Dear Reader: Update, Movie Review Intelligence will
continue publishing this website through June (more...)
Search a Movie:
KOCHMovie Reviews
Documentary about former New York Mayor Ed Koch, with interviews and archival footage of his three terms during the 1970's and '80's. Cast:Ed Koch, Michael Bloomberg, Calvin O. Butts III, Carl McCall, Christine Quinn, Charles RangelDirector:Neil BarskyRelease Date:February 1, 2013DVD Release:August 27, 2013From:ZeitgeistLength:1 hr 40 min
Koch opened in key cities to very good reviews. • MaryAnn Johanson wrote for Flick Filosopher, "...paints a warts-and-all portrait of Koch that is historically compelling, journalistically rigorous, and bursting with Essence of Koch... Good stuff. Good New York stuff." More Reviews Below...
Owen Gleiberman, Entertainment Weekly: EXCELLENT(cg) "...a highlight-to-lowlight chronicle.... As a politico, Koch loved power a little too much. But as a leader, he was a storybook embodiment of New York's contradictions..."(See all of Owen Gleiberman's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 366 words, 02/08/13
we have an app for when you're out and about
get our iPhone app... or get our mobile web app...
movie review intelligence
NEW YORK/LOS ANGELES/CHICAGO/TORONTO (9 Reviews)
A.O. Scott, New York Times: GOOD "...time has a way of turning the furious political battles of the past into amusing war stories... Mr. Koch needs more: a mini-series; a Dreiser novel; a sprawling epic..."(See all of A.O. Scott's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,004 words, 02/01/13
Joe Neumaier, New York Daily News: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "The politician who almost pathologically asked the question 'How'm I doin'?' clearly never needed a view outside his own. Which is as New York as it gets."(See all of Joe Neumaier's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 328 words, 02/01/13
Betsy Sharkey, Los Angeles Times/Chicago Tribune: VERY GOOD "...plays like the kind of eulogy Koch would have approved -- neither fawning nor eviscerating but always compelling.... Barsky takes a fair measure of the man..."(See all of Betsy Sharkey's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 795 words, 03/01/13
Lou Lumenick, New York Post: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...former Mayor Ed Koch presents an uncommonly juicy subject for a documentary, and filmmaker Neil Barsky makes the most of the opportunity."(See all of Lou Lumenick's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 603 words, 02/01/13
David Edelstein, New York Magazine: GOOD "...a canny balancing act... makes Koch's arrogance so plain that you quickly move past it and concede that he accomplished remarkable things..."(See all of David Edelstein's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 123 words, 01/28/13
Nick Schager, Village Voice/LA Weekly: GOOD "...if unlikely to change anyone's mind about its subject, it's an effective primer on a voluble and charismatic mayor who embodied the spirit of the city he loved."(See all of Nick Schager's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 206 words, 01/30/13
KEY CITIES (6 Reviews)
Michael O'Sullivan, Washington Post: VERY GOOD(cg) "...will appeal to anyone who lived in -- or followed -- New York through the '80s, but not exclusively to them. It's ultimately a tale of humanity, not power."(See all of Michael O'Sullivan's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 461 words, 03/08/13
Steven Rea, Philadelphia Inquirer: OUTSTANDING(cg) "Ed Koch was certainly combative, and confident, and full of love for the city he governed with such gusto.... a New York story for the whole world to appreciate."(See all of Steven Rea's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 247 words, 04/26/13
Bill Goodykoontz, Arizona Republic: VERY GOOD(cg) "There are photographs of him, posters of him, books written by him. It smacks of ego run amok. And yet there's something undeniably charming about it."(See all of Bill Goodykoontz's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 622 words, 03/01/13
Mark Feeney, Boston Globe: VERY GOOD(cg) "...nicely mixes vintage news footage and photographs, talking-head interviews with journalists and Koch associates, and lots (and lots) of Koch."(See all of Mark Feeney's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 602 words, 04/12/13
Stephen Whitty, New Jersey Star-Ledger: MODERATE(cg) "...an exercise in conflicted nostalgia.... I wish other questions had been asked, and pushed, and a lot more context provided."(See all of Stephen Whitty's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 702 words, 02/01/13
Nick Schager, Village Voice/LA Weekly: GOOD "...if unlikely to change anyone's mind about its subject, it's an effective primer on a voluble and charismatic mayor who embodied the spirit of the city he loved."(See all of Nick Schager's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 206 words, 01/30/13
Noel Murray, AV Club: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...doesn't try to do anything radical as a piece of filmmaking, but Neil Barsky -- a former newspaper reporter -- covers Koch's story magnificently as a journalist."(See all of Noel Murray's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 463 words, 01/31/13
Cynthia Fuchs, Pop Matters: EXCELLENT(cg) "If the reasoning is suspect, the show is perpetual and repetitive. In assembling the pieces of Koch's career and his thinking about it, the film offers another angle..."(See all of Cynthia Fuchs's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,045 words, 01/29/13
Chuck Bowen, Slant: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...a conventional rise-fall-rise story fashioned from a traditional alternation of archive footage and talking-head interviews, the film is nonetheless fascinating..."(See all of Chuck Bowen's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 540 words, 01/30/13
MaryAnn Johanson, Flick Filosopher: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...paints a warts-and-all portrait of Koch that is historically compelling, journalistically rigorous, and bursting with Essence of Koch... Good stuff. Good New York stuff."(See all of MaryAnn Johanson's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 448 words, 01/31/13
HIGHBROW PRESS (4 Reviews)
Joe Morgenstern, Wall Street Journal: VERY GOOD "...a fine documentary.... The film advances no theories to explain his contradictions, only a thrilling, sometimes affecting account of what he did."(See all of Joe Morgenstern's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 277 words, 03/01/13
A.O. Scott, New York Times: GOOD "...time has a way of turning the furious political battles of the past into amusing war stories... Mr. Koch needs more: a mini-series; a Dreiser novel; a sprawling epic..."(See all of A.O. Scott's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,004 words, 02/01/13
Stephanie Zacharek, NPR: GOOD "...captures the essence of this very big personality... Barsky may be a little dazzled by his subject matter, but admittedly it's hard not to be... affectionate and clear-eyed..."(See all of Stephanie Zacharek's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 550 words, 01/31/13
Betsy Sharkey, Los Angeles Times: VERY GOOD "...plays like the kind of eulogy Koch would have approved -- neither fawning nor eviscerating but always compelling.... Barsky takes a fair measure of the man..."(See all of Betsy Sharkey's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 795 words, 03/01/13
MOVIE INDUSTRY (5 Reviews)
Ronnie Scheib, Variety: GOOD (NOT GREAT) "Barsky wisely includes just enough dissenting voices and admissions of grievous error by Koch himself to prevent the pic from seeming like a 100% feel-good puff piece."(See all of Ronnie Scheib's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 575 words, 02/01/13
John DeFore, Hollywood Reporter: GOOD "...offers as comprehensive a picture as it can in 94 minutes of a man whose tenure merits a miniseries... Mixes plentiful period footage and interviews with participants..."(See all of John DeFore's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 456 words, 10/14/12
Betsy Sharkey, Los Angeles Times: VERY GOOD "...plays like the kind of eulogy Koch would have approved -- neither fawning nor eviscerating but always compelling.... Barsky takes a fair measure of the man..."(See all of Betsy Sharkey's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 795 words, 03/01/13
A.O. Scott, New York Times: GOOD "...time has a way of turning the furious political battles of the past into amusing war stories... Mr. Koch needs more: a mini-series; a Dreiser novel; a sprawling epic..."(See all of A.O. Scott's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,004 words, 02/01/13
Joe Morgenstern, Wall Street Journal: VERY GOOD "...a fine documentary.... The film advances no theories to explain his contradictions, only a thrilling, sometimes affecting account of what he did."(See all of Joe Morgenstern's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 277 words, 03/01/13
12.6 Percentage Points Average Difference Between Reviews (Norm is 18.4pp; <18.4pp = More Consistent; >18.4pp = More Mixed)
Koch's reviews are separated by an average 12.6 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:Koch's reviews cover 33.1% of potential readers (average is 67.9%). Volume:The film's reviews total 11,701 words involume (average is 20,194 words). Length:The film's reviews average 488 words in length (the norm is 517 words).
Reviews Broke 12 Days After Release (Norm is 1.2 Release)
Koch's reviews on average broke 12 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 Koch's opening day. Click on any bar for a list of the reviews for that day.
Mobile Web App version 1.2 shows a list of all current movies and review information. You can click through to the cast, director, synopsis, release date and rating on page two, plus individual reviews on page three. The information is updated on a live/real-time basis. You can also search our database of films. Designed for when you're on the move and want the latest info, this app will work on any mobile web browser. From your mobile device -- only from a mobile device -- open our Mobile Web App here...
