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JERICHOWMovie Reviews
German drama set in an impoverished small town, about three people who find themselves at a fortuitous crossroads. Cast:Benno Fürmann, Nina Hoss, Hilmi Sözer, André Hennicke, Claudia GeislerDirector:Christian PetzoldRelease Date:May 15, 2009DVD Release:October 27, 2009From:Cinema GuildLength:1 hr 33 min
Jerichow played in key cities to very good reviews. • Radheyan Simonpillai wrote in Toronto Now, "...a neatly crafted neo-noir with a slightly old-hat but still relevant commentary on Germany's social and racial dynamics." • And Kevin Thomas wrote in the Los Angeles Times, "...engrossing... offers implicit, sardonic social comment as well as a compelling playing out of the eternal triangle." More Reviews Below...
Jerichow has not been reviewed by Broad National Press
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NEW YORK/LOS ANGELES/CHICAGO/TORONTO (8 Reviews)
A.O. Scott, New York Times: GOOD "...somber... there is something haunting about this film, a sense of desperation and defeat that seems less like a generic convention than like a genuine insight..."(See all of A.O. Scott's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 836 words, 05/15/09
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: VERY GOOD(cg) "It's never just about the plot, anyway. It has to do with random accidents, dangerous coincidences, miscalculations, simple mistakes. And the motives are never simple."(See all of Roger Ebert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 563 words, 06/25/09
V.A. Musetto, New York Post: VERY GOOD(cg) "German director Christian Petzold tackles the oft-told tale with fresh vigor.... Viewers will be drawn in by 'Jerichow' even if they aren't familiar with Cain's tale and the other movies it spawned."(See all of V.A. Musetto's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 288 words, 05/15/09
Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...imaginative, free-handed variation on 'The Postman Always Rings Twice,' relocates the 1934 James M. Cain tale of lust and murder to a small town in northeastern Germany."(See all of Michael Phillips's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 501 words, 06/26/09
Melissa Anderson, Village Voice/LA Weekly: EXCELLENT "...forgoes the prolonged double-crosses of 'The Postman Always Rings Twice,' its simpler ending made all the more powerful -- and a little heartbreaking."(See all of Melissa Anderson's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 599 words, 05/13/09
Steven Rea, Philadelphia Inquirer: VERY GOOD(cg) "A taut, German-made thriller... adds a bit of European xenophobia to the pulp traditions of passion and betrayal. Smartly done by Christian Petzold..."(See all of Steven Rea's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 318 words, 08/07/09
Wesley Morris, Boston Globe: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "As ridiculous German suspense dramas go, you could do worse than 'Jerichow'.... This is silly romance. It's sillier suspense. But I'm not above saying I enjoyed it."(See all of Wesley Morris's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 537 words, 07/03/09
John Monaghan, Detroit Free Press: MODERATE(cg) "German director Christian Petzold uses the familiar trappings of film noir to deliver a well-composed if underwhelming treatise on class, culture and loyalty."(See all of John Monaghan's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 306 words, 07/24/09
Stan Hall, Portland Oregonian: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "A Euro reboot of 'The Postman Always Rings Twice... oozes atmospheric cool that gives weight to occasional glimpses of human vulnerability."(See all of Stan Hall's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 157 words, 07/03/09
ALTERNATIVE/INDIE PRESS (5 Reviews)
Melissa Anderson, Village Voice/LA Weekly: EXCELLENT "...forgoes the prolonged double-crosses of 'The Postman Always Rings Twice,' its simpler ending made all the more powerful -- and a little heartbreaking."(See all of Melissa Anderson's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 599 words, 05/13/09
Brett Michel, Boston Phoenix: WEAK(cg) "...owes a debt to James M. Cain's novel 'The Postman Always Rings Twice,' but it's debt of the monetary kind that chokes the inhabitants of the title East German town."(See all of Brett Michel's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 169 words, 07/02/09
A.O. Scott, New York Times: GOOD "...somber... there is something haunting about this film, a sense of desperation and defeat that seems less like a generic convention than like a genuine insight..."(See all of A.O. Scott's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 836 words, 05/15/09
Anthony Lane, New Yorker: EXCELLENT "The early scenes of 'Jerichow' are an object lesson in the slow release of dramatic information. Drop by drop, this man's story accrues... compact and controlled..."(See all of Anthony Lane's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 825 words, 05/25/09
Derek Elley, Daily Variety: EXCELLENT "A tightly constructed 'dramatic thriller' in which the tension comes as much from what the characters are thinking as from what they end up doing..."(See all of Derek Elley's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 714 words, 09/01/08
A.O. Scott, New York Times: GOOD "...somber... there is something haunting about this film, a sense of desperation and defeat that seems less like a generic convention than like a genuine insight..."(See all of A.O. Scott's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 836 words, 05/15/09
14.9 Percentage Points Average Difference Between Reviews (Norm is 18.4pp; <18.4pp = More Consistent; >18.4pp = More Mixed)
Jerichow's reviews are separated by an average 14.9 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.
Jerichow (19 reviews) Roll over dots for each review
Coverage:Jerichow's reviews cover 20.9% of potential readers (average is 67.9%). Volume:The film's reviews total 8,654 words involume (average is 20,194 words). Length:The film's reviews average 456 words in length (the norm is 517 words).
Reviews Broke 27 Days After Release (Norm is 1.2 Release)
Jerichow's reviews on average broke 27 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 Jerichow's opening day. Click on any bar for a list of the reviews for that day.
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