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FOOTNOTE (HEARAT SHULAYIM)Movie Reviews
Hebrew language drama about a father and son, both eccentric professors of Talmudic studies, whose different views make them academic rivals. Cast:Shlomo Bar Aba, Lior Ashkenazi, Alisa Rosen, Alma Zak, Daniel Markovich, Micah Lewesohn, Yuval Scharf, Nevo KimchiDirector:Joseph CedarRelease Date:March 9, 2012DVD Release:July 24, 2012From:Sony ClassicsRating:PGLength:1 hr 43 min
Footnote (Hearat Shulayim) played in key cities to sensational reviews. • Andrew O'Hehir wrote for Salon, "...wry, imaginative.... Joseph Cedar, an American-born Israeli filmmaker whose last work was the Oscar-nominated 'Beaufort,' has a genuine gift for atmosphere and dialogue." • And Roger Ebert wrote in the Chicago Sun-Times, "...one of the smartest and most merciless comedies to come along in a while.... Perfect." More Reviews Below...
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NEW YORK/LOS ANGELES/CHICAGO/TORONTO (12 Reviews)
A.O. Scott, New York Times: OUTSTANDING "...a piercing satire, a poignant family drama and an investigation of the competing claims of honesty, loyalty, ambition and love.... the stakes could hardly be higher."(See all of A.O. Scott's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,005 words, 03/09/12
Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times: OUTSTANDING "...brainy, bravura filmmaking of the highest level.... does more than ask the provocative question 'what is more important than truth,' it attempts to answer it as well."(See all of Kenneth Turan's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 946 words, 03/16/12
Kyle Smith, New York Post: VERY GOOD(cg) "...spins around in a frantic and ungainly whimsy in its early stages... once it calms down and stops trying to be funny, it turns into a thoughtful and intriguing drama."(See all of Kyle Smith's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 383 words, 03/09/12
Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune: OUTSTANDING(cg) "Many people will be vexed... The humor isn't for everyone. I've seen the film twice, gladly, and I can't wait to see what Cedar comes up with next."(See all of Michael Phillips's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 753 words, 03/16/12
Rafer Guzman, New York Newsday: VERY GOOD(cg) "Hilarious may not be the right word... a droll, deadpan satire... An Israeli cousin to 'Election' that slyly sends up professional ambition, ethics and jealousy."(See all of Rafer Guzman's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 329 words, 03/30/12
Karina Longworth, Village Voice: GOOD (NOT GREAT) "Cedar's rigorous formal achievement is above reproach but, despite its increasingly operatic score, emotionally distant.... it remains cold and unknowable."(See all of Karina Longworth's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 441 words, 03/07/12
Peter Howell, Toronto Star: OUTSTANDING(cg) "Emotions run so hot that if it weren't for Amit Poznansky's jaunty score, and the film's Pythonesque visual flourishes, we could forget at times that this is a comedy."(See all of Peter Howell's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 530 words, 03/23/12
Liam Lacey, Toronto Globe & Mail: VERY GOOD(cg) "Cedar won the Cannes screenwriting prize for his mordant script about mountains, mole-hills and the popular biblical theme of mean fathers and rebellious sons."(See all of Liam Lacey's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 136 words, 09/07/11
Mike D'Angelo, LA Weekly: VERY GOOD "Director Joseph Cedar's depiction of petty politicking boasts a sly, knowing wit... throughout, his sense of familial resentment could scarcely be more acute."(See all of Mike D'Angelo's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 197 words, 11/03/11
Norman Wilner, Toronto Now: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "Wes Anderson's 'The Royal Tenenbaums' got the balance of observation and commentary exactly right; Cedar's 'Footnote' gets it wrong."(See all of Norman Wilner's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 205 words, 03/22/12
KEY CITIES (10 Reviews)
Stephanie Merry, Washington Post: VERY GOOD(cg) "Bar-Aba and Ashkenazi do exceptional work.... Most footnotes don't get a passing glance, but this one proves worthy of careful study."(See all of Stephanie Merry's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 482 words, 03/23/12
Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star-Tribune: MODERATE(cg) "The film darkens throughout, its sprightly musical score falling away and the situation curdling into bitterness without catharsis."(See all of Colin Covert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 155 words, 03/30/12
Bill Goodykoontz, Arizona Republic: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...fantastic... Shlomo Bar-Aba and Lior Ashkenazi give terrific performances... The film is uncomfortable and hilarious, in about equal measure."(See all of Bill Goodykoontz's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 597 words, 03/23/12
Amy Biancolli, San Francisco Chronicle: OUTSTANDING(cg) "Israeli writer-director Joseph Cedar imbues his tale of academic maneuvering, misunderstanding and mystery with the zest of passion and the zing of intrigue."(See all of Amy Biancolli's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 356 words, 03/23/12
Moira Macdonald, Seattle Times: VERY GOOD(cg) "...darkly comedic... a story of jealousy and rivalry, of what can happen when a son follows in his father's footsteps and makes those footsteps bigger..."(See all of Moira Macdonald's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 401 words, 04/06/12
Shawn Levy, Portland Oregonian: EXCELLENT(cg) "...a bright, smart and funny movie that evinces a real feel not only for the daily work of scholars... a fine, clever film."(See all of Shawn Levy's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 168 words, 02/17/12
Tom Long, Detroit News: VERY GOOD(cg) "...intriguing... deals with ambition, isolation, the dangers of too much success and the inevitable gap between generations."(See all of Tom Long's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 320 words, 04/13/12
ALTERNATIVE/INDIE PRESS (8 Reviews)
Karina Longworth, Village Voice: GOOD (NOT GREAT) "Cedar's rigorous formal achievement is above reproach but, despite its increasingly operatic score, emotionally distant.... it remains cold and unknowable."(See all of Karina Longworth's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 441 words, 03/07/12
Ann Lewinson, Boston Phoenix: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "Comic Bar Aba's one-dimensional stone face, tightly framed in the manner of deadpan Scandinavian comedies, grows monotonous..."(See all of Ann Lewinson's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 159 words, 03/22/12
Mike D'Angelo, LA Weekly: VERY GOOD "Director Joseph Cedar's depiction of petty politicking boasts a sly, knowing wit... throughout, his sense of familial resentment could scarcely be more acute."(See all of Mike D'Angelo's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 197 words, 11/03/11
Alison Willmore, AV Club: VERY GOOD(cg) "Cedar breaks up these father-son dynamics with visual flourishes, including nods to old-school slideshows, or footnotes about the characters thrown out onscreen."(See all of Alison Willmore's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 418 words, 03/08/12
Elena Razlogova, Pop Matters: VERY GOOD(cg) "...a traditional film in more senses than one (at Cannes, the crew refused limousines and walked to the evening screening in the rain to observe the Sabbath)."(See all of Elena Razlogova's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 358 words, 05/18/11
Stephanie Zacharek, Movieline: VERY GOOD(cg) "What Cedar captures here is the way a father and son can be bound so tightly... You can't exactly call it affection; it's that far more complicated thing we call kinship."(See all of Stephanie Zacharek's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 729 words, 03/07/12
Andrew Schenker, Slant: MODERATE(cg) "A very Jewish comedy about academia, familial bickering, and life as a cosmic joke... a sour, rather unpleasant affair that hinges on acts of Jews behaving badly..."(See all of Andrew Schenker's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 694 words, 10/12/11
Norman Wilner, Toronto Now: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "Wes Anderson's 'The Royal Tenenbaums' got the balance of observation and commentary exactly right; Cedar's 'Footnote' gets it wrong."(See all of Norman Wilner's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 205 words, 03/22/12
HIGHBROW PRESS (6 Reviews)
Joe Morgenstern, Wall Street Journal: OUTSTANDING "...a wise and playful comedy of intellectual manners... 'Footnote' does function as a character study, an exceptionally rich one."(See all of Joe Morgenstern's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 318 words, 03/09/12
A.O. Scott, New York Times: OUTSTANDING "...a piercing satire, a poignant family drama and an investigation of the competing claims of honesty, loyalty, ambition and love.... the stakes could hardly be higher."(See all of A.O. Scott's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,005 words, 03/09/12
David Denby, New Yorker: OUTSTANDING "The echoes of this intricately wrought movie go on forever... nothing has exploded on the screen in recent years as violently as that mad quarrel in a tiny room..."(See all of David Denby's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 638 words, 04/09/12
Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times: OUTSTANDING "...brainy, bravura filmmaking of the highest level.... does more than ask the provocative question 'what is more important than truth,' it attempts to answer it as well."(See all of Kenneth Turan's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 946 words, 03/16/12
Andrew O'Hehir, Salon: OUTSTANDING "...wry, imaginative.... Cedar, an American-born Israeli filmmaker whose last work was the Oscar-nominated 'Beaufort,' has a genuine gift for atmosphere and dialogue."(See all of Andrew O'Hehir's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 644 words, 05/20/11
Todd McCarthy, Hollywood Reporter: GOOD (NOT GREAT) "Intriguing, uneven... makes several crucial miscalculations, beginning with the use of one of the most intrusive and overbearing musical scores in memory."(See all of Todd McCarthy's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 618 words, 05/13/11
Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times: OUTSTANDING "...brainy, bravura filmmaking of the highest level.... does more than ask the provocative question 'what is more important than truth,' it attempts to answer it as well."(See all of Kenneth Turan's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 946 words, 03/16/12
Emanuel Levy, Cinema 24/7: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...intriguing... asks us to weigh our needs and obligations as sons (and family members) versus needs and duties as individualistic, career-driven professionals."(See all of Emanuel Levy's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 568 words, 08/18/11
A.O. Scott, New York Times: OUTSTANDING "...a piercing satire, a poignant family drama and an investigation of the competing claims of honesty, loyalty, ambition and love.... the stakes could hardly be higher."(See all of A.O. Scott's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,005 words, 03/09/12
Joe Morgenstern, Wall Street Journal: OUTSTANDING "...a wise and playful comedy of intellectual manners... 'Footnote' does function as a character study, an exceptionally rich one."(See all of Joe Morgenstern's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 318 words, 03/09/12
17.3 Percentage Points Average Difference Between Reviews (Norm is 18.4pp; <18.4pp = More Consistent; >18.4pp = More Mixed)
Footnote (Hearat Shulayim)'s reviews are separated by an average 17.3 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.
Footnote (Hearat Shulayim) (35 reviews) Roll over dots for each review
Coverage:Footnote (Hearat Shulayim)'s reviews cover 44.1% of potential readers (average is 67.9%). Volume:The film's reviews total 16,242 words involume (average is 20,194 words). Length:The film's reviews average 464 words in length (the norm is 517 words).
Reviews Broke 20 Days Before Release (Norm is 1.2 Release)
Footnote (Hearat Shulayim)'s reviews on average broke 20 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 Footnote (Hearat Shulayim)'s opening day. Click on any bar for a list of the reviews for that day.
Footnote (Hearat Shulayim) (35 reviews, click on bars for reviews)
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