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LONDON RIVERMovie Reviews
Drama about a Muslim man and a Christian woman, strangers to one another, who meet in London, having traveled there to locate their children who have gone missing on the day of a terrorist attack. Cast:Brenda Blethyn, Francis Magee, Sami Bouajila, Roschdy ZemDirector:Rachid BoucharebRelease Date:December 7, 2011DVD Release:January 25, 2011Length:1 hr 27 min
London River played in limited release to good reviews. • Susan G. Cole wrote in Toronto Now, "...a small film that takes its time. But in this case, small is beautiful." • And Deborah Young wrote in the Hollywood Reporter, "Brenda Blethyn delivers another subtly effective performance that avoids schmaltz without denying the real anguish and pain felt in such circumstances." More Reviews Below...
London River Positive Reviews (14 Reviews, reviews below)
Roger Ebert, RogerEbert.com: VERY GOOD(cg) "The film has been criticized by some as too politically correct. Perhaps so. But the characters' reality rises above the film's ideas and makes it human."(See all of Roger Ebert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 714 words, 02/17/12
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NEW YORK/LOS ANGELES/CHICAGO/TORONTO (10 Reviews)
Stephen Holden, New York Times: GOOD "...demonstrates how great acting can infuse a banal, politically correct drama with dollops of emotional truth.... a cozy tale of the rapprochement between two cultures..."(See all of Stephen Holden's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 590 words, 12/07/11
Gary Goldstein, Los Angeles Times: GOOD "Two strongly divergent yet equally stirring performances anchor 'London River'... contains enough emotionally satisfying moments to keep us invested..."(See all of Gary Goldstein's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 242 words, 11/13/09
Elizabeth Weitzman, New York Daily News: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "The script, co-written by Rachid Bouchareb, is regrettably simplistic. But Blethyn and Sotigui Kouyaté inhabit and expand the film's earnestly instructive intentions..."(See all of Elizabeth Weitzman's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 118 words, 12/09/11
V.A. Musetto, New York Post: MODERATE(cg) "...features on-target acting by its two leads, but they receive scant support... the contrived script lacks subtlety, rendering most characters as stereotypes."(See all of V.A. Musetto's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 164 words, 12/09/11
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: VERY GOOD(cg) "The film has been criticized by some as too politically correct. Perhaps so. But the characters' reality rises above the film's ideas and makes it human."(See all of Roger Ebert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 714 words, 02/17/12
Michelle Orange, Village Voice/LA Weekly: GOOD "...director Rachid Bouchareb brings a measured hand to this intimate, occasionally overdetermined sketch of the aloneness at the center of our global confluence."(See all of Michelle Orange's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 200 words, 12/07/11
Jason Anderson, Toronto Star: VERY GOOD(cg) "...consistently elevated by the sensitivity of the performances and the sense of anxiety and anguish that weighs over the whole film."(See all of Jason Anderson's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 574 words, 01/14/11
Susan G. Cole, Toronto Now: EXCELLENT(cg) "...a subtle meditation on racism and the tendency of parents to think the worst.... a small film that takes its time. But in this case, small is beautiful."(See all of Susan G. Cole's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 248 words, 01/13/11
Rick Groen, Toronto Globe & Mail: VERY GOOD(cg) "...the emotion feels credible, the connections seem real and, if only briefly, the title truly earns its metaphor - the same river does run through us all."(See all of Rick Groen's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 615 words, 01/14/11
KEY CITIES (1 Review)
Bill Goodykoontz, Arizona Republic: VERY GOOD(cg) "...credit Bouchareb for dipping beneath the headlines and breaking-news reports to show the effects of such a shattering tragedy on a smaller, more human level."(See all of Bill Goodykoontz's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 558 words, 01/13/12
ALTERNATIVE/INDIE PRESS (4 Reviews)
Michelle Orange, Village Voice/LA Weekly: GOOD "...director Rachid Bouchareb brings a measured hand to this intimate, occasionally overdetermined sketch of the aloneness at the center of our global confluence."(See all of Michelle Orange's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 200 words, 12/07/11
Andrew Schenker, Slant: VERY GOOD(cg) "...designed to inform the viewer that not all Muslims are terrorists, that Muslims (like Ousmane's son) suffered as much as Christians during the 7/7 bombings..."(See all of Andrew Schenker's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 669 words, 12/04/11
Susan G. Cole, Toronto Now: EXCELLENT(cg) "...a subtle meditation on racism and the tendency of parents to think the worst.... a small film that takes its time. But in this case, small is beautiful."(See all of Susan G. Cole's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 248 words, 01/13/11
HIGHBROW PRESS (2 Reviews)
Stephen Holden, New York Times: GOOD "...demonstrates how great acting can infuse a banal, politically correct drama with dollops of emotional truth.... a cozy tale of the rapprochement between two cultures..."(See all of Stephen Holden's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 590 words, 12/07/11
Gary Goldstein, Los Angeles Times: GOOD "Two strongly divergent yet equally stirring performances anchor 'London River'... contains enough emotionally satisfying moments to keep us invested..."(See all of Gary Goldstein's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 242 words, 11/13/09
MOVIE INDUSTRY (4 Reviews)
Jay Weissberg, Daily Variety: MODERATE "...a stripped-down two-hander from Rachid Bouchareb that trumpets political correctness far more loudly than this intimate drama can stand."(See all of Jay Weissberg's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 679 words, 02/10/09
Deborah Young, Hollywood Reporter: GOOD "Brenda Blethyn delivers another subtly effective performance that avoids schmaltz without denying the real anguish and pain felt in such circumstances."(See all of Deborah Young's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 489 words, 02/10/09
Gary Goldstein, Los Angeles Times: GOOD "Two strongly divergent yet equally stirring performances anchor 'London River'... contains enough emotionally satisfying moments to keep us invested..."(See all of Gary Goldstein's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 242 words, 11/13/09
Stephen Holden, New York Times: GOOD "...demonstrates how great acting can infuse a banal, politically correct drama with dollops of emotional truth.... a cozy tale of the rapprochement between two cultures..."(See all of Stephen Holden's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 590 words, 12/07/11
9.9 Percentage Points Average Difference Between Reviews (Norm is 18.4pp; <18.4pp = More Consistent; >18.4pp = More Mixed)
London River's reviews are separated by an average 9.9 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.
London River (14 reviews) Roll over dots for each review
Coverage:London River's reviews cover 15.6% of potential readers (average is 67.9%). Volume:The film's reviews total 6,060 words involume (average is 20,194 words). Length:The film's reviews average 433 words in length (the norm is 517 words).
London River Coverage, Volume & Length (14 Reviews, reviews below)
Reviews Broke 132 Days Before Release (Norm is 1.2 Release)
London River's reviews on average broke 132 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 London River's opening day. Click on any bar for a list of the reviews for that day.
London River (14 reviews, click on bars for reviews)
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