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Documentary about the young dancers competing in the 40th Irish Dancing World Championships held in Glasgow, Ireland -- their passion and dreams, and their success and failure. Cast:Brogan McCay, John Whitehurst, Claire Greaney, Joe BitterDirector:Sue BourneRelease Date:June 17, 2011DVD Release:September 20, 2011From:Screen Media FilmsRating:PGLength:1 hr 33 min
Jig played in limited release to mixed reviews. • Mark Feeney wrote in the Boston Globe, "...involving, if at times overly slick.... director Sue Bourne has the good sense, though, to shoot the dancing straight." • And Colin Covert wrote in the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, "...the history of the dance style, the intricacies of judging and the personalities of the hoofers are hardly addressed." More Reviews Below...
Adam Markovitz, Entertainment Weekly: VERY GOOD(cg) "The world of competitive Irish dancing gets the documentary treatment... uncovers the sweat and toil behind all the sparkly outfits and clickety-clack footwork."(See all of Adam Markovitz's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 90 words, 06/23/11
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Joe Neumaier, New York Daily News: WEAK(cg) "Director Sue Bourne belabors the judges' final decision to such an excruciating length, it makes the whole movie feel a bit more cloddish than it should."(See all of Joe Neumaier's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 117 words, 06/17/11
Gary Goldstein, Los Angeles Times: EXCELLENT "...a superbly crafted documentary.... deftly captures the unique physical, emotional and financial aspects of diving into competitive Irish dance..."(See all of Gary Goldstein's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 230 words, 06/17/11
Kyle Smith, New York Post: WEAK(cg) "Smallpox has been eliminated from the planet -- so why can't our finest minds seem to be able to do anything about Irish step dancing?"(See all of Kyle Smith's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 208 words, 06/17/11
Linda Barnard, Toronto Star: VERY GOOD(cg) "...when a mother insists her daughter can't dance on a broken foot, a tiny yet determined Irish voice responds: 'I can. I can. Watch me.' "(See all of Linda Barnard's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 474 words, 06/17/11
Andrew Schenker, Village Voice/LA Weekly: WEAK "...gives us only tiny snippets of the dancing itself... the art form the film is designed to showcase is never glimpsed as anything other than a collection of fragments."(See all of Andrew Schenker's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 207 words, 06/15/11
Liam Lacey, Toronto Globe & Mail: MODERATE(cg) "Director Sue Bourne shows little knowledge or curiosity about her subject and doesn't find its magic in this pedestrian documentary."(See all of Liam Lacey's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 319 words, 06/17/11
KEY CITIES (3 Reviews)
Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star-Tribune: WEAK(cg) "...the history of the dance style, the intricacies of judging and the personalities of the hoofers are hardly addressed."(See all of Colin Covert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 123 words, 08/26/11
Bill Goodykoontz, Arizona Republic: VERY GOOD(cg) "...one of the things that pushes 'Jig' beyond what it might have been otherwise is that not everything works out as you might have liked."(See all of Bill Goodykoontz's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 488 words, 08/05/11
Mark Feeney, Boston Globe: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...involving, if at times overly slick.... director Sue Bourne has the good sense, though, to shoot the dancing straight."(See all of Mark Feeney's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 513 words, 06/17/11
ALTERNATIVE/INDIE PRESS (4 Reviews)
Andrew Schenker, Village Voice/LA Weekly: WEAK "...gives us only tiny snippets of the dancing itself... the art form the film is designed to showcase is never glimpsed as anything other than a collection of fragments."(See all of Andrew Schenker's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 207 words, 06/15/11
Jeffrey Gantz, Boston Phoenix: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...treads a formulaic path, following various competitors as they train for Glasgow and then strut their stuff before the judges. There are some unlikely faces..."(See all of Jeffrey Gantz's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 167 words, 06/16/11
Paul Schrodt, Slant: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "The dances themselves, unlike the cloyingly serene soundtrack of 'Riverdance,' are frenetic and somewhat off-putting, like a wind-up toy that's gone rogue."(See all of Paul Schrodt's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 375 words, 06/15/11
Gary Goldstein, Los Angeles Times: EXCELLENT "...a superbly crafted documentary.... deftly captures the unique physical, emotional and financial aspects of diving into competitive Irish dance..."(See all of Gary Goldstein's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 230 words, 06/17/11
MOVIE INDUSTRY (5 Reviews)
Leslie Felperin, Daily Variety: MODERATE "Although there is some insightful observational work, and the dancing itself is aces, pic feels overcrowded with characters... oddly flat and underwhelming."(See all of Leslie Felperin's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 441 words, 05/09/11
Todd McCarthy, Hollywood Reporter: FAIR "...the film's inability to illuminate the finer points of the rigid form proves frustrating for the outsider.... the suspense is dissipated by the droning recitals of scores..."(See all of Todd McCarthy's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 726 words, 06/16/11
Gary Goldstein, Los Angeles Times: EXCELLENT "...a superbly crafted documentary.... deftly captures the unique physical, emotional and financial aspects of diving into competitive Irish dance..."(See all of Gary Goldstein's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 230 words, 06/17/11
Jeff Farr, Cinema 24/7: EXCELLENT(cg) "Do you think you are immune to Irish dance contests for kids?... works hard to pull us into the world of Irish dance and without a question succeeds."(See all of Jeff Farr's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 698 words, 08/08/11
21.1 Percentage Points Average Difference Between Reviews (Norm is 18.4pp; <18.4pp = More Consistent; >18.4pp = More Mixed)
Jig's reviews are separated by an average 21.1 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.
Coverage:Jig's reviews cover 22.0% of potential readers (average is 67.9%). Volume:The film's reviews total 5,725 words involume (average is 20,194 words). Length:The film's reviews average 337 words in length (the norm is 517 words).
Reviews Broke 5 Days After Release (Norm is 1.2 Release)
Jig's reviews on average broke 5 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 Jig's opening day. Click on any bar for a list of the reviews for that day.
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