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LITTLE WHITE LIES (LES PETITS MOUCHOIRS)Movie Reviews
French language comedy drama about a group of longtime friends who reunite for their annual beach vacation, where they make discoveries about the lies they tell each other and themselves. Cast:Francois Cluzet, Marion Cotillard, Benoit Magimel, Gilles Lellouche, Jean Dujardin, Laurent Lafitte, Valérie Bonneton, Pascale Arbillot, Louise Monot, Joel Dupuch, Hocine MérabetDirector:Guillaume CanetRelease Date:August 24, 2012DVD Release:February 5, 2013From:MPI Media GroupLength:2 hr 34 min
FEBRUARY 5, 2013
Little White Lies (Les petits mouchoirs), Moderate Reviews Key Cities
Little White Lies (Les petits mouchoirs) played in key cities to moderate reviews. • Rick Groen wrote in the Toronto Globe & Mail, "...meant to be a French take on 'The Big Chill'... writer-director Guillaume Canet has wrought a meandering script that exercises everything except restraint." • And Mark Jenkins wrote for NPR, "...moderately engaging..." More Reviews Below...
Little White Lies (Les petits mouchoirs) Positive Reviews (29 Reviews, reviews below)
Owen Gleiberman, Entertainment Weekly: MODERATE(cg) "The trouble with Guillaume Canet's French gloss on 'The Big Chill' is that it has no underlying chill.... the characters never question how they're living their lives."(See all of Owen Gleiberman's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 99 words, 08/31/12
Roger Ebert, RogerEbert.com: OUTSTANDING(cg) "The movie is 154 minutes long.... There are times when 'Little White Lies' seems to meander, until we realize it knows exactly where it is going."(See all of Roger Ebert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 702 words, 08/31/12
James Berardinelli, Reel Views: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...for those willing to stick it out, the final fifteen minutes have a power and poignancy that arguably make the previous 2 1/4 hours worth it."(See all of James Berardinelli's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 815 words, 09/13/12
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NEW YORK/LOS ANGELES/CHICAGO/TORONTO (10 Reviews)
Stephen Holden, New York Times: MODERATE "...doesn't peer very deeply into the souls of these spoiled, marginally sympathetic narcissists... however, it is very well acted by an A-list cast..."(See all of Stephen Holden's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 742 words, 08/24/12
Joe Neumaier, New York Daily News: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "Can a film echo a previous, better movie and still have merit? Absolutely -- though for some viewers, the shadow may be hard to overcome."(See all of Joe Neumaier's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 352 words, 08/24/12
Sheri Linden, Los Angeles Times: FAIR "...has personality to burn, and squanders most of it... has its effective moments but overstays its welcome by a long shot... It's not a trip to remember."(See all of Sheri Linden's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 269 words, 08/24/12
Kyle Smith, New York Post: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...a blatant rip-off of a far better American movie.... Intermittently amusing and convivial as the film is, it totally lacks the warmth of 'The Big Chill.' "(See all of Kyle Smith's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 346 words, 08/24/12
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: OUTSTANDING(cg) "The movie is 154 minutes long.... There are times when 'Little White Lies' seems to meander, until we realize it knows exactly where it is going."(See all of Roger Ebert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 702 words, 08/31/12
Melissa Anderson, Village Voice/LA Weekly: WEAK "A bloated spin on 'The Big Chill'... the women in the group appear to have no roles other than scolds, weepers, and/or sexually unsatisfied helpmeets."(See all of Melissa Anderson's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 219 words, 08/22/12
Linda Barnard, Toronto Star: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...goes on 30 minutes longer than necessary and, with the exception of Cotillard, is heavily weighted toward the men's stories. Women tend to play fringe roles."(See all of Linda Barnard's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 506 words, 05/27/11
Rick Groen, Toronto Globe & Mail: MODERATE(cg) "...meant to be a French take on 'The Big Chill'... writer-director Guillaume Canet has wrought a meandering script that exercises everything except restraint."(See all of Rick Groen's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 675 words, 05/27/11
Norman Wilner, Toronto Now: WEAK(cg) "The first half of the film is pleasant enough.... what starts out as a charming diversion turns into a bloated exercise in empty charm."(See all of Norman Wilner's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 229 words, 05/26/11
KEY CITIES (10 Reviews)
Stephanie Merry, Washington Post: MODERATE(cg) "...the melodrama amps up to a final scene capable of draining any remaining pathos.... the film's slow unfolding feels, appropriately, like a lazy summer day."(See all of Stephanie Merry's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 573 words, 09/07/12
Steven Rea, Philadelphia Inquirer: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...emotionally messy... it wants to capture something momentous and meaningful in these people's lives. But ultimately it's hard to care."(See all of Steven Rea's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 303 words, 09/07/12
Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star-Tribune: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...draws together some of the best actors in French cinema... The script is banal, but the acting company and the locations are easy on the eyes."(See all of Colin Covert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 128 words, 09/21/12
Kerry Lengel, Arizona Republic: EXCELLENT(cg) "There's a fly-on-the-wall quality to it that adds a voyeuristic zing to the proceedings and gives this French take on 'The Big Chill' its particular warmth."(See all of Kerry Lengel's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 468 words, 09/07/12
Ty Burr, Boston Globe: MODERATE(cg) "It's not clear how we're supposed to feel about these people... the overall tone feels off, or maybe it just doesn't translate to American audiences."(See all of Ty Burr's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 629 words, 09/14/12
Stephen Whitty, New Jersey Star-Ledger: VERY GOOD(cg) "...pretty easy to take, and not just because of the lovely photography of the French coast... there are also these wonderful performers."(See all of Stephen Whitty's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 481 words, 08/24/12
Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle: MODERATE(cg) "...never boring, always watchable, always reasonably rewarding. It's just that, when it's over, 2 1/2 hours seems too big an investment for just pretty good."(See all of Mick LaSalle's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 321 words, 08/31/12
John Hartl, Seattle Times: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...a sprawling, initially engaging French comedy-drama that ultimately underwhelms... reliance on American pop songs becomes a liability. So does a 2 ½-hour running time."(See all of John Hartl's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 295 words, 09/28/12
Marc Mohan, Portland Oregonian: VERY GOOD(cg) "...by the end of the two-and-a-half hour running time, the combined efforts of the talented actors on board manage to produce a satisfying emotional finale."(See all of Marc Mohan's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 222 words, 10/05/12
Calvin Wilson, St. Louis Post-Dispatch: VERY GOOD(cg) "Francois Cluzet is terrific... Marion Cotillard brings her usual blend of sophistication and sensuality... the movie is a bit too long, but has plenty of Gallic charm."(See all of Calvin Wilson's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 300 words, 10/12/12
ALTERNATIVE/INDIE PRESS (6 Reviews)
Melissa Anderson, Village Voice/LA Weekly: WEAK "A bloated spin on 'The Big Chill'... the women in the group appear to have no roles other than scolds, weepers, and/or sexually unsatisfied helpmeets."(See all of Melissa Anderson's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 219 words, 08/22/12
Gerald Peary, Boston Phoenix: VERY GOOD(cg) "...extremely engaging... both funny and tender.... Marrying Scorsese and Orson Welles, it's amazingly choreographed and shot, ending in shock."(See all of Gerald Peary's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 102 words, 09/13/12
Tasha Robinson, AV Club: FAIR(cg) "While the acting is superb, the film flounders with repetition, baggy self-indulgence, characters that read like caricatures, and a crushingly unsubtle last-act twist."(See all of Tasha Robinson's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 624 words, 08/23/12
Joseph Jon Lanthier, Slant: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...writer-director Guillaume Canet doesn't pepper his script with enough backstory for us to discern why, precisely, his characters grope at one another so myopically;"(See all of Joseph Jon Lanthier's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 676 words, 08/20/12
Norman Wilner, Toronto Now: WEAK(cg) "The first half of the film is pleasant enough.... what starts out as a charming diversion turns into a bloated exercise in empty charm."(See all of Norman Wilner's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 229 words, 05/26/11
HIGHBROW PRESS (4 Reviews)
Joe Morgenstern, Wall Street Journal: FAIR "...you're tempted to keep watching, even though the running time is 154 minutes, to see if anyone, or the movie itself, turns remotely likable."(See all of Joe Morgenstern's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 388 words, 08/24/12
Stephen Holden, New York Times: MODERATE "...doesn't peer very deeply into the souls of these spoiled, marginally sympathetic narcissists... however, it is very well acted by an A-list cast..."(See all of Stephen Holden's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 742 words, 08/24/12
Mark Jenkins, NPR: MODERATE "...moderately engaging... 'Little White Lies' simply tries too hard. What works are its offhand moments and gentle insights, not its comic shtick and overwrought grief."(See all of Mark Jenkins's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 572 words, 08/23/12
Sheri Linden, Los Angeles Times: FAIR "...has personality to burn, and squanders most of it... has its effective moments but overstays its welcome by a long shot... It's not a trip to remember."(See all of Sheri Linden's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 269 words, 08/24/12
MOVIE INDUSTRY (5 Reviews)
Jordan Mintzer, Daily Variety: GOOD (NOT GREAT) "...loosely entertaining.... With its bloated running time and tonal shifts, the story tends to steer off course, though strong perfs help keep it in tow."(See all of Jordan Mintzer's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 664 words, 09/11/10
Michael Rechtshaffen, Hollywood Reporter: GOOD (NOT GREAT) "...nicely observed dramatic comedy.... ultimately loses much of its effervescence as it goes on -- and on -- eventually passing the two-and-a-half-hour mark."(See all of Michael Rechtshaffen's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 395 words, 10/15/10
Sheri Linden, Los Angeles Times: FAIR "...has personality to burn, and squanders most of it... has its effective moments but overstays its welcome by a long shot... It's not a trip to remember."(See all of Sheri Linden's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 269 words, 08/24/12
Stephen Holden, New York Times: MODERATE "...doesn't peer very deeply into the souls of these spoiled, marginally sympathetic narcissists... however, it is very well acted by an A-list cast..."(See all of Stephen Holden's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 742 words, 08/24/12
Joe Morgenstern, Wall Street Journal: FAIR "...you're tempted to keep watching, even though the running time is 154 minutes, to see if anyone, or the movie itself, turns remotely likable."(See all of Joe Morgenstern's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 388 words, 08/24/12
15.8 Percentage Points Average Difference Between Reviews (Norm is 18.4pp; <18.4pp = More Consistent; >18.4pp = More Mixed)
Little White Lies (Les petits mouchoirs)'s reviews are separated by an average 15.8 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.
Little White Lies (Les petits mouchoirs) (29 reviews) Roll over dots for each review
Coverage:Little White Lies (Les petits mouchoirs)'s reviews cover 36.6% of potential readers (average is 67.9%). Volume:The film's reviews total 12,314 words involume (average is 20,194 words). Length:The film's reviews average 425 words in length (the norm is 517 words).
Little White Lies (Les petits mouchoirs) Coverage, Volume & Length (29 Reviews, reviews below)
Reviews Broke 36 Days Before Release (Norm is 1.2 Release)
Little White Lies (Les petits mouchoirs)'s reviews on average broke 36 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 Little White Lies (Les petits mouchoirs)'s opening day. Click on any bar for a list of the reviews for that day.
Little White Lies (Les petits mouchoirs) (29 reviews, click on bars for reviews)
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