, Connor, who encourages her one interest, dancing.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
Michael Fassbender delivers an excellent performance in Fish Tank.
Andrea-Arnold.jpg
87%
Animal Kingdom (2010)
87%RT Audience Score: 83%
Awards & Nominations: NA
With confident pacing, a smart script, and a top-notch cast, Animal Kingdom represents the best the Australian film industry has to offer
Animal Kingdom is a wild ride that will have you on the edge of your seat from start to finish. With a ticking bomb for a heartbeat, this movie is a heart-pumping thriller that will leave you breathless. The performances are remarkable, and the direction is handled with great confidence. It’s a slow-burning crime epic that is complex and sprawling, but it never loses sight of its characters. Michôd’s debut feature is a fantastic addition to the Australian crime drama canon and a must-watch for anyone who loves a good thriller. So grab some popcorn, buckle up, and get ready for a ride through the jungle.
Production Company(ies)
Bandai Visual Company, Cinequanon Eisei Gekijo
Distributor
Sony Pictures Classics
Release Type
Filming Location(s)
MPAA / Certificate
TV-MA
Year of Release
2010
-
Color:Color
-
Sound mix:Stereo
-
Aspect ratio:16:9 HD
-
Runtime:1h 52m
-
Language(s):
-
Country of origin:United States
-
Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Aug 13, 2010 Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Jan 11, 2011
Genre(s)
Crime/Drama
Keyword(s)
Animal Kingdom, Crime, Drama, James Frecheville, Guy Pearce, Jacki Weaver, David Michôd, Liz Watts, R, Pervasive Language, Drug Content, Violence, Sony Pictures Classics, Ben Mendelsohn, Andrew “Pope” Cody, Joel Edgerton, Barry “Baz” Brown, Luke Ford, Darren Cody, Sullivan Stapleton, Craig Cody, reviewed by Candice Frederick, Laura Kern, Violet Lucca, Wally Hammond, Philip French, Derek Malcolm, Jason Adams, Federico Furzan, Ed Travis, David Harris, Daniel Green, Jamie Neish, box office gross $1.0M, budget, MPAA rating, crime family, Australian film industry, top-notch cast, smart script, confident pacing, gritty, sharp, thriller, slow-burning, complex, sprawling, bloodied crown, tension, menace, impact, powerful acting, violent actions, shocking ending, Lions, criminal activities, scheming grandmother, cop, opportunity, different route, family fold
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
Joel Edgerton – Barry “Baz” Brown
Guy Pearce – Det. Senior Sgt. Nathan Leckie
Luke Ford – Darren Cody
Jacki Weaver – Janine “Smurf” Cody
Sullivan Stapleton – Craig Cody
Director – David Michôd
Producer – Liz Watts
Writer – David Michôd
Director(s)
David Michôd
Writer(s)
David Michôd
Producer(s)
Liz Watts
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
NA
Academy Awards
All Critics (163) | Top Critics (47) | Fresh (154) | Rotten (9)
Wild, gritty, and sharp, Animal Kingdom has a ticking bomb for a heartbeat that pulsates through every scene.
September 9, 2017 | Rating: B+
Candice Frederick
Reel Talk Online
TOP CRITIC
Seldom is a debut feature handled with such assurance and intelligence
November 13, 2013
Laura Kern
Film Comment Magazine
TOP CRITIC
Seldom is a debut feature handled with such assurance and intelligence
November 13, 2013
Violet Lucca
Film Comment Magazine
TOP CRITIC
An ambitious and effective thriller.
March 1, 2011
Wally Hammond
Sight & Sound
TOP CRITIC
Animal Kingdom is skilfully lit and edited and the performances are remarkable.
February 28, 2011
Philip French
Guardian
TOP CRITIC
Writer/director David Michod handles his material with great confidence, allowing some powerful acting.
February 25, 2011 | Rating: 4/5
Derek Malcolm
London Evening Standard
TOP CRITIC
David Michôd for President! In all seriousness, this is a fantastically effective film.
July 2, 2021
Jason Adams
My New Plaid Pants
Fantastic thriller with awesome performances. Sadly forgotten through time. [Full review in Spanish].
June 3, 2020 | Rating: 3.5/4
Federico Furzan
Cinelipsis
Animal Kingdom is a slow burning, complex, and sprawling crime epic.
April 6, 2020
Ed Travis
Hollywood Jesus
Michôd’s fatal flaw is creating a movie that rides on the tropes and successes of past crime movies in such a vainglorious manner, that he forgets that sympathetic, or even interesting characters make or break a film.
October 28, 2019 | Rating: 1.5/5
David Harris
Spectrum Culture
Animal Kingdom not only serves as yet another fine addition to a growing canon of Australian crime dramas, but also now proudly wears the bloodied crown of “King of the Jungle” in terms of tension, menace and impact.
December 14, 2018 | Rating: 5/5
Daniel Green
CineVue
A compelling, astounding and beautifully executed crime drama, supported by vigorous performances by the entire ensemble.
August 13, 2018 | Rating: 5/5
Jamie Neish
HeyUGuys…
Plot
The series centers on 17-year-old Joshua “J” Cody, who moves in with his freewheeling relatives in their Southern California beach town after his mother dies of a heroin overdose. Headed by boot-tough matriarch Janine “Smurf” Cody and her right-hand Baz, who runs the business and calls the shots, the clan also consists of Pope, the oldest and most dangerous of the Cody boys; Craig, the tough and fearless middle son; and Deran, the troubled, suspicious “baby” of the family.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
Jacki Weaver’s performance as the matriarch of the Cody family is described as “powerful” and “intense” by both critics and audiences.
David-Michôd.jpg
87%
Solntse (The Sun) (2005)
87%RT Audience Score: 79%
Awards & Nominations: 6 wins & 9 nominations
Alexander Sokurov’s The Sun is a cinematic masterpiece that demands and rewards patience. With his signature oblique style, Sokurov takes us on a journey through the inner life of Emperor Hirohito, a man considered a god by his people. The film’s use of scale and visual leitmotifs, such as images of fish, mark its most emotionally and politically significant moments. While the slow pace and odd stilted performances may not be for everyone, in its very perverseness, The Sun is a unique, mesmerizing, and brilliantly intuitive study that should not be missed.
The Sun is a film that demands patience, but it’s worth it for the unique and mesmerizing experience. Sokurov’s experimentation and use of scale make for a visually stunning film, and the thematic leitmotif of marine biology adds an emotional and political depth. Plus, who doesn’t love a good stilted performance and weird stabs at slapstick? It’s a brilliant and mad study of a man who was considered a god by his people, and it’s definitely not for everyone, but if you’re up for it, it’s an astounding work of intimate detail that shouldn’t be missed.
Production Company(ies)
Little Monster Films, Itinerant Films, Parkes MacDonald Image Nation
Distributor
NA
Release Type
Filming Location(s)
MPAA / Certificate
Not Rated
Year of Release
2005
-
Color:Color
-
Sound mix:Dolby
-
Aspect ratio:NA
-
Runtime:NA
-
Language(s):Japanese, English
-
Country of origin:United States
-
Release date:Release Date (Streaming): May 22, 2017
Genre(s)
History/Drama
Keyword(s)
starring Issei Ogata, Robert Dawson, Kaori Mamoi, Shiro Sano, directed by Aleksandr Sokurov, written by Yuriy Arabov, History, Drama, box office performance, budget, reviewed by Keith Uhlich, Ben Kenigsberg, Wesley Morris, Walter V Addiego, Nick Schager, Sam Adams, Richard Propes, David Harris, Paul Dale, Kaleem Aftab, Daniel Mendelsohn, produced by Marco Muller, Igor Kalyonov, Andrey Sigle, MPAA rating, Emperor Hirohito, Gen Douglas MacArthur, World War II, enlightening, admirable, restraint, original language, English, streaming, May 22, 2017, 1h 55m
Worldwide gross: $218,325
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $332,724
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,827
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 36,284
US/Canada gross: $77,303
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $117,808
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,644
US/Canada opening weekend: $11,588
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $17,660
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,555
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
Robert Dawson – Gen. Douglas MacArthur
Kaori Mamoi – Empress Kojun
Shiro Sano – Prince Higashikuni
Aleksandr Sokurov – Director
Yuriy Arabov – Screenwriter
Marco Muller – Producer
Igor Kalyonov – Producer
Andrey Sigle – Producer
Director(s)
Aleksandr Sokurov
Writer(s)
Yuriy Arabov
Producer(s)
Marco Muller, Igor Kalyonov, Andrey Sigle
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
6 wins & 9 nominations
Academy Awards
All Critics (42) | Top Critics (14) | Fresh (39) | Rotten (3)
Sokurov, who also acted as director of photography, films the character and his surroundings with the eye of a newly arrived visitor to another world.
November 18, 2011 | Rating: 5/5
Keith Uhlich
Time Out
TOP CRITIC
November 17, 2011 | Rating: 4/5
Ben Kenigsberg
Time Out
TOP CRITIC
Working from Yuri Arabov and Jeremy Noble’s script, Sokurov has a wonderful time not simply with Hirohito and history, but with his filmmaking, which can be oblique to the point of being stultifying. Here he plays with scale.
April 1, 2010 | Rating: 3.5/4
Wesley Morris
Boston Globe
TOP CRITIC
Alexander Sokurov’s The Sun demands and rewards patience.
March 25, 2010 | Rating: 4/4
Walter V. Addiego
San Francisco Chronicle
TOP CRITIC
Finds beauty, madness and outright bizarreness in the sight of a lost, slightly freakish man attempting to understand his altering reality.
December 7, 2009 | Rating: B+
Nick Schager
Lessons of Darkness
TOP CRITIC
The Sun took four years to reach American theaters, but the long delay hasn’t diminished the force of Sokurov’s experimentation.
November 19, 2009 | Rating: A
Sam Adams
AV Club
TOP CRITIC
A brilliant film.
September 24, 2020 | Rating: 3.5/4.0
Richard Propes
TheIndependentCritic.com
An astounding work of intimate detail that should not be missed.
October 16, 2019 | Rating: 4/5
David Harris
Spectrum Culture
With its slow pace, weird stabs at slapstick, and odd stilted performances, The Sun may not be for everyone — but in its very perverseness, it has to to be noted that this is a unique, mesmerizing, mad and brilliantly intuitive study.
April 27, 2019 | Rating: 4/5
Paul Dale
The List
Lauding the work of Russia’s finest living director is getting repetitive, but Sokurov goes from strength to strength.
April 26, 2019 | Rating: 5/5
Kaleem Aftab
The List
Hirohito’s interest in marine biology provides Sokurov with a fruitful thematic and visual leitmotif: images of fish glide through the film, marking its most emotionally and politically significant moments.
August 29, 2018
Daniel Mendelsohn
The New York Review of Books
… not a conventional biographical portrait by any definition, but rather a reflection in the inner life of the Emperor, a man who was considered a god by his people and treated as such.
June 10, 2010
Sean Axmaker
Seanax.com…
Plot
In the waning days of World War II, Emperor Hirohito of Japan meets with General Douglas MacArthur in Aleksandr Sokurov’s deliberately paced historical drama, The Sun.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
Issei Ogata delivers a captivating performance as Emperor Hirohito.
Aleksandr-Sokurov.jpg
87%
Flammen & Citronen (Flame & Citron) (The Flame and the Lemon) (2008)
87%RT Audience Score: 82%
Awards & Nominations: 9 wins & 15 nominations
The true story of the Danish resistance in WW2, though lengthy and sprawling, is gripping and competently made
Flame & Citron is like a wartime version of a film noir, with plenty of moral ambiguity and suspense to keep you on the edge of your seat. The director clearly drew inspiration from Army of Shadows, but adds his own modern twist to the story. The film may not be for everyone, but if you’re a fan of stylish thrillers with complex characters, this one is definitely worth a watch. Plus, who doesn’t love a good overhead shot?
Production Company(ies)
Walt Disney Animation Studios, Walt Disney Pictures,
Distributor
IFC Films
Release Type
Filming Location(s)
Berlin, Germany
MPAA / Certificate
Not Rated
Year of Release
2008
-
Color:Color
-
Sound mix:Dolby Digital
-
Aspect ratio:2.35 : 1
-
Runtime:2h 12m
-
Language(s):Danish, German
-
Country of origin:United States
-
Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Jul 31, 2009 Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Dec 15, 2009
Genre(s)
War
Keyword(s)
War, Danish resistance, assassins, Nazis, private equity, growth strategy, value creation, strategy consultant, Stax Boston, expanding team, apply, Tomatometer, Fresh Kernels, movie, TV, actors, critics, box office, budget, producer, director, writer, genre, MPAA rating, Flame, Citron, Thure Lindhardt, Mads Mikkelsen, Stine Stengade, Peter Mygind, Lars Bredo Rahbek, Ole Christian Madsen, Lars Andersen, IFG Films, Gunman, Aksel Winther, Ketty Selmer, morally complicated, fact-based plot, film noir, World War II, morally conflicted, shoot-outs, British High Command, Gestapo commander, Hanns Zischler, horror movies, MCU movies, Netflix series
Worldwide gross: $10,186,084
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $14,030,941
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,848
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 1,530,092
US/Canada gross: $148,089
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $203,987
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,544
US/Canada opening weekend: $15,254
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $21,012
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,498
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): DKK 45,000,000
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
Mads Mikkelsen – Citronen
Stine Stengade – Ketty Selmer
Peter Mygind – Aksel Winther
Mille Lehfeldt – Bodil
Christian Berkel – Hoffmann
Director(s)
Ole Christian Madsen
Writer(s)
Lars Andersen, Ole Christian Madsen
Producer(s)
Lars Bredo Rahbek
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
9 wins & 15 nominations
Academy Awards
All Critics (70) | Top Critics (35) | Fresh (60) | Rotten (10)
November 18, 2011 | Rating: 3/5
Hank Sartin
Time Out
TOP CRITIC
Madsen has acknowledged a strong debt to Pierre Melville’s 1969 classic Army of Shadows. This one deserves a seat at the same table.
January 15, 2010
Jonathan F. Richards
Film.com
TOP CRITIC
It’s fast-paced, stylish and thrilling. But it also raises one tough question.
December 17, 2009 | Rating: 3/4
Michael O’Sullivan
Washington Post
TOP CRITIC
It winds its way through a tricky, fact-based plot that’s sometimes reminiscent of film noir. At the center is a bewitching femme fatale whose allegiances and motives are less than clear.
December 17, 2009 | Rating: 3.5/4
John Hartl
Seattle Times
TOP CRITIC
While it may not be a smorgasbord of red herrings and red meat, Flame and Citron is often chilling.
December 17, 2009 | Rating: 2.5/4
Joe Williams
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
TOP CRITIC
Madsen makes the most of his budget, and he keeps pulling his camera back for long, visually sumptuous overhead shots.
November 13, 2009 | Rating: 3/4
Ty Burr
Boston Globe
TOP CRITIC
The film is too staid and over-conscious of its own importance to be entertaining. Give me The Great Escape any day of the week.
November 4, 2018 | Rating: 2/5
Kaleem Aftab
The List
A hard jewel of righteous political fury.
August 29, 2011
Kelly Vance
East Bay Express
…a film noir set in wartime where there’s moral ambiguity almost everywhere you look as well as large measures of heroism, treachery and ordinary human failings.
December 18, 2009 | Rating: 8/10
Sarah Boslaugh
Playback:stl
Unfortunately, although it was supposedly inspired by the morally conflicted French Resistance masterpiece Army of Shadows, Flame fizzles more than it flames.
November 6, 2009 | Rating: 1.5/4
Chris Hewitt
St. Paul Pioneer Press
A suspenseful, often riverting drama of World War II resistance that combines old-fashioned virtues of craft and style with a more modern sense of nuance and complexity.
October 31, 2009 | Rating: B
Frank Swietek
One Guy’s Opinion
This film is based on a true story that director Ole Christian Madsen feels must be told with earnest noir and war-movie clichés.
September 3, 2009 | Rating: 2/4
Peter Keough
Boston Phoenix…
Plot
During Nazi occupation, red-headed Bent Faurschou-Hviid (“Flame”) and Jørgen Haagen Schmith (“Citron”), assassins in the Danish resistance, take orders from Winther, who’s in direct contact with Allied leaders. One shoots, the other drives. Until 1944, they kill only Danes; then Winther gives orders to kill Germans. When a target tells Bent that Winther’s using them to settle private scores, doubt sets in, complicated by Bent’s relationship with the mysterious Kitty Selmer, who may be a double agent. Also, someone in their circle is a traitor. Can Bent and Jørgen kill an über-target, evade capture, and survive the war? And is this heroism, naiveté, or mere hatred?
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
Fresh Kernels doesn’t provide any goofy, funny, or odd comments about the film or its cast.
Ole-Christian-Madsen.jpg
87%
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2009)
87%RT Audience Score: 87%
Awards & Nominations: Won 1 Oscar
27 wins & 91 nominations total
Its graphic violence and sprawling length will prove too much for some viewers to take, but Noomi Rapace’s gripping performance makes The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo an unforgettable viewing experience
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” is like a Swedish crime novel come to life, but with more tattoos and piercings. Noomi Rapace’s performance as Lisbeth is so good, you’ll want to get a dragon tattoo of your own. The plot is intricate and suspenseful, but at times it feels like you’re watching a really long episode of “Law and Order: SVU.” Overall, it’s a thrilling ride that will leave you wanting more. Just maybe don’t watch it with your grandma.
Production Company(ies)
Mosfilm Tvorcheskoe Obedinienie Pisateley i Kinorabotnikov
Distributor
Music Box Films
Release Type
Filming Location(s)
Hofsta Manor, Björkvik, Södermanlands län, Sweden
MPAA / Certificate
Rated R for brutal violent content including rape and torture, strong sexuality, graphic nudity, and language
Year of Release
2009
-
Color:Color
-
Sound mix:Dolby Digital Datasat SDDS Dolby Surround 7.1
-
Aspect ratio:2.39 : 1
-
Runtime:2h 32m
-
Language(s):English, Swedish
-
Country of origin:United States
-
Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Mar 19, 2010 Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Jul 6, 2010
Genre(s)
Drama/Crime
Keyword(s)
starring Michael Nyqvist, Noomi Rapace, Lena Endre, Peter Haber, Sven-Bertil Taube, Peter Andersson, directed by Niels Arden Oplev, written by Rasmus Heisterberg, Nikolaj Arcel, Drama, Crime, Mystery & Thriller, $10.1M box office, reviewed by Deborah Ross, Jen Chaney, Nick Schager, Jonathan F Richards, Roger Moore, Rene Rodriguez, Mike Massie, Richard Propes, Allen Almachar, Felicia Feaster, PJ Nabarro, R MPAA rating, produced by Søren Stærmose
Worldwide gross: $232,617,430
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $306,240,352
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 492
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 33,395,894
US/Canada gross: $102,515,793
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $134,961,824
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 566
US/Canada opening weekend: $12,768,604
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $16,809,840
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 736
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): $90,000,000
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): $118,484,809
Production budget ranking: 314
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): $63,804,069
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): $123,951,474
ROI to date (est.): 68%
ROI ranking: 1,071
Noomi Rapace – Lisbeth Salander
Lena Endre – Erika Berger
Peter Haber – Martin Vanger
Sven-Bertil Taube – Henrik Vanger
Peter Andersson – Nils Bjurman
Director – Niels Arden Oplev
Producer – Søren Stærmose
Writers – Rasmus Heisterberg, Nikolaj Arcel
Director(s)
Niels Arden Oplev
Writer(s)
Rasmus Heisterberg, Nikolaj Arcel
Producer(s)
Søren Stærmose
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
Won 1 Oscar
27 wins & 91 nominations total
Academy Awards
All Critics (191) | Top Critics (57) | Fresh (163) | Rotten (28)
The film is certainly faithful to every detail of the novel’s intricate plot, which is fair enough, but does give it the feel of a plodding TV whodunit rather than a cinematic experience.
August 30, 2018
Deborah Ross
The Spectator
TOP CRITIC
An engrossing and classically suspenseful story
July 9, 2010
Jen Chaney
Washington Post
TOP CRITIC
Revel[s] in its seedier aspects … while appropriating every aesthetic trope from the modern Hollywood thriller handbook.
June 30, 2010 | Rating: C-
Nick Schager
Lessons of Darkness
TOP CRITIC
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is a handsome thriller, anchored by an arresting performance in the title role by Noomi Rapace.
June 25, 2010
Jonathan F. Richards
Film.com
TOP CRITIC
A chilling detective tale, a horrific sexual abuse drama and an overlong, emotional, tie-up-every-loose-end melodrama that is sure to be half an hour shorter when Hollywood remakes it without Swedish dialogue and probably without the cool Swedish edge.
May 5, 2010 | Rating: 3.5/4
Roger Moore
Orlando Sentinel
TOP CRITIC
Rapace’s haunting, enigmatic Lisbeth is the element that leaves you eager for the next two installments. She’s fantastic, and so is the movie.
April 22, 2010 | Rating: 3.5/4
Rene Rodriguez
Miami Herald
TOP CRITIC
The overall atmosphere, subject matter, and climax are appropriately gritty.
November 29, 2020 | Rating: 8/10
Mike Massie
Gone With The Twins
A captivating, hypnotic, and unforgettable thriller.
September 8, 2020 | Rating: 3.5/4.0
Richard Propes
TheIndependentCritic.com
An intense, unrelenting thriller that also works as a superb character study.
August 12, 2020 | Rating: A+
Allen Almachar
The MacGuffin
It’s hard to deny the tightening dread that envelops this well-paced thriller.
January 23, 2020
Felicia Feaster
Charleston City Paper
It’s ultimately a film dealing in hackneyed horror tropes and employing a highly slippery and questionable toxic masculinity thesis.
October 31, 2019 | Rating: 3/5
PJ Nabarro
Patrick Nabarro
Exciting, compelling and completely absorbing, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo is one of the best of the year so far.
October 25, 2019 | Rating: 4/5
Nikki Baughan
Roll Credits…
Plot
Mikael Blomkvist is a disgraced journalist who is asked by a wealthy industrialist to write a biography on his family. But what he really wants Blomkvist to do is to find out what happened to his niece, who went missing 40 years ago. Blomkvist, at first, is not interested, till the man offers to help him clear his name. Blomkvist, begins by talking to the man’s relatives who were there when the girl went missing. And some of them are not forth coming. Blomkvist eventually believes that her disappearance might have something to do with some serial killings that took place 20 years before she disappeared. So he asks for a research assistant. So the industrialist’s man suggests Lisbeth Salander, a talented hacker who does background checks for them and who even did one on Blomkvist. When he sees her report, he’s impressed and asks her to work with him and she does. She’s anti-social but is extremely efficient.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
No specific tidbit about the cast is mentioned in the Fresh Kernels summary.
Niels-Arden-Oplev.jpg
87%
In Search of Beethoven (2009)
87%RT Audience Score: 79%
Awards & Nominations: NA
With a wealth of insightful talking heads and deft musical performances, In Search of Beethoven is a thorough, thoughtful examination of the great composer’s life and times
If you’re looking for a documentary that will make you feel like a classical music expert, In Search of Beethoven might not be for you. But if you’re looking for a fun and informative look at the life of one of history’s greatest composers, then grab some popcorn and settle in. Sure, there are some talking heads and performance clips, but they’re balanced out by some juicy details about Beethoven’s tumultuous personal life. Plus, who doesn’t love a good smack-talking punk? Overall, In Search of Beethoven is a great way to spend an evening, whether you’re a die-hard classical music fan or just looking for something new to watch.
Production Company(ies)
Distributor
NA
Release Type
Filming Location(s)
MPAA / Certificate
Not Rated
Year of Release
2009
-
Color:Color
-
Sound mix:Stereo
-
Aspect ratio:1.78 : 1
-
Runtime:NA
-
Language(s):English
-
Country of origin:United States
-
Release date:Release Date (Streaming): Jun 28, 2011
Genre(s)
Documentary
Keyword(s)
documentary, Beethoven, music, composer, Phil Grabsky, produced by Phil Grabsky, directed by Phil Grabsky, Phil Reynolds, film editing, talking heads, live musical performances, life story, humanizing specifics, creative monuments, insightful, thorough, thoughtful, examination, critics consensus, wealth, deft, musical performances, genre, English, box office performance, budget, reviewed by Jeremy Eichler, reviewed by Joshua Kosman, reviewed by Kevin Thomas, reviewed by Michael Phillips, reviewed by J.R Jones, reviewed by Evan Williams, reviewed by J.M Suarez, reviewed by Leigh Paatsch, reviewed by Don Groves, reviewed by Phil Hall, reviewed by Mark R Leeper, starring none, MPAA rating none, produced by none, written by none
Worldwide gross: $233,545
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $322,785
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,834
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 35,200
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
Phil Grabsky – Producer
Phil Reynolds – Film Editing
Director(s)
Phil Grabsky
Writer(s)
NA
Producer(s)
NA
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
NA
Academy Awards
All Critics (41) | Top Critics (22) | Fresh (38) | Rotten (3)
Tells the story of its subject in a clear, accessible, and gimmick-free manner while still preserving, or perhaps even cultivating, a core sense of wonder at the creative monuments he bequeathed to us all.
January 7, 2010 | Rating: 3/4
Jeremy Eichler
Boston Globe
TOP CRITIC
In Search of Beethoven trudges through the composer’s life and works, pausing along the way for the usual smorgasbord of talking heads and performance clips. The results are shapeless, drab and mostly predictable.
December 17, 2009 | Rating: 1/4
Joshua Kosman
San Francisco Chronicle
TOP CRITIC
With In Search of Beethoven, documentarian Phil Grabsky has created a splendid work that will be a revelation to the uninitiated and a joy to music lovers.
October 30, 2009
Kevin Thomas
Los Angeles Times
TOP CRITIC
Grabsky’s appreciation of Ludwig van Beethoven follows the familiar contours, but it pays attention to the humanizing specifics that bring us closer to the subject.
October 30, 2009
Michael Phillips
Chicago Tribune
TOP CRITIC
Grabsky does manage to convey how shockingly dramatic Beethoven’s music seemed to the first people who heard it, and the musicians’ sensitivity and articulation–both verbal and musical — fire this chronicle of one man’s extraordinary artistic journey.
October 30, 2009
J. R. Jones
Chicago Reader
TOP CRITIC
There are too many snippets of music, too many talking heads, too little to define that great arc of the composer’s life and spiritual development. But no one who cares about the man and his music will miss it. For that I give credit to its subject.
October 30, 2009 | Rating: 3/4
Evan Williams
The Australian
TOP CRITIC
Where In Search of Beethoven excels is in the details. For all the grandness of Beethoven’s music, the documentary makes a real effort to present Beethoven the man as fairly and unsentimentally as possible.
September 23, 2020 | Rating: 6/10
J.M. Suarez
PopMatters
Dispensing with all the cliched claptrap and generalisations that inevitably plague movies like this, Grabsky successfully reassesses and revitalises the imposing reputation of his subject.
September 23, 2020 | Rating: 4/5
Leigh Paatsch
Herald Sun (Australia)
Illuminating bio of musical genius hits a few flat notes.
December 31, 2010 | Rating: 3/5
Don Groves
sbs.com.au
Puts far more focus on a Wikipedia-shallow explanation of the composer’s various compositions than on his tumultuous life.
June 2, 2010 | Rating: 2.5/5
Phil Hall
Film Threat
[Grabsky] is documenting the life of Beethoven, he is illustrating the life with brilliant concert performers playing the music, but he is also having those same experts talking about what is in the music itself.
April 1, 2010 | Rating: 8/10
Mark R. Leeper
rec.arts.movies.reviews
An intriguing portrait of the man as a hopeless romantic, a smack-talking punk, a sickly individual tormented by his deafness and thoughts of suicide, and an “eternal optimist.”
January 7, 2010 | Rating: 3/4
Shaula Clark
Boston Phoenix…
Plot
The first truly comprehensive feature length cinema documentary ever made about Beethoven. With over 60 live performances.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
Fresh Kernels says that In Search of Beethoven features “insightful talking heads and deft musical performances.”
Phil-Grabsky.jpg
87%
My Winnipeg (2007)
87%RT Audience Score: 77%
Awards & Nominations: 4 wins & 17 nominations
My Winnipeg is a charmingly irreverent ‘docu-fantasy’ from the unpredictable mind of Guy Maddin
My Winnipeg is like a fever dream of a city, with Guy Maddin taking us on a wild ride through his hometown that’s part documentary, part fantasy, and all weird. It’s like if David Lynch made a travelogue, with Masonic rituals, collectivist brothels, and sleepwalking citizens all thrown in for good measure. But amidst all the surrealism, there’s a genuine love for the city that shines through, and some fascinating archival footage that gives a glimpse into Winnipeg’s past. Maddin may be an acquired taste, but for those willing to take the plunge, My Winnipeg is a trip worth taking.
Production Company(ies)
Plattform Produktion Film i Väst Essential Filmproduktion, GmbH,
Distributor
IFC First Take
Release Type
Filming Location(s)
Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
MPAA / Certificate
Not Rated
Year of Release
2008
-
Color:Color
Black and White -
Sound mix:Dolby Digital
-
Aspect ratio:1.33 : 1
-
Runtime:1h 20m
-
Language(s):English
-
Country of origin:United States
-
Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Jun 13, 2008 Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Apr 30, 2009
Genre(s)
Documentary
Keyword(s)
documentary, Guy Maddin, Winnipeg, Manitoba, archival footage, interviews, dreamlike camera work, recreated scenes, Ann Savage, Mayor Cornish, Jody Shapiro, Phyllis Lang, George Toles, IFC First Take, Dolby Digital, $156.6K, limited release, English, 1h 20m, reviewed by Judy Berman, Noel Murray, Ben Kenigsberg, Joshua Rothkopf, directed by Guy Maddin, produced by Jody Shapiro and Phyllis Lang, written by Guy Maddin and George Toles, starring Guy Maddin, Ann Savage, Louis Negin, Amy Stewart, Darcy Fehr, Kate Yacula, docu-fantasy, personal tour, historical, intimate, surreal, entertaining, artist, hometown, vintage, old tyme, surrealist look, dark humor, love-it-or-hate-it, emotional resonance, subjective work of art, fantasies, surreal pictures, black and white, Bunuel, Lynch, Hitchcock, Bergman, delirious dream diary
Worldwide gross: $316,743
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $436,301
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,769
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 47,579
US/Canada gross: $159,363
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $219,516
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,530
US/Canada opening weekend: $14,309
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $19,710
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,518
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): $600,000
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): $826,477
Production budget ranking: 2,098
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): $445,058
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): -$835,234
ROI to date (est.): -66%
ROI ranking: 1,783
Ann Savage – Self
Louis Negin – Mayor Cornish
Amy Stewart – Janet Maddin
Darcy Fehr – Guy Maddin
Kate Yacula – Citizen Girl
Jody Shapiro – Producer
Phyllis Lang – Producer
George Toles – Writer
Dolby Digital – Sound Mix
Director(s)
Guy Maddin
Writer(s)
Guy Maddin, George Toles
Producer(s)
Jody Shapiro, Phyllis Lang
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
4 wins & 17 nominations
Academy Awards
All Critics (92) | Top Critics (35) | Fresh (87) | Rotten (5)
More an abstract hallucination than a photo-realist portrait, My Winnipeg would be out of place on the “documentary” shelf at the video store. But it deserves prime placement in the Guy Maddin canon.
December 6, 2018 | Rating: 4/5
Judy Berman
Tiny Mix Tapes
TOP CRITIC
Maddin mixes personal reminiscences with elaborate fantasies of Masonic rituals and collectivist brothels, to construct a vision of Winnipeg as a city of sleepwalkers.
January 26, 2015 | Rating: 4/5
Noel Murray
The Dissolve
TOP CRITIC
November 18, 2011 | Rating: 4/5
Ben Kenigsberg
Time Out
TOP CRITIC
November 17, 2011 | Rating: 4/5
Joshua Rothkopf
Time Out
TOP CRITIC
Guy Maddin docu about his hometown gives fans everything they’d expect, plus a few moments of unexpected sincerity.
October 18, 2008
John DeFore
Hollywood Reporter
TOP CRITIC
Maddin is a real film-maker with a confident, fluent movie language that is evolving in fascinating directions.
October 18, 2008 | Rating: 3/5
Peter Bradshaw
Guardian
TOP CRITIC
Beautiful, strange, and endlessly intriguing, there’s a nostalgic bite to the film which lasts well after its bizarre visual poetry subsides from view.
October 29, 2020 | Rating: 4/5
Nicholas Bell
IONCINEMA.com
Occasionally uneven and often opaque and aimless, but it is clear Maddin knows what he’s doing. And by the time it is over, he has transported us not just to Winnipeg, but into the heart and soul of an artist.
July 7, 2019 | Rating: 3/4
Mattie Lucas
From the Front Row
There’s some genuine archival history threaded through the fantasy.
December 16, 2017
Brian D. Johnson
Maclean’s Magazine
…there is no denying that Maddin is pushing not only himself as an artist…
November 17, 2017
Daniel Kasman
MUBI
Guy Maddin has never tipped quite so far in the direction of autobiography as he has with My Winnipeg, and the effect is unexpectedly charming.
August 21, 2017
Annie Wagner
The Stranger (Seattle, WA)
With his thrilling new documentary portrait of his hometown — or rather, his new “docu-fantasia” — Guy Maddin proves that you can go home again.
May 16, 2016
José Teodoro
Stop Smiling…
Plot
Filmmaker Guy Maddin was born, raised and has always lived in Winnipeg, Manitoba, a town where he says everyone sleepwalks through life. He is trying to escape Winnipeg, but isn’t sure how as he isn’t sure what’s kept him there in the first place. Perhaps his parent’s month long 65th wedding anniversary celebration (despite his father being dead for some years) where he will reenact his childhood (with actors playing his family, except his mother who plays herself) in the old family home at 800 Ellis Avenue, which was above the family’s hair salon business, will provide some answers. He recounts some civic events which have affected him and the life of Winnipegers: the 1919 general strike, the destruction of the Wolseley Elm in 1957, and the replacement of the iconic Eaton’s building for the new hockey arena in favor of the old Winnipeg Arena. The latter has an especially close connection to him because of a family tie and the rich history of hockey in the city (discounting what he considers the failure of the NHL experiment). As he is on the train leaving the city, he hopes that the page 3 “Citizen Girl” will be the panacea for all Winnipeg’s issues.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
There is no specific tidbit about someone in the cast mentioned in the Fresh Kernels description of My Winnipeg.
Guy-Maddin.jpg
87%
In Bruges (2008)
87%RT Audience Score: 87%
Awards & Nominations: Nominated for 1 Oscar
24 wins & 55 nominations total
Featuring witty dialogue and deft performances, In Bruges is an effective mix of dark comedy and crime thriller elements
In Bruges is a movie that will have you laughing and cringing at the same time. The witty one-liners and hilarious jokes are balanced out by the intense violence that might make you want to look away. But don’t! Stick with it and you’ll be rewarded with a fantastic film that will leave you thinking about it long after it’s over. Plus, Brendan Gleeson’s performance as Ken is worth the watch alone. Trust me, you won’t regret it.
Production Company(ies)
Live Entertainment, Dog Eat Dog Productions, Inc.,
Distributor
Focus Features
Release Type
Streaming, Theatrical
Filming Location(s)
Brugge, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium
MPAA / Certificate
Rated R for strong bloody violence, pervasive language and some drug use
Year of Release
2008
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Color:Color
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Sound mix:Dolby Digital DTS
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Aspect ratio:2.35 : 1
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Runtime:1h 47m
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Language(s):English
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Country of origin:United Kingdom
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Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Feb 8, 2008 Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Jun 24, 2008
Genre(s)
Action
Keyword(s)
starring Colin Farrell, Brendan Gleeson, Ralph Fiennes, Ciarán Hinds, Clémence Poésy, Thekla Reuten, directed by Martin McDonagh, written by Martin McDonagh, action, dark comedy, crime thriller, R-rated, box office gross $7.8M, Focus Features, reviewed by Deborah Ross, Jason Bailey, Candice Frederick, Joe Morgenstern, John Anderson, Christy Lemire, Leigh Paatsch, Fico Cangiano, David Walsh, Jason Best, Mike Massie, hitmen, Belgium, Bruges, violence, witty dialogue, surreal, tourists, locals, American dwarf, romance, medieval city, beauty, peacefulness, enchanting, Irish-Catholic, reckoning, sins, drug use, pervasive language, strong bloody violence, ShippingEasy, lowest shipping rates, Tomatometer, critics, audience score, streaming, rent/buy
Worldwide gross: $34,085,749
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $46,951,817
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,364
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 5,120,155
US/Canada gross: $7,800,824
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $10,745,337
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,600
US/Canada opening weekend: $459,575
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $633,047
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,349
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): $15,000,000
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): $20,661,927
Production budget ranking: 1,349
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): $11,126,448
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): $15,163,442
ROI to date (est.): 48%
ROI ranking: 1,162
Brendan Gleeson – Ken
Ralph Fiennes – Harry
Ciarán Hinds – Father McHenry
Clémence Poésy – Chloe
Thekla Reuten – Marie
Director(s)
Martin McDonagh
Writer(s)
Martin McDonagh
Producer(s)
NA
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
Nominated for 1 Oscar
24 wins & 55 nominations total
Academy Awards
Oscar Nominees
All Critics (202) | Top Critics (61) | Fresh (169) | Rotten (33)
In Bruges has some cracking lines in it, a cracking performance from Brendan Gleeson as Ken, and some very funny, provocative jokes, but I still don’t know… It’s just all the violence that did me in.
August 23, 2018
Deborah Ross
The Spectator
TOP CRITIC
Its European setting places additional gravity on McDonagh’s Irish-Catholic notions of reckoning-the knowledge that we have to pay for our sins, no matter how great or small.
November 14, 2017
Jason Bailey
Vice
TOP CRITIC
This is one of those movies that kicks off with a slow engine and picks up at full speed in the second half.
September 12, 2017 | Rating: B-
Candice Frederick
Reel Talk Online
TOP CRITIC
I never expected to be moved by In Bruges, but I was.
December 14, 2014
Joe Morgenstern
Wall Street Journal
TOP CRITIC
Those who know McDonagh’s work know a vein of darkness will run deeply through the comedy. It has seldom been darker. Or funnier.
December 14, 2014
John Anderson
Washington Post
TOP CRITIC
In Bruges is a wildly imperfect feature debut, but it does make you curious to see what else McDonagh has to offer.
December 14, 2014
Christy Lemire
Associated Press
TOP CRITIC
An extraordinary comedy-drama written and directed with rat cunning and savage economy.
June 2, 2022 | Rating: 4/5
Leigh Paatsch
Herald Sun (Australia)
A wonderful film that has so much going on underneath all the intelligent dark humor and hitmen premise. Farrell, Gleeson and Fiennes are fantastic. [Full review in Spanish]
January 11, 2022 | Rating: 3.5/5
Fico Cangiano
CineXpress Podcast
Why make such a film at this point in time? There’s a good deal going on in the world, why this? Does anyone care about a pair of dreamed-up assassins?
February 13, 2021
David Walsh
World Socialist Web Site
You get the sense, now and then, that McDonagh is taking a little too much relish in his character’s political incorrectness, but the writing is so scabrously funny that you’ll laugh despite your best intentions.
December 17, 2020
Jason Best
Movie Talk
One of the very best pictures of the year.
November 28, 2020 | Rating: 9/10
Mike Massie
Gone With The Twins
‘In Bruges’ is a fantastic Boschian nightmare with profound themes to go along with its dark comedy.
July 27, 2020 | Rating: 3.5/5
Sezín Koehler
Black Girl Nerds…
Plot
London based hit men Ray and Ken are told by their boss Harry Waters to lie low in Bruges, Belgium for up to two weeks following their latest hit, which resulted in the death of an innocent bystander. Harry will be in touch with further instructions. While they wait for Harry’s call, Ken, following Harry’s advice, takes in the sights of the medieval city with great appreciation. But the charms of Bruges are lost on the simpler Ray, who is already despondent over the innocent death, especially as it was his first job. Things change for Ray when he meets Chloe, part of a film crew shooting a movie starring an American dwarf named Jimmy. When Harry’s instructions arrive, Ken, for whom the job is directed, isn’t sure if he can carry out the new job, especially as he has gained a new appreciation of life from his stay in the fairytale Bruges. While Ken waits for the inevitable arrival into Bruges of an angry Harry, who feels he must clean up matters on his own, Ray is dealing with his own problems, not only with Harry, but with a Canadian couple and a half-blind thief named Eirik. Ray hopes he can count on both Chloe and Ken to help him carve out a new life for himself. In the end, Harry, involved in an incident with Jimmy, may have to keep to his own principles.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
Ralph Fiennes’ performance as Harry is “hilarious in every possible way.”
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