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MID-AUGUST LUNCH (PRANZO DI FERRAGOSTO)Movie Reviews
Comedy drama about a sixtyish man, living with his mother in the Trastevere neighborhood of Rome, who unexpectedly finds himself caring for three additional elderly women during the midsummer holiday of Ferragosto. Cast:Gianni di Gregorio, Valeria De Franciscis, Alfonso Santagata, Marina Cacciotti, Maria Calì, Petre RosuDirector:Gianni di GregorioRelease Date:March 17, 2010DVD Release:October 5, 2010From:ZeitgeistLength:1 hr 15 min
OCTOBER 5, 2010
Mid-August Lunch (Pranzo di Ferragosto), Very Good Reviews Key Cities
Mid-August Lunch (Pranzo di Ferragosto) played in key cities to very good reviews. • Moira Macdonald wrote in the Seattle Times, "Not much happens in this wisp of a movie (it's barely 75 minutes), and not much is necessary; it's all about finding a mood and letting it sneak up..." • And Tom Long wrote in the Detroit News, "A tasty tidbit of a film... almost nothing happens but it happens quite nicely." More Reviews Below...
Mid-August Lunch (Pranzo di Ferragosto) has not been reviewed by Broad National Press
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NEW YORK/LOS ANGELES/CHICAGO/TORONTO (9 Reviews)
Stephen Holden, New York Times: VERY GOOD "The performances by nonprofessional actors are so perfectly natural that 'Mid-August Lunch' often has the feel of an easygoing documentary."(See all of Stephen Holden's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 662 words, 03/17/10
Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times: GOOD "A small, human-scaled 75-minute film about the necessity of companionship in general and the bonding nature of shared food and wine in particular..."(See all of Kenneth Turan's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 545 words, 04/09/10
V.A. Musetto, New York Post: VERY GOOD(cg) "Director Gianni Di Gregorio makes the most of the little things, avoiding sitcom humor and, at a 75-minute running time, never outlasting his welcome."(See all of V.A. Musetto's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 197 words, 03/17/10
Bill Stamets, Chicago Sun-Times: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...an epicurean take on companionship from Italian screenwriter Gianni Di Gregorio, who scripts, directs and stars in this delectably low-key drama..."(See all of Bill Stamets's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 550 words, 04/02/10
Ella Taylor, Village Voice/LA Weekly: FAIR "...fatally slight... it's hard to believe writer, director, and star Gianni Di Gregorio also co-wrote the bloody mafia hit 'Gomorrah.' Amiably self-deprecating to a fault..."(See all of Ella Taylor's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 257 words, 03/17/10
Linda Barnard, Toronto Star: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...an endlessly charming look at a weekend in the life of an uncomplicated middle-aged man living with his aging mama.... delights with simplicity and gentle humour..."(See all of Linda Barnard's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 580 words, 05/21/10
Liam Lacey, Toronto Globe & Mail: VERY GOOD(cg) "Everything about 'Mid-August Lunch' is simple and unpretentious... the four isolated, elderly women, over a couple of days and meals, become a circle of companions."(See all of Liam Lacey's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 541 words, 05/21/10
Michael O'Sullivan, Washington Post: MODERATE(cg) "If 'Mid-August Lunch' were a meal instead of a movie, it would be something light and quick, but not entirely unsatisfying.... hardly a very filling entree."(See all of Michael O'Sullivan's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 377 words, 04/23/10
Carrie Rickey, Philadelphia Inquirer: VERY GOOD(cg) "...a pleasant taste of Roman life.... The ladies enjoy their twilight dolce vita by indulging in forbidden food and drink nicely prepared by Gianni. And so do we."(See all of Carrie Rickey's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 277 words, 04/09/10
Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star-Tribune: VERY GOOD(cg) "...a sweet-spirited gem, warmly comic while showing the hassles of caring for aging relatives more honestly than 10 family sagas from Hollywood."(See all of Colin Covert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 425 words, 05/07/10
Richard Nilsen, Arizona Republic: EXCELLENT(cg) "...the film is more noteworthy for what it doesn't contain than what it does. There are no cliches. None. Zip. This alone is a worthy accomplishment."(See all of Richard Nilsen's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 299 words, 04/30/10
Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle: VERY GOOD(cg) "...establishes a special tone and quality that could only be Italian. It's a mixture of warmth and gentle farce, tender observation and absurdity."(See all of Mick LaSalle's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 514 words, 04/23/10
Moira Macdonald, Seattle Times: VERY GOOD(cg) "Not much happens in this wisp of a movie (it's barely 75 minutes), and not much is necessary; it's all about finding a mood and letting it sneak up and envelop..."(See all of Moira Macdonald's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 392 words, 04/30/10
Calvin Wilson, St. Louis Post-Dispatch: MODERATE(cg) "...meanders from scene to scene and, depending on one's point of view, arrives at either an incredibly subtle payoff or none at all."(See all of Calvin Wilson's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 321 words, 05/07/10
Ella Taylor, Village Voice/LA Weekly: FAIR "...fatally slight... it's hard to believe writer, director, and star Gianni Di Gregorio also co-wrote the bloody mafia hit 'Gomorrah.' Amiably self-deprecating to a fault..."(See all of Ella Taylor's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 257 words, 03/17/10
Gerald Peary, Boston Phoenix: VERY GOOD(cg) "There is the tiniest story, but lots of heart.... It's like an episode of a superior television series that you'd like to see week after week."(See all of Gerald Peary's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 141 words, 03/25/10
Stephen Holden, New York Times: VERY GOOD "The performances by nonprofessional actors are so perfectly natural that 'Mid-August Lunch' often has the feel of an easygoing documentary."(See all of Stephen Holden's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 662 words, 03/17/10
Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times: GOOD "A small, human-scaled 75-minute film about the necessity of companionship in general and the bonding nature of shared food and wine in particular..."(See all of Kenneth Turan's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 545 words, 04/09/10
MOVIE INDUSTRY (4 Reviews)
Jay Weissberg, Daily Variety: GOOD "...charming, unpretentious... has a naturalism and focus that could serve as a template for aspiring directors who too often think small is somehow less worthwhile."(See all of Jay Weissberg's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 538 words, 09/08/08
Natasha Senjanovic, Hollywood Reporter: OUTSTANDING "Valeria De Franciscis, Marina Cacciotti, Maria Cali and Grazia Cesarni Sforza have a comic timing so perfect it is hard to believe none of them have acted before."(See all of Natasha Senjanovic's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 419 words, 09/02/08
Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times: GOOD "A small, human-scaled 75-minute film about the necessity of companionship in general and the bonding nature of shared food and wine in particular..."(See all of Kenneth Turan's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 545 words, 04/09/10
Stephen Holden, New York Times: VERY GOOD "The performances by nonprofessional actors are so perfectly natural that 'Mid-August Lunch' often has the feel of an easygoing documentary."(See all of Stephen Holden's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 662 words, 03/17/10
14.7 Percentage Points Average Difference Between Reviews (Norm is 18.4pp; <18.4pp = More Consistent; >18.4pp = More Mixed)
Mid-August Lunch (Pranzo di Ferragosto)'s reviews are separated by an average 14.7 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.
Mid-August Lunch (Pranzo di Ferragosto) (22 reviews) Roll over dots for each review
Coverage:Mid-August Lunch (Pranzo di Ferragosto)'s reviews cover 18.4% of potential readers (average is 67.9%). Volume:The film's reviews total 9,048 words involume (average is 20,194 words). Length:The film's reviews average 411 words in length (the norm is 517 words).
Reviews Broke 6 Days Before Release (Norm is 1.2 Release)
Mid-August Lunch (Pranzo di Ferragosto)'s reviews on average broke 6 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 Mid-August Lunch (Pranzo di Ferragosto)'s opening day. Click on any bar for a list of the reviews for that day.
Mid-August Lunch (Pranzo di Ferragosto) (22 reviews, click on bars for reviews)
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