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GREENBERGMovie Reviews
Comedy drama about a fortyish single man who, on the rebound from a nervous breakdown, goes to Los Angeles to house-sit for his brother. Cast:Ben Stiller, Greta Gerwig, Rhys Ifans, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Juno Temple, Brie LarsonDirector:Noah BaumbachRelease Date:March 19, 2010DVD Release:July 13, 2010From:Focus FeaturesRating:RLength:1 hr. 47 min.
Greenberg played in national release to very good reviews. • Peter Travers wrote in Rolling Stone, "...walks the fragile line between humor and heartbreak. Ben Stiller is exceptional... Even when you laugh, like in the climactic party scene, it hurts." • And Ann Hornaday wrote in the Washington Post, "...has the easy, unforced feel of the temporary timeout in life that Roger himself has embarked on." More Reviews Below...
Sara Vilkomerson, People: VERY GOOD(cg) "Thanks to the writer-director Noah Baumbach's sharply witty dialogue and poignant performances from Stiller and Gerwig, you can't help but root for these lost souls..."(See all of Sara Vilkomerson's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 125 words, 03/25/10
Mary Pols, Time: MODERATE "...defiantly unsettling... the movie has the curious vagueness of intent that makes so many 'meaningful' works of fiction not all that meaningful."(See all of Mary Pols's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 830 words, 03/18/10
David Germain, Associated Press: VERY GOOD(cg) "...it's the finest work Stiller's done, a revelation that the star of 'Meet the Parents' and 'Night at the Museum' has more to offer than just broad comedy."(See all of David Germain's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 751 words, 03/18/10
Thelma Adams, Us Weekly: VERY GOOD(cg) "The big discovery is Greta Gerwig, whose dreamy blonde -- lost in a post-college haze -- comes off earthy and instantly appealing."(See all of Thelma Adams's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 80 words, 03/18/10
Lisa Schwarzbaum, Entertainment Weekly: EXCELLENT(cg) "...there is something undeniably compelling about the surgical precision with which filmmaker Noah Baumbach picks at neuroses that feel very personal."(See all of Lisa Schwarzbaum's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 396 words, 03/19/10
Peter Travers, Rolling Stone: VERY GOOD(cg) "...walks the fragile line between humor and heartbreak. Ben Stiller is exceptional... Even when you laugh, like in the climactic party scene, it hurts."(See all of Peter Travers's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 140 words, 03/19/10
Claudia Puig, USA Today: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...for those looking for realistic, complex characters coping with believable emotional hurdles, this is an unexpected gem.... Ben Stiller is superb..."(See all of Claudia Puig's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 426 words, 03/19/10
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...an intriguing film... What Ben Stiller does with the role is fascinating. We can't stand Greenberg. But we begin to care about him."(See all of Roger Ebert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 796 words, 03/25/10
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NEW YORK/LOS ANGELES/CHICAGO/TORONTO (13 Reviews)
A.O. Scott, New York Times: OUTSTANDING "...the misery of Roger's company provides its own special kind of pleasure.... a movie about a man who is defiantly difficult to like becomes very hard not to love."(See all of A.O. Scott's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,246 words, 03/19/10
Betsy Sharkey, Los Angeles Times: FAIR "...writer-director Noah Baumbach who came to prominence with 2005's 'The Squid and the Whale' has reached new highs or new lows, depending on your point of view..."(See all of Betsy Sharkey's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 787 words, 03/19/10
Kyle Smith, New York Post: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "Baumbach is one of the finest writers of arch dialogue working today.... I like the odd angles of the movie, the confusion and droll awkwardness..."(See all of Kyle Smith's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 522 words, 03/19/10
Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...extraordinary... the film has a curious warmth and optimism at its core, I think, partly because Gerwig's Florence is such a distinctive creation."(See all of Michael Phillips's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 727 words, 03/26/10
Rafer Guzman, New York Newsday: VERY GOOD(cg) "Like most of Baumbach's films, 'Greenberg' is a series of little moments, some bitterly funny, all sharply written and finely acted."(See all of Rafer Guzman's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 297 words, 03/26/10
David Edelstein, New York Magazine: FAIR "Baumbach scores points off his protagonist in a way that's almost pathological... some scenes in 'Greenberg' are brilliantly discomfiting."(See all of David Edelstein's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 815 words, 03/22/10
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...an intriguing film... What Ben Stiller does with the role is fascinating. We can't stand Greenberg. But we begin to care about him."(See all of Roger Ebert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 796 words, 03/25/10
J. Hoberman, Village Voice/LA Weekly: EXCELLENT "Sad, funny, and acutely self-conscious... unafraid to project a downbeat worldview or feature an impossible protagonist... loser Roger Greenberg is also painfully poignant."(See all of J. Hoberman's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 734 words, 03/17/10
Linda Barnard, Toronto Star: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "The dialogue is sharp and smart... the movie ends on strange note, almost as if even Baumbach couldn't stand to spend one more minute with the odious Greenberg."(See all of Linda Barnard's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 586 words, 03/26/10
Rick Groen, Toronto Globe & Mail: VERY GOOD(cg) "...another anti-heroic tale of the lost boy as a middle-aged man... this time, our man/boy heads westward ho to fight his devils in the City of Angels."(See all of Rick Groen's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 809 words, 03/26/10
Ann Hornaday, Washington Post: VERY GOOD(cg) "...a quietly funny portrait of grown-ups growing up... has the easy, unforced feel of the temporary timeout in life that Roger himself has embarked on."(See all of Ann Hornaday's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 470 words, 03/26/10
Steven Rea, Philadelphia Inquirer: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...about what happens when this one-man pity party meets his brother's and sister-in-law's personal assistant, Florence Marr (Greta Gerwig)."(See all of Steven Rea's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 642 words, 03/26/10
Mick LaSalle, Houston Chronicle/San Francisco Chronicle: VERY GOOD(cg) "Baumbach notices things about his characters that we might not see.... They're as unsettling as meeting a harmless but difficult stranger."(See all of Mick LaSalle's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 696 words, 03/26/10
Roger Moore, Orlando Sentinel: VERY GOOD(cg) "Stiller, in his most real performance in ages, finds the function in this catalog of dysfunctions, the humanity in this humanity-hating crank."(See all of Roger Moore's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 409 words, 03/26/10
Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star-Tribune: WEAK(cg) "Oh, honey. I have seen horror movies where people were dismembered, but never have I felt such an urge to shout 'Run away! Run away!' "(See all of Colin Covert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 604 words, 03/26/10
Ty Burr, Boston Globe: VERY GOOD(cg) "New York gave him a nervous breakdown and little else. Los Angeles represents a blank slate that Roger proceeds to run his fingernails across."(See all of Ty Burr's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 757 words, 03/26/10
Clint O'Connor, Cleveland Plain-Dealer: VERY GOOD(cg) "...an easy film to admire. It's just not easy to like. Wonderful performances all around by Ben Stiller, Greta Gerwig and Rhys Ifans."(See all of Clint O'Connor's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 354 words, 03/26/10
Shawn Levy, Portland Oregonian: VERY GOOD(cg) "...there's the sneaking suspicion that there's a little of this fellow in all of us, and self-knowledge of that sort is a gift that, often, only art can give."(See all of Shawn Levy's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 273 words, 03/26/10
Joe Williams, St. Louis Post-Dispatch: VERY GOOD(cg) "...pushes the definition of comedy to the breaking point, and unlike the far less successful 'Margot at the Wedding,' it leaves us faintly smiling after the workout."(See all of Joe Williams's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 323 words, 03/26/10
Tom Long, Detroit News: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...takes on a daffy anti-rom-com feel that's somehow transcendent in its anxious blend of awkwardness and need. This is a couple for these rude, confused, nervous times."(See all of Tom Long's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 525 words, 03/26/10
Rene Rodriguez, Miami Herald: VERY GOOD(cg) "Baumbach's best, most accessible film, has a maturity and focus his other movies sometimes lacked.... it never feels heavy handed or artificial."(See all of Rene Rodriguez's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 508 words, 03/26/10
ALTERNATIVE/INDIE PRESS (6 Reviews)
J. Hoberman, Village Voice/LA Weekly: EXCELLENT "Sad, funny, and acutely self-conscious... unafraid to project a downbeat worldview or feature an impossible protagonist... loser Roger Greenberg is also painfully poignant."(See all of J. Hoberman's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 734 words, 03/17/10
Peter Keough, Boston Phoenix: VERY GOOD(cg) "How patient you'll be depends a lot on how you feel about Ben Stiller, the reigning icon of squirm-inducing weaselly boorishness. What can I say? I love the guy."(See all of Peter Keough's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 604 words, 03/25/10
Nathan Rabin, AV Club: OUTSTANDING(cg) "Bittersweet and beautifully realized, harsh but humane... a self-consciously small film that nevertheless leaves an indelible mark."(See all of Nathan Rabin's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 341 words, 03/18/10
Tricia Olszewski, Washington City Paper: FAIR "...arguably Noah Baumbach's most depressing film, and some may find Roger so disagreeable -- and Flo too agreeable -- that the movie is unwatchable."(See all of Tricia Olszewski's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 362 words, 03/26/10
HIGHBROW PRESS (5 Reviews)
Joe Morgenstern, Wall Street Journal: OUTSTANDING "...remarkable... the wonder of the film is how good it makes us feel.... a poignant expression of mortality by a man who's finally growing into his life."(See all of Joe Morgenstern's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 776 words, 03/19/10
A.O. Scott, New York Times: OUTSTANDING "...the misery of Roger's company provides its own special kind of pleasure.... a movie about a man who is defiantly difficult to like becomes very hard not to love."(See all of A.O. Scott's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,246 words, 03/19/10
David Denby, New Yorker: VERY GOOD "This is tricky, ambiguous material... yet Baumbach handles it with great assurance.... The scenes don't lose their pace or their shape; they sustain a ruffled, poignant mood."(See all of David Denby's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,043 words, 03/15/10
Betsy Sharkey, Los Angeles Times: FAIR "...writer-director Noah Baumbach who came to prominence with 2005's 'The Squid and the Whale' has reached new highs or new lows, depending on your point of view..."(See all of Betsy Sharkey's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 787 words, 03/19/10
Betsy Sharkey, Los Angeles Times: FAIR "...writer-director Noah Baumbach who came to prominence with 2005's 'The Squid and the Whale' has reached new highs or new lows, depending on your point of view..."(See all of Betsy Sharkey's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 787 words, 03/19/10
Emanuel Levy, Cinema 24/7: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...offers some minor rewards, prime among which is Ben Stiller's performance as a severely flawed character.... Too intimate... static, and verbose..."(See all of Emanuel Levy's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 960 words, 03/06/10
A.O. Scott, New York Times: OUTSTANDING "...the misery of Roger's company provides its own special kind of pleasure.... a movie about a man who is defiantly difficult to like becomes very hard not to love."(See all of A.O. Scott's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,246 words, 03/19/10
Joe Morgenstern, Wall Street Journal: OUTSTANDING "...remarkable... the wonder of the film is how good it makes us feel.... a poignant expression of mortality by a man who's finally growing into his life."(See all of Joe Morgenstern's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 776 words, 03/19/10
18.0 Percentage Points Average Difference Between Reviews (Norm is 18.4pp; <18.4pp = More Consistent; >18.4pp = More Mixed)
Greenberg's reviews are separated by an average 18.0 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.
Greenberg (44 reviews) Roll over dots for each review
Coverage:Greenberg's reviews cover 95.1% of potential readers (average is 67.9%). Volume:The film's reviews total 24,837 words involume (average is 20,172 words). Length:The film's reviews average 564 words in length (the norm is 517 words).
Reviews Broke 35.7 Hours After Release (Norm is 1.2 Release)
Greenberg's reviews on average broke 35.7 hours 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 Greenberg's opening day. Click on any bar for a list of the reviews for that day.
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