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MIDDLE OF NOWHEREMovie Reviews
Drama about a medical student devoted to her incarcerated husband who finds herself unexpectedly drawn to another man. Cast:Emayatzy Corinealdi, David Oyelowo, Omari Hardwick, Sharon Lawrence, Dondre Whitfield, Lorraine Toussaint, Maya Gilbert, Edwina Findley, Andy Spencer, Sancho Martin, Craig Cole, Amber Sharae Topsy, René Mena, William 'Bill' Connor, Tommy Shayne ManfrediDirector:Ava DuVernayRelease Date:October 12, 2012DVD Release: TBD From:AFFRMRating:RLength:1 hr 39 min
Middle of Nowhere played in key cities to very good reviews. • Carrie Rickey wrote in the Philadelphia Inquirer, "...hushed as a whisper, throbbing with longing, and anchored by Emayatzy Corinealdi's stunning performance... a gem." More Reviews Below...
Middle of Nowhere Positive Reviews (26 Reviews, reviews below)
Alynda Wheat, People: VERY GOOD(cg) " 'Nowhere' is about whether Ruby (Emayatzy Corinealdi) will wait for her convict husband (Omari Hardwick) or make time with a bus driver (David Oyelowo)... moving..."(See all of Alynda Wheat's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 41 words, 10/25/12
Lisa Schwarzbaum, Entertainment Weekly: EXCELLENT(cg) "...stays for the most part impressively real... a tough-minded story of change that happens in almost imperceptibly tiny increments -- as true growth so often does..."(See all of Lisa Schwarzbaum's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 198 words, 10/26/12
Claudia Puig, USA Today: VERY GOOD(cg) "...explores the contours of loneliness and the boundaries of loyalty in a way that is both artful and emotionally revealing... Emayatzy Corinealdi is wonderful..."(See all of Claudia Puig's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 556 words, 10/18/12
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: VERY GOOD(cg) "Most of the action takes place within the mind of a lonely woman. That's why Corinealdi is so effective... Yes, she's beautiful, but this film isn't about her beauty."(See all of Roger Ebert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 461 words, 10/19/12
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NEW YORK/LOS ANGELES/CHICAGO/TORONTO (11 Reviews)
Manohla Dargis, New York Times: OUTSTANDING "...plaintive, slow-boiling, quietly soul-stirring... Ms. DuVernay, from start to finish in this very fine movie, works to make sure that Ruby is a woman to remember."(See all of Manohla Dargis's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 611 words, 10/12/12
Elizabeth Weitzman, New York Daily News: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "Ava DuVernay is establishing herself as a vital indie voice, but praise is also due to Emayatzy Corinealdi, who does lovely work as Ruby..."(See all of Elizabeth Weitzman's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 151 words, 10/12/12
Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times/Chicago Tribune: OUTSTANDING "...it is uncommon to see serious adult dramas this moving and accomplished... old-school, character-driven narrative at its most quietly effective."(See all of Kenneth Turan's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 746 words, 10/12/12
Farran Smith Nehme, New York Post: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "Director Ava DuVernay occasionally lets the pace slip into tedium. The low-key plotting and passive central character mean the movie depends on its actors."(See all of Farran Smith Nehme's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 155 words, 10/12/12
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: VERY GOOD(cg) "Most of the action takes place within the mind of a lonely woman. That's why Corinealdi is so effective... Yes, she's beautiful, but this film isn't about her beauty."(See all of Roger Ebert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 461 words, 10/19/12
Karina Longworth, Village Voice/LA Weekly: EXCELLENT "...a startling example of Ava DuVernay's ability to conjure drama that at once takes place in a character's head and in a recognizable real world. It's beautifully nuanced..."(See all of Karina Longworth's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 749 words, 10/10/12
Peter Howell, Toronto Star: VERY GOOD(cg) "...quietly impactful... remarkably true to life's haphazard rhythms.... Much of what happens operates on an almost unconscious level, all the more powerful..."(See all of Peter Howell's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 597 words, 02/08/13
Rick Groen, Toronto Globe & Mail: VERY GOOD(cg) "...a study of a culture where the matriarchs are strong by necessity and trapped by circumstance - adrift in the middle of nowhere."(See all of Rick Groen's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 595 words, 02/08/13
Michael O'Sullivan, Washington Post: MODERATE(cg) "Corinealdi and Oyelowo are appealing enough to make the journey to the inevitable conclusion an enjoyable one. Their scenes together are the film's greatest pleasures."(See all of Michael O'Sullivan's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 451 words, 10/12/12
Carrie Rickey, Philadelphia Inquirer: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...hushed as a whisper, throbbing with longing, and anchored by Emayatzy Corinealdi's stunning performance... a gem."(See all of Carrie Rickey's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 409 words, 10/12/12
Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle: MODERATE(cg) "Ava DuVernay is very good at conveying the numbed monotony and frustration of this waiting-room type life... but it's a sluggish enterprise..."(See all of Mick LaSalle's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 198 words, 10/19/12
Moira Macdonald, Seattle Times: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...quietly masterful... Emayatzy Corinealdi, on whose cheekbones alone a movie could happily dangle, gives a performance that's startling in its intimacy."(See all of Moira Macdonald's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 304 words, 10/19/12
Tom Long, Detroit News: OUTSTANDING(cg) "This film is about a particular African-American experience, true, but it's also about the human experience. It will haunt you. It should."(See all of Tom Long's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 525 words, 10/19/12
ALTERNATIVE/INDIE PRESS (7 Reviews)
Karina Longworth, Village Voice/LA Weekly: EXCELLENT "...a startling example of Ava DuVernay's ability to conjure drama that at once takes place in a character's head and in a recognizable real world. It's beautifully nuanced..."(See all of Karina Longworth's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 749 words, 10/10/12
Sam Adams, AV Club: OUTSTANDING(cg) "The power of the film is cumulative, conveyed in sustained tone and deepening character rather than bravura sequences or explosive confrontations."(See all of Sam Adams's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 342 words, 10/11/12
Cynthia Fuchs, Pop Matters: VERY GOOD(cg) "As they contemplate what's ahead, the film, directed by DuVernay -- the first black woman to win Best Director at Sundance -- offers bits and pieces of what's behind."(See all of Cynthia Fuchs's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 912 words, 10/11/12
Zeba Blay, Slant: VERY GOOD(cg) "...decidedly refreshing... This is a small movie that asks big questions about loyalty, loneliness, and how our choices affect ourselves and those around us."(See all of Zeba Blay's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 413 words, 10/10/12
Curt Holman, Atlanta Creative Loafing: WEAK(cg) "...suffers from being draggy and low on dramatic incident.... viewers might echo the cliché from old suspense films: 'It's quiet... it's too quiet.' "(See all of Curt Holman's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 431 words, 10/19/12
HIGHBROW PRESS (3 Reviews)
Manohla Dargis, New York Times: OUTSTANDING "...plaintive, slow-boiling, quietly soul-stirring... Ms. DuVernay, from start to finish in this very fine movie, works to make sure that Ruby is a woman to remember."(See all of Manohla Dargis's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 611 words, 10/12/12
Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times: OUTSTANDING "...it is uncommon to see serious adult dramas this moving and accomplished... old-school, character-driven narrative at its most quietly effective."(See all of Kenneth Turan's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 746 words, 10/12/12
Andrew O'Hehir, Salon: VERY GOOD "If DuVernay's script occasionally hits the nail right on the head a little too hard, her direction is superlative... elegant, powerfully emotional and courageous..."(See all of Andrew O'Hehir's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 720 words, 10/11/12
MOVIE INDUSTRY (4 Reviews)
Rob Nelson, Daily Variety: MODERATE "Solidly acted but aloof and slow.... withholds key info about the hubby's conviction while stretching minimal dramatic incident across a pictorially fuzzy canvas."(See all of Rob Nelson's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 379 words, 01/21/12
John DeFore, Hollywood Reporter: VERY GOOD "DuVernay quickly but convincingly paints the life of an inmate's wife.... Performances are strong across the board... solid, understated visuals ground the story..."(See all of John DeFore's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 347 words, 01/20/12
Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times: OUTSTANDING "...it is uncommon to see serious adult dramas this moving and accomplished... old-school, character-driven narrative at its most quietly effective."(See all of Kenneth Turan's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 746 words, 10/12/12
Manohla Dargis, New York Times: OUTSTANDING "...plaintive, slow-boiling, quietly soul-stirring... Ms. DuVernay, from start to finish in this very fine movie, works to make sure that Ruby is a woman to remember."(See all of Manohla Dargis's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 611 words, 10/12/12
18.3 Percentage Points Average Difference Between Reviews (Norm is 18.4pp; <18.4pp = More Consistent; >18.4pp = More Mixed)
Middle of Nowhere's reviews are separated by an average 18.3 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.
Middle of Nowhere (26 reviews) Roll over dots for each review
Coverage:Middle of Nowhere's reviews cover 46.4% of potential readers (average is 67.9%). Volume:The film's reviews total 11,463 words involume (average is 20,194 words). Length:The film's reviews average 441 words in length (the norm is 517 words).
Reviews Broke 6 Days After Release (Norm is 1.2 Release)
Middle of Nowhere's reviews on average broke 6 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 Middle of Nowhere's opening day. Click on any bar for a list of the reviews for that day.
Middle of Nowhere (26 reviews, click on bars for reviews)
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