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NÉNETTE (2010)Movie Reviews
French language documentary about a 40 year-old orangutan who lives at the Jardin des Plantes zoo in Paris. Cast:NénetteDirector:Nicolas PhilibertRelease Date:December 22, 2010DVD Release:May 24, 2011From:Kino InternationalLength:1 hr 10 min
MAY 24, 2011
Nénette (2010), Very Good Reviews (Doc) Key Cities
Nénette (2010) played in key cities to very good reviews. • Wesley Morris wrote in the Boston Globe, "...entrancing... The movie isn't a critique of zoo life. But it's possible we have on our hands, in Nénette's captivity, a microcosm of celebrity star-gazing." • And Moira Macdonald wrote in the Seattle Times, "There's something hypnotic and strangely fascinating..." More Reviews Below...
Nénette (2010) has not been reviewed by Broad National Press
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NEW YORK/LOS ANGELES/CHICAGO/TORONTO (6 Reviews)
Jeannette Catsoulis, New York Times: VERY GOOD "Is Nénette depressed, they wonder, or just lonely?... Beautiful in its minimalism... 'Nénette' is no antizoo rant but a melancholy meditation on captivity."(See all of Jeannette Catsoulis's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 380 words, 12/22/10
Joe Neumaier, New York Daily News: WEAK(cg) "This sad, unorthodox documentary gets its point across on the innate cruelty of zoos at the expense of a gripping experience."(See all of Joe Neumaier's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 171 words, 12/24/10
V.A. Musetto, New York Post: VERY GOOD(cg) "The best kid-friendly movie of the season... 'She's like a kept lady -- a hairy one,' says one keeper. 'She spends her life doing nothing.' "(See all of V.A. Musetto's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 163 words, 12/21/10
Bill Stamets, Chicago Sun-Times: OUTSTANDING(cg) "A 67-minute portrait of an aging orangutan born in Borneo and fated to die in France. Her three mates predeceased her."(See all of Bill Stamets's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 209 words, 03/18/11
Melissa Anderson, Village Voice: MODERATE "Watching Nénette watch those who gape at her is an intriguing, multi-layered exercise of voyeurism, but one that wanes after our gaze is demanded for too long."(See all of Melissa Anderson's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 207 words, 12/22/10
Norman Wilner, Toronto Now: EXCELLENT(cg) "...anthropomorphism, the morality of zoo culture and whatever it is that's going on in Nénette's simultaneously expressive and unknowable eyes. It's a great experience."(See all of Norman Wilner's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 122 words, 05/06/10
Wesley Morris, Boston Globe: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...entrancing... The movie isn't a critique of zoo life. But it's possible we have on our hands, in Nénette's captivity, a microcosm of celebrity star-gazing."(See all of Wesley Morris's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 615 words, 01/21/11
Peter Hartlaub, San Francisco Chronicle: VERY GOOD(cg) "The best part about the movie is the way it shifts focus, starting as an observation of the animal and then subtly morphing to the point of view of Nénette..."(See all of Peter Hartlaub's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 443 words, 01/28/11
Moira Macdonald, Seattle Times: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "There's something hypnotic and strangely fascinating... [however,] for all but the most devoted animal watchers, the film may come across as slow and repetitive."(See all of Moira Macdonald's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 325 words, 02/04/11
Joe Williams, St. Louis Post-Dispatch: VERY GOOD(cg) "...it is not really a movie about the aged orangutan or even about the venerable zoo but about the humans who view Nenette through the lens of their own lives."(See all of Joe Williams's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 314 words, 02/25/11
ALTERNATIVE/INDIE PRESS (5 Reviews)
Melissa Anderson, Village Voice: MODERATE "Watching Nénette watch those who gape at her is an intriguing, multi-layered exercise of voyeurism, but one that wanes after our gaze is demanded for too long."(See all of Melissa Anderson's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 207 words, 12/22/10
Jeffrey Gantz, Boston Phoenix: OUTSTANDING(cg) "They swing from ropes, play with big plastic tubs, drink bottles of tea, and gaze inscrutably at the camera, as if waiting for us to figure out what they already know."(See all of Jeffrey Gantz's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 161 words, 01/20/11
Scott Tobias, AV Club: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...impeccably composed... but Philibert's patient observation can't unlock the mysteries of an animal that's grown more introspective and likely less expressive over time."(See all of Scott Tobias's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 322 words, 12/21/10
Norman Wilner, Toronto Now: EXCELLENT(cg) "...anthropomorphism, the morality of zoo culture and whatever it is that's going on in Nénette's simultaneously expressive and unknowable eyes. It's a great experience."(See all of Norman Wilner's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 122 words, 05/06/10
HIGHBROW PRESS (1 Review)
Jeannette Catsoulis, New York Times: VERY GOOD "Is Nénette depressed, they wonder, or just lonely?... Beautiful in its minimalism... 'Nénette' is no antizoo rant but a melancholy meditation on captivity."(See all of Jeannette Catsoulis's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 380 words, 12/22/10
MOVIE INDUSTRY (2 Reviews)
Alissa Simon, Daily Variety: GOOD "Most interesting as an intellectual experiment on divergence of image and sound... makes viewers reflect on the unnatural nature of a life in captivity..."(See all of Alissa Simon's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 273 words, 02/18/10
Jeannette Catsoulis, New York Times: VERY GOOD "Is Nénette depressed, they wonder, or just lonely?... Beautiful in its minimalism... 'Nénette' is no antizoo rant but a melancholy meditation on captivity."(See all of Jeannette Catsoulis's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 380 words, 12/22/10
17.7 Percentage Points Average Difference Between Reviews (Norm is 18.4pp; <18.4pp = More Consistent; >18.4pp = More Mixed)
Nénette (2010)'s reviews are separated by an average 17.7 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.
Nénette (2010) (15 reviews) Roll over dots for each review
Coverage:Nénette (2010)'s reviews cover 14.2% of potential readers (average is 67.9%). Volume:The film's reviews total 5,098 words involume (average is 20,194 words). Length:The film's reviews average 340 words in length (the norm is 517 words).
Reviews Broke 5 Days After Release (Norm is 1.2 Release)
Nénette (2010)'s reviews on average broke 5 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 Nénette (2010)'s opening day. Click on any bar for a list of the reviews for that day.
Nénette (2010) (15 reviews, click on bars for reviews)
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