Story: Drama about a family whose world is disrupted by their individual relationships with a rebellious young woman who enters their lives. Cast:Sebastian Koch, Julia Ormond, Felicity Jones, Jessica Brown-Findlay, Peter VaughanDirector:Niall MacCormickOpened:January 13, 2012On DVD:April 24, 2012From:CinemaNXLength:1 hr. 30 min.
Albatross (2012) played in New York City to mixed reviews. • Mary Pols wrote in Time, "...pleasant but unexceptional.... the thin narrative is less instructive of the strange way female friendships operate than of the way stories get recycled." • And Ian Buckwalter wrote for NPR, "It's a shame that the film comes across like an awkward and ingratiating teenager, given that the two performances at its core are so winning." More Reviews Below...
Mary Pols, Time: GOOD (NOT GREAT) "...pleasant but unexceptional.... the thin narrative is less instructive of the strange way female friendships operate than of the way stories get recycled."(Read the full review...) 749 words, 01/13/12
Adam Markovitz, Entertainment Weekly: FAIR(cg) "A few blips of sex and drug use aim to make the movie feel more grown-up. Instead, they make it off-limits to the only age group likely to find any charm in its smug Britcom cutesiness."(Read the full review...) 89 words, 01/27/12
Jeannette Catsoulis, New York Times: GOOD "Charmingly low-key.... Niall MacCormick's direction, while unfocused, locates a sweet center in the bonding of the two young girls, effortlessly capturing the way unexpected friendship, like first love, can completely alter the look of the world."(Read the full review...) 232 words, 01/13/12
Elizabeth Weitzman, New York Daily News: POOR(cg) "...looks good, starts with promise, then nosedives into disappointment.... Director Niall MacCormick has a sharp eye for setting, but if this is his idea of an appealing dramedy, he's also got a tin ear."(Read the full review...) 211 words, 01/13/12
Michelle Orange, Village Voice: MODERATE "...shifts from indie fairy tale to farce, only to accept its fate as a coming-of-age melodrama.... tonal whiplash eats up the pleasures of this otherwise well-cast, evocatively shot small-town trifle."(Read the full review...) 195 words, 01/11/12
KEY CITIES (0 Reviews)
Albatross (2012) has not been reviewed in Key Cities
ALTERNATIVE/INDIE PRESS (2 Reviews)
Michelle Orange, Village Voice: MODERATE "...shifts from indie fairy tale to farce, only to accept its fate as a coming-of-age melodrama.... tonal whiplash eats up the pleasures of this otherwise well-cast, evocatively shot small-town trifle."(Read the full review...) 195 words, 01/11/12
Andrew Schenker, Slant: POOR(cg) "With the dramatic deck so heavily stacked toward dictating our attitudes toward the film's characters, none of the resulting shifts of alliances feel anything like organic.... Niall MacCormick's film hasn't got a clue."(Read the full review...) 543 words, 01/08/12
HIGHBROW PRESS (2 Reviews)
Jeannette Catsoulis, New York Times: GOOD "Charmingly low-key.... Niall MacCormick's direction, while unfocused, locates a sweet center in the bonding of the two young girls, effortlessly capturing the way unexpected friendship, like first love, can completely alter the look of the world."(Read the full review...) 232 words, 01/13/12
Ian Buckwalter, NPR: MODERATE "...suffers from an overbearing desire to impress.... It's a shame that the film comes across like an awkward and ingratiating teenager, given that the two performances at its core are so winning."(Read the full review...) 642 words, 01/12/12
MOVIE INDUSTRY (2 Reviews)
Charles Gant, Daily Variety: GOOD (NOT GREAT) "A star-making turn from bigscreen debutante Jessica Brown Findlay is the most notable aspect of British dramedy... relates a troubled teen's impact on the family of a middle-aged novelist with writer's block."(Read the full review...) 593 words, 06/20/11
Jeannette Catsoulis, New York Times: GOOD "Charmingly low-key.... Niall MacCormick's direction, while unfocused, locates a sweet center in the bonding of the two young girls, effortlessly capturing the way unexpected friendship, like first love, can completely alter the look of the world."(Read the full review...) 232 words, 01/13/12
19.4 Percentage Points Average Difference Between Reviews (Norm is 18.4pp; <18.4pp = More Consistent; >18.4pp = More Mixed)
Albatross (2012)'s reviews are separated by an average 19.4 percentage points. The norm for this measure is 18.4 percentage points. Less than 18.4 indicates more consistent reviews; greater than 18.4 indicates more mixed reviews. In the chart below, each dot represents a review, with the dots at the top more positive than the dots at the bottom. From left to right, the dots represent reviews in big, bigger and biggest publications. Roll over each dot for more detail.
Albatross (2012) (8 reviews) Roll over dots for each review
Coverage:Albatross (2012)'s reviews cover 27.3% of potential readers (average is 68.2%). Volume:The film's reviews total 3,254 words involume (average is 19,979 words). Length:The film's reviews average 407 words in length (the norm is 512 words).
Reviews Broke 8.2 Hours Before Release (Norm is 0.2 Release)
Albatross (2012)'s reviews on average broke 8.2 hours before opening. Norm for this measure is 0.2 hours after. The chart below shows reviews on opening day and the days before and after opening; the left side is earlier and the right side is later. The red bars extending above the horizontal mid-line represent more positive reviews, and the red bars extending below represent more negative reviews. The white space/red bar in the middle is Albatross (2012)'s opening day. Click on any bar for a list of the reviews for that day.
Albatross (2012) (8 reviews, click on bars for reviews)
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