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BRAKEMovie Reviews
Thriller about a kidnapped Secret Service agent who will be killed unless he gives up information about the President that he has been trained to keep secret. Cast:Stephen Dorff, Tom Berenger, Chyler Leigh, JR BourneDirector:Gabe TorresRelease Date:March 21, 2012DVD Release:July 24, 2012From:IFCRating:RLength:1 hr. 32 min.
Brake played in limited release to fair reviews. • Stephen Whitty wrote in the New Jersey Star-Ledger, "...the more it goes on, the harder it is to stay onboard. Luckily, unlike Stephen Dorff, we're not locked in – and that red EXIT sign in the corner beckons." • And James Rocchi wrote for MSN Movies, "...even if you spot the final destination coming, it's a pleasant enough joyride." More Reviews Below...
James Rocchi, MSN Movies: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "The movie's pitch and plot are adequate enough... Your mileage enjoying 'Brake' may vary, but even if you spot the final destination coming, it's a pleasant enough joyride."(See all of James Rocchi's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 555 words, 03/20/12
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NEW YORK/LOS ANGELES/CHICAGO/TORONTO (6 Reviews)
Stephen Holden, New York Times: FAIR "...jolting in a sub-'Twilight Zone,' 'Alfred Hitchcock Presents' way that puts an evil grin on my face.... [but] afterward, 'Brake' crumbles to bits. It has no logic or credibility..."(See all of Stephen Holden's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 589 words, 03/23/12
Glenn Whipp, Los Angeles Times: WEAK "...delivers two twists, the second even more preposterous than its predecessor and, in the process, negates both common sense and the previous hour and a half."(See all of Glenn Whipp's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 274 words, 03/23/12
Sara Stewart, New York Post: WEAK(cg) "Director Gabe Torres lobs a twist you'll likely see coming, and another you may not -- neither satisfying enough to justify an hour and a half of Dorff-in-a-box."(See all of Sara Stewart's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 173 words, 03/23/12
Michael Atkinson, Village Voice/LA Weekly: WEAK "Espionage pulp in a can... compels us to speculate on an it's-all-fake twist early on because the story has virtually nowhere else to go."(See all of Michael Atkinson's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 163 words, 03/21/12
KEY CITIES (1 Review)
Stephen Whitty, New Jersey Star-Ledger: WEAK(cg) "...the more it goes on, the harder it is to stay onboard. Luckily, unlike Stephen Dorff, we're not locked in - and that red EXIT sign in the corner beckons."(See all of Stephen Whitty's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 454 words, 03/21/12
ALTERNATIVE/INDIE PRESS (5 Reviews)
Michael Atkinson, Village Voice/LA Weekly: WEAK "Espionage pulp in a can... compels us to speculate on an it's-all-fake twist early on because the story has virtually nowhere else to go."(See all of Michael Atkinson's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 163 words, 03/21/12
Michelle Orange, Movieline: VERY GOOD(cg) "...the twisty double ending sets the slight but ultimately critical emotional detachment of the preceding ninety minutes into greater relief."(See all of Michelle Orange's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 744 words, 03/21/12
Andrew Schenker, Slant: POOR(cg) "...slogs along with arbitrarily altering camera angles and weak suspense-building devices... no different than an average fear-mongering news broadcast..."(See all of Andrew Schenker's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 526 words, 03/17/12
HIGHBROW PRESS (3 Reviews)
Stephen Holden, New York Times: FAIR "...jolting in a sub-'Twilight Zone,' 'Alfred Hitchcock Presents' way that puts an evil grin on my face.... [but] afterward, 'Brake' crumbles to bits. It has no logic or credibility..."(See all of Stephen Holden's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 589 words, 03/23/12
Mark Holcomb, NPR: MODERATE "Like their protagonist, the filmmakers are gamblers, only they trade in the suspension of disbelief -- and by the end they've squandered their entire savings."(See all of Mark Holcomb's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 603 words, 03/22/12
Glenn Whipp, Los Angeles Times: WEAK "...delivers two twists, the second even more preposterous than its predecessor and, in the process, negates both common sense and the previous hour and a half."(See all of Glenn Whipp's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 274 words, 03/23/12
MOVIE INDUSTRY (4 Reviews)
Robert Koehler, Daily Variety: GOOD "A peculiar variation on the paranoid thriller and a virtual one-man show for Stephen Dorff... the actor fully commits to the arduous demands of the part."(See all of Robert Koehler's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 805 words, 03/21/12
Glenn Whipp, Los Angeles Times: WEAK "...delivers two twists, the second even more preposterous than its predecessor and, in the process, negates both common sense and the previous hour and a half."(See all of Glenn Whipp's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 274 words, 03/23/12
Stephen Holden, New York Times: FAIR "...jolting in a sub-'Twilight Zone,' 'Alfred Hitchcock Presents' way that puts an evil grin on my face.... [but] afterward, 'Brake' crumbles to bits. It has no logic or credibility..."(See all of Stephen Holden's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 589 words, 03/23/12
19.3 Percentage Points Average Difference Between Reviews (Norm is 18.4pp; <18.4pp = More Consistent; >18.4pp = More Mixed)
Brake's reviews are separated by an average 19.3 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.
Coverage:Brake's reviews cover 18.0% of potential readers (average is 67.9%). Volume:The film's reviews total 6,207 words involume (average is 20,172 words). Length:The film's reviews average 443 words in length (the norm is 517 words).
Reviews Broke 4 Days After Release (Norm is 1.2 Release)
Brake's reviews on average broke 4 days after 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 Brake's opening day. Click on any bar for a list of the reviews for that day.
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