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OTELO BURNINGMovie Reviews
English and Zulu language drama about three boys who escape their harsh township lives through the joy of surfing. Cast:Jafta Mamabolo, Thomas Gumede, Sihle Xaba, Tshepang Mohlomi, Kenneth Nkosi, Harriet Manamela, Hamilton DhlaminiDirector:Sara BlecherRelease Date:November 30, 2012DVD Release: TBD Length:1 hr 12 min
Otelo Burning played in New York City to good not great reviews. • Joe Neumaier wrote in the New York Daily News, "...crisp, involving... Director Sara Blecher's feel for South Africa's people and politics is strong, but the small moments also count." More Reviews Below...
Otelo Burning has not been reviewed by Broad National Press
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NEW YORK/LOS ANGELES/CHICAGO/TORONTO (4 Reviews)
Neil Genzlinger, New York Times: VERY GOOD "...lovely... The idyllic and the angry collide with deadly consequences. Ms. Blecher draws fine performances out of the young actors and, to her credit, sugarcoats nothing."(See all of Neil Genzlinger's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 191 words, 11/09/12
Joe Neumaier, New York Daily News: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...crisp, involving... Director Sara Blecher's feel for South Africa's people and politics is strong, but the small moments also count."(See all of Joe Neumaier's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 119 words, 11/30/12
Michael Atkinson, Village Voice: MODERATE "An earnest, unthinking, life-is-beautiful global indie... Tiresomely simple... you're either smitten by these guileless Zulu lads experiencing 'freedom' or you've checked out."(See all of Michael Atkinson's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 156 words, 11/28/12
KEY CITIES (0 Reviews)
Otelo Burning has not been reviewed in Key Cities
ALTERNATIVE/INDIE PRESS (2 Reviews)
Michael Atkinson, Village Voice: MODERATE "An earnest, unthinking, life-is-beautiful global indie... Tiresomely simple... you're either smitten by these guileless Zulu lads experiencing 'freedom' or you've checked out."(See all of Michael Atkinson's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 156 words, 11/28/12
Glenn Heath Jr., Slant: WEAK(cg) "...poorly paced.... grows increasingly tiresome the more it flirts with melodrama, unraveling themes of jealousy, regret, and ambition in broad strokes."(See all of Glenn Heath Jr.'s reviews...)(Read the full review...) 512 words, 11/26/12
HIGHBROW PRESS (2 Reviews)
Neil Genzlinger, New York Times: VERY GOOD "...lovely... The idyllic and the angry collide with deadly consequences. Ms. Blecher draws fine performances out of the young actors and, to her credit, sugarcoats nothing."(See all of Neil Genzlinger's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 191 words, 11/09/12
Joel Arnold, NPR: GOOD (NOT GREAT) "...a heavy-handed but forceful coming of age story... examines different paths to freedom and the significant costs inherent in each approach."(See all of Joel Arnold's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 722 words, 11/29/12
MOVIE INDUSTRY (3 Reviews)
Ronnie Scheib, Daily Variety: VERY GOOD "Profoundly political, though not in any expected ways... a skillfully layered exploration of life in a South African township during the last years of apartheid."(See all of Ronnie Scheib's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 444 words, 11/09/12
John DeFore, Hollywood Reporter: GOOD "A cast of young actors is uniformly strong... Sara Blecher's script (written with James Whyle) struggles a bit with the expectations it invites..."(See all of John DeFore's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 296 words, 11/30/12
Neil Genzlinger, New York Times: VERY GOOD "...lovely... The idyllic and the angry collide with deadly consequences. Ms. Blecher draws fine performances out of the young actors and, to her credit, sugarcoats nothing."(See all of Neil Genzlinger's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 191 words, 11/09/12
14.9 Percentage Points Average Difference Between Reviews (Norm is 18.4pp; <18.4pp = More Consistent; >18.4pp = More Mixed)
Otelo Burning's reviews are separated by an average 14.9 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.
Otelo Burning (8 reviews) Roll over dots for each review
Coverage:Otelo Burning's reviews cover 11.3% of potential readers (average is 67.9%). Volume:The film's reviews total 2,678 words involume (average is 20,194 words). Length:The film's reviews average 335 words in length (the norm is 517 words).
Reviews Broke 8 Days Before Release (Norm is 1.2 Release)
Otelo Burning's reviews on average broke 8 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 Otelo Burning's opening day. Click on any bar for a list of the reviews for that day.
Otelo Burning (8 reviews, click on bars for reviews)
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