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GIGANTICMovie Reviews
Unconventional romantic comedy about an unhappy mattress salesman whose infatuation with one of his happy and attractive customers helps him move along in life. Cast:Paul Dano, Zooey Deschanel, John Goodman, Ed Asner, Jane AlexanderDirector:Matt AseltonRelease Date:April 3, 2009DVD Release:August 11, 2009From:First Independent PicturesRating:RLength:1 hr 38 min
Gigantic played in key cities to mixed reviews. • Joe Williams wrote in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, "...debut director Matt Aselton writes loopily funny dialogue, and each of the characters is vividly individual.... 'Gigantic' stands out." • And Ty Burr wrote in the Boston Globe, "...plays like a Sundance movie with half the nouns removed; fetchingly cryptic for a while, it's ultimately just obscure." More Reviews Below...
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NEW YORK/LOS ANGELES/CHICAGO/TORONTO (9 Reviews)
Stephen Holden, New York Times: GOOD (NOT GREAT) "...strains to be original. But beneath its indie affectations it is really another contemplation of generational misunderstanding."(See all of Stephen Holden's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 644 words, 04/03/09
Elizabeth Weitzman, New York Daily News: POOR(cg) "Seriously? Indie directors are still making painfully twee, self-conscious romances all these years after Sundance birthed so many quirky cliches?"(See all of Elizabeth Weitzman's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 111 words, 04/03/09
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "Matt Aselton can make a fine and original film. This isn't quite it, but it has moments so good, all you wish for is a second draft. Nor is it ever boring."(See all of Roger Ebert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 766 words, 04/09/09
Gary Goldstein, Los Angeles Times: EXCELLENT "...darkly funny... watching pros such as Goodman, Asner and Alexander, along with TV veteran Mary Page Keller, mine the possibilities here is particularly rewarding."(See all of Gary Goldstein's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 223 words, 04/17/09
Kyle Smith, New York Post: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...will fulfill all your alterna-movie weirdness requirements.... the film is peculiarly endearing. Quirk fans, prepare to be lightly exhilarated."(See all of Kyle Smith's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 236 words, 04/03/09
Rafer Guzman, New York Newsday: POOR(cg) "Eventually 'Gigantic' decides to become a heartwarmer, and why not? Any ending - including nuclear devastation or a 1940s musical number - would have worked, too."(See all of Rafer Guzman's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 242 words, 04/10/09
Nick Pinkerton, Village Voice/LA Weekly: POOR "I don't remember ever wanting to just haul out and punch a movie before 'Gigantic'.... Matt Aselton's auteur debut provides another flimsy indie comedy for the heap."(See all of Nick Pinkerton's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 224 words, 04/01/09
Gray Beltran, Orange County Register: GOOD(cg) "...strays from its comedic tone before finding its way back... When it does sustain its wit, the film transcends the complacent monotony of many romantic comedies."(See all of Gray Beltran's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 543 words, 04/28/09
KEY CITIES (5 Reviews)
Tom Maurstad, Dallas Morning News: FAIR(cg) "There's not much story here... Dano's performance is so flat and internalized that getting a fix on him is like looking for shapes in the clouds."(See all of Tom Maurstad's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 400 words, 04/17/09
Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle: POOR(cg) "A mark of amateur work: The constant cursing. Each character talks the same and sounds like something in a college playwriting class."(See all of Mick LaSalle's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 515 words, 04/10/09
Ty Burr, Boston Globe: MODERATE(cg) "...plays like a Sundance movie with half the nouns removed; fetchingly cryptic for a while, it's ultimately just obscure."(See all of Ty Burr's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 484 words, 04/24/09
Joe Williams, St. Louis Post-Dispatch: VERY GOOD(cg) "...debut director Matt Aselton writes loopily funny dialogue, and each of the characters is vividly individual.... In a market full of cynical indies, the gentle 'Gigantic' stands out."(See all of Joe Williams's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 307 words, 05/22/09
Roger Moore, Denver Post: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...an example of a certain kind of 'Sundance movie' made after the ship has sailed. The pendulum is swinging back toward the more classical forms of filmmaking."(See all of Roger Moore's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 535 words, 05/01/09
ALTERNATIVE/INDIE PRESS (3 Reviews)
Nick Pinkerton, Village Voice/LA Weekly: POOR "I don't remember ever wanting to just haul out and punch a movie before 'Gigantic'.... Matt Aselton's auteur debut provides another flimsy indie comedy for the heap."(See all of Nick Pinkerton's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 224 words, 04/01/09
Betsy Sherman, Boston Phoenix: OUTSTANDING(cg) "Dano is the anchor; the willowy, porcelain-skinned actor has shown himself to be one of the best of his generation since his debut in 'L.I.E.' as an exploited teen."(See all of Betsy Sherman's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 600 words, 04/23/09
HIGHBROW PRESS (2 Reviews)
Stephen Holden, New York Times: GOOD (NOT GREAT) "...strains to be original. But beneath its indie affectations it is really another contemplation of generational misunderstanding."(See all of Stephen Holden's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 644 words, 04/03/09
Gary Goldstein, Los Angeles Times: EXCELLENT "...darkly funny... watching pros such as Goodman, Asner and Alexander, along with TV veteran Mary Page Keller, mine the possibilities here is particularly rewarding."(See all of Gary Goldstein's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 223 words, 04/17/09
MOVIE INDUSTRY (4 Reviews)
Robert Koehler, Daily Variety: MODERATE "...steadfastly favors gimmicky dialogue exchanges and odd-for-the-hell-of-it scenes over emotional honesty.... Tailor-made for the terminally hip..."(See all of Robert Koehler's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 645 words, 09/16/08
Kirk Honeycutt, Hollywood Reporter: FAIR "A youthful and mostly unsuccessful exercise in absurdity and surrealism enlivened by a terrific cast.... the film is mostly comedic, so it can tolerate much strangeness..."(See all of Kirk Honeycutt's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 361 words, 09/10/08
Gary Goldstein, Los Angeles Times: EXCELLENT "...darkly funny... watching pros such as Goodman, Asner and Alexander, along with TV veteran Mary Page Keller, mine the possibilities here is particularly rewarding."(See all of Gary Goldstein's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 223 words, 04/17/09
Stephen Holden, New York Times: GOOD (NOT GREAT) "...strains to be original. But beneath its indie affectations it is really another contemplation of generational misunderstanding."(See all of Stephen Holden's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 644 words, 04/03/09
32.1 Percentage Points Average Difference Between Reviews (Norm is 18.4pp; <18.4pp = More Consistent; >18.4pp = More Mixed)
Gigantic's reviews are separated by an average 32.1 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.
Gigantic (18 reviews) Roll over dots for each review
Coverage:Gigantic's reviews cover 21.3% of potential readers (average is 67.9%). Volume:The film's reviews total 7,211 words involume (average is 20,194 words). Length:The film's reviews average 401 words in length (the norm is 517 words).
Reviews Broke 4 Days After Release (Norm is 1.2 Release)
Gigantic'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 Gigantic's opening day. Click on any bar for a list of the reviews for that day.
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