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BLACK BUTTERFLIES (2012)Movie Reviews
Drama about the personal life of South African poet Ingrid Jonker, whose work addressed the Apartheid of 1960s Cape Town. Cast:Carice van Houten, Rutger Hauer, Liam CunninghamDirector:Paula Van der OestRelease Date:March 2, 2012DVD Release:July 17, 2012From:Tribeca FilmsLength:1 hr. 33 min.
Black Butterflies (2012) played in New York City to good reviews. • Stephen Holden wrote in the New York Times, "...a harrowing psychological drama. At the same time, it gives Ingrid Jonker's despairing poetry its due in brief spoken interludes..." • And Kenji Fujishima wrote for Slant, "...reasonably sensitive and occasionally insightful..." More Reviews Below...
Black Butterflies (2012) Positive Reviews (8 Reviews, reviews below)
Black Butterflies (2012) has not been reviewed by Broad National Press
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NEW YORK/LOS ANGELES/CHICAGO/TORONTO (4 Reviews)
Stephen Holden, New York Times: VERY GOOD "...a harrowing psychological drama. At the same time, it gives Ingrid Jonker's despairing poetry its due in brief spoken interludes..."(See all of Stephen Holden's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 815 words, 03/02/12
V.A. Musetto, New York Post: MODERATE(cg) "Carice van Houten gives a strong performance as Jonker, and the cinematography is pleasing, but the script is cliché-ridden and ends on an overly sentimental note."(See all of V.A. Musetto's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 146 words, 03/02/12
Bill Stamets, Chicago Sun-Times: GOOD(cg) "...insightful... chronicles the helplessness of loved ones witnessing Ingrid Jonker over-serve herself with alcohol and affairs."(See all of Bill Stamets's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 105 words, 03/02/12
Nick Schager, Village Voice: FAIR "...rather mechanical.... van Houten is most intensely convincing in quiet, brooding moments, with her more mad behavior often feeling too mannered and showboaty."(See all of Nick Schager's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 191 words, 02/29/12
KEY CITIES (0 Reviews)
Black Butterflies (2012) has not been reviewed in Key Cities
ALTERNATIVE/INDIE PRESS (3 Reviews)
Nick Schager, Village Voice: FAIR "...rather mechanical.... van Houten is most intensely convincing in quiet, brooding moments, with her more mad behavior often feeling too mannered and showboaty."(See all of Nick Schager's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 191 words, 02/29/12
Sam Adams, AV Club: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...succeeds, at least, in dramatizing the horrors of apartheid, which take root more forcefully than the drama of its ostensible protagonist."(See all of Sam Adams's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 379 words, 03/01/12
Kenji Fujishima, Slant: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...reasonably sensitive and occasionally insightful... If the film holds together at all as a character portrait, it's because of Carice van Houten..."(See all of Kenji Fujishima's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 645 words, 04/20/11
HIGHBROW PRESS (1 Review)
Stephen Holden, New York Times: VERY GOOD "...a harrowing psychological drama. At the same time, it gives Ingrid Jonker's despairing poetry its due in brief spoken interludes..."(See all of Stephen Holden's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 815 words, 03/02/12
MOVIE INDUSTRY (3 Reviews)
Ronnie Scheib, Daily Variety: VERY GOOD "The uncompromising power of Ingrid Jonker's poetry runs like a pulsing vein through it... strong points include the angry intensity of Carice van Houten's fearless perf."(See all of Ronnie Scheib's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 671 words, 04/24/11
Jordan Mintzer, Hollywood Reporter: VERY GOOD "Paula van der Oest's biopic of South African poet Ingrid Jonker is conventional yet captivating thanks in large part to a terrific lead performance from Carice van Houten."(See all of Jordan Mintzer's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 691 words, 06/20/11
Stephen Holden, New York Times: VERY GOOD "...a harrowing psychological drama. At the same time, it gives Ingrid Jonker's despairing poetry its due in brief spoken interludes..."(See all of Stephen Holden's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 815 words, 03/02/12
14.6 Percentage Points Average Difference Between Reviews (Norm is 18.4pp; <18.4pp = More Consistent; >18.4pp = More Mixed)
Black Butterflies (2012)'s reviews are separated by an average 14.6 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.
Black Butterflies (2012) (8 reviews) Roll over dots for each review
Coverage:Black Butterflies (2012)'s reviews cover 8.5% of potential readers (average is 67.9%). Volume:The film's reviews total 3,643 words involume (average is 20,172 words). Length:The film's reviews average 455 words in length (the norm is 517 words).
Reviews Broke 46 Days Before Release (Norm is 1.2 Release)
Black Butterflies (2012)'s reviews on average broke 46 days before opening. Norm for this measure is 1.2 hours before. 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 Black Butterflies (2012)'s opening day. Click on any bar for a list of the reviews for that day.
Black Butterflies (2012) (8 reviews, click on bars for reviews)
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