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LEAVES OF GRASSMovie Reviews
Comedy drama about an upstanding college professor who returns to his Oklahoma hometown where he is lured into a dangerous scheme by his pot-growing twin brother. Cast:Edward Norton, Tim Blake Nelson, Susan Sarandon, Richard DreyfussDirector:Tim Blake NelsonRelease Date:September 17, 2010DVD Release:October 12, 2010From:First LookRating:RLength:1 hr 45 min
Leaves of Grass played in limited release to good reviews that at the same time were mixed. • Roger Ebert wrote in the Chicago Sun-Times, "...some kind of sweet, wacky masterpiece. It takes all sorts of risks, including a dual role with Edward Norton playing twin brothers, and it pulls them off." • And David Denby wrote in the New Yorker, "Tim Blake Nelson can't seem to find the right tone..." More Reviews Below...
Leaves of Grass Positive Reviews (17 Reviews, reviews below)
Sara Vilkomerson, People: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...excellent turns by Norton, Sarandon and Russell are overshadowed by the twisty turns of this caper that go beyond wacky into plain absurd."(See all of Sara Vilkomerson's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 84 words, 04/01/10
Lisa Schwarzbaum, Entertainment Weekly: EXCELLENT(cg) "...the movie bubbles with intellectual curiosity and narrative ambition.... You don't have to squint hard to see the influence of Joel and Ethan Coen..."(See all of Lisa Schwarzbaum's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 240 words, 04/02/10
Peter Travers, Rolling Stone: VERY GOOD(cg) "...hugely entertaining... Edward Norton delivers a tour de force, a risky feat of acting that ranks with his best work. You leave this movie high on its daring."(See all of Peter Travers's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 234 words, 03/19/10
Roger Ebert, RogerEbert.com: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...some kind of sweet, wacky masterpiece. It takes all sorts of risks, including a dual role with Edward Norton playing twin brothers, and it pulls them off."(See all of Roger Ebert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,004 words, 03/28/10
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NEW YORK/LOS ANGELES/CHICAGO/TORONTO (8 Reviews)
Neil Genzlinger, New York Times: VERY GOOD "...keeps you deliciously off-balance: it's funny and unnerving at the same time. Mr. Norton is a pleasure to watch, and so is everyone else."(See all of Neil Genzlinger's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 321 words, 09/17/10
Elizabeth Weitzman, New York Daily News: WEAK(cg) "...turns out 'redneck pothead' is a role Edward Norton simply wasn't born to play.... [but] no actor could have fixed the unpolished script and frenetically uneven tone."(See all of Elizabeth Weitzman's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 135 words, 09/17/10
Gary Goldstein, Los Angeles Times: VERY GOOD "Nelson masterfully weaves an array of quirky characters, competing themes and various story strands into a highly enjoyable, surprisingly emotional tale..."(See all of Gary Goldstein's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 219 words, 09/24/10
Lou Lumenick, New York Post: VERY GOOD(cg) "Nelson keeps the laughs coming at a steady pace... Thanks to Norton, offers at least double the fun of your usual stoner comedy."(See all of Lou Lumenick's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 317 words, 09/17/10
David Edelstein, New York Magazine: GOOD "...enjoyably rambling... Some of the action is flat-footed, and Nelson depicts Tulsa's culturally incongruous Jewish community with too hammy a hand."(See all of David Edelstein's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 532 words, 03/29/10
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...some kind of sweet, wacky masterpiece. It takes all sorts of risks, including a dual role with Edward Norton playing twin brothers, and it pulls them off."(See all of Roger Ebert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,004 words, 03/28/10
J. Hoberman, Village Voice/LA Weekly: WEAK "...highly evocative of another brother act, namely Joel and Ethan Coen. Unfortunately, Nelson is not nearly so gifted a filmmaker."(See all of J. Hoberman's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 612 words, 03/31/10
KEY CITIES (1 Review)
Roger Moore, Orlando Sentinel: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...an imitation Coen Brothers movie... The film sours and steadily curdles as the chickens come home to roost. But Norton is brilliant in both parts..."(See all of Roger Moore's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 359 words, 04/12/10
ALTERNATIVE/INDIE PRESS (3 Reviews)
J. Hoberman, Village Voice/LA Weekly: WEAK "...highly evocative of another brother act, namely Joel and Ethan Coen. Unfortunately, Nelson is not nearly so gifted a filmmaker."(See all of J. Hoberman's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 612 words, 03/31/10
Nick Schager, Slant: MODERATE(cg) "Messy genre jumbling has rhyme and reason... it speaks directly to the film's portrait of life's unpredictability and uncontrollability."(See all of Nick Schager's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 392 words, 03/29/10
HIGHBROW PRESS (3 Reviews)
Neil Genzlinger, New York Times: VERY GOOD "...keeps you deliciously off-balance: it's funny and unnerving at the same time. Mr. Norton is a pleasure to watch, and so is everyone else."(See all of Neil Genzlinger's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 321 words, 09/17/10
David Denby, New Yorker: FAIR "...a showcase for digital technology and for Norton's virtuosity, but I wish it weren't such a weightless shambles. Nelson can't seem to find the right tone..."(See all of David Denby's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 990 words, 03/29/10
Gary Goldstein, Los Angeles Times: VERY GOOD "Nelson masterfully weaves an array of quirky characters, competing themes and various story strands into a highly enjoyable, surprisingly emotional tale..."(See all of Gary Goldstein's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 219 words, 09/24/10
MOVIE INDUSTRY (5 Reviews)
Dennis Harvey, Daily Variety: MODERATE "So long as it's Norton vs. Norton, 'Leaves of Grass' is a pleasure... Eventually, it reaches for tragedy, forgiveness and personal catharsis -- but it all feels forced..."(See all of Dennis Harvey's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 728 words, 09/17/09
Kirk Honeycutt, Hollywood Reporter: POOR "Nelson certainly deserves to do a comedy. The trouble is he really doesn't know how. This is a flat, unconvincing film with its tone far off base.... The direction is sloppy..."(See all of Kirk Honeycutt's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 679 words, 09/17/09
Gary Goldstein, Los Angeles Times: VERY GOOD "Nelson masterfully weaves an array of quirky characters, competing themes and various story strands into a highly enjoyable, surprisingly emotional tale..."(See all of Gary Goldstein's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 219 words, 09/24/10
Michael T. Dennis, Cinema 24/7: EXCELLENT(cg) "...a challenging, erudite film. The surface may be a send-up to stoner movies and dark comedies, but just beneath that reading is a core composed of philosophical ideas..."(See all of Michael T. Dennis's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 972 words, 04/02/10
Neil Genzlinger, New York Times: VERY GOOD "...keeps you deliciously off-balance: it's funny and unnerving at the same time. Mr. Norton is a pleasure to watch, and so is everyone else."(See all of Neil Genzlinger's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 321 words, 09/17/10
24.8 Percentage Points Average Difference Between Reviews (Norm is 18.4pp; <18.4pp = More Consistent; >18.4pp = More Mixed)
Leaves of Grass's reviews are separated by an average 24.8 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.
Leaves of Grass (17 reviews) Roll over dots for each review
Coverage:Leaves of Grass's reviews cover 44.4% of potential readers (average is 67.9%). Volume:The film's reviews total 8,058 words involume (average is 20,194 words). Length:The film's reviews average 474 words in length (the norm is 517 words).
Reviews Broke 141 Days Before Release (Norm is 1.2 Release)
Leaves of Grass's reviews on average broke 141 days before 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 Leaves of Grass's opening day. Click on any bar for a list of the reviews for that day.
Leaves of Grass (17 reviews, click on bars for reviews)
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