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RESTLESS CITYMovie Reviews
English/French/Wolof/Yoruba language drama about an African immigrant and musician surviving on the fringes of New York City. Cast:Sy Alassane, Sky Grey, Tony Okungbowa, Danai Gurira, Babs OlusanmonkunDirector:Andrew DosunmuRelease Date:April 27, 2012DVD Release:October 9, 2012From:AFFRMRating:RLength:1 hr. 20 min.
Restless City played in limited release to good not great reviews. • Duane Byrge wrote in the Hollywood Reporter, "A stunning slant on the Horatio Alger myth... a mesmerizing glimpse into a culture and community that is only superficially seen by indifferent New Yorkers." • And Miles Bowe wrote in the Boston Phoenix, "...looks gorgeous, but has nothing to say." More Reviews Below...
Restless City Positive Reviews (11 Reviews, reviews below)
Restless City has not been reviewed by Broad National Press
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NEW YORK/LOS ANGELES/CHICAGO/TORONTO (4 Reviews)
Nicolas Rapold, New York Times: GOOD (NOT GREAT) "Dosunmu seems to have directed all his actors to pause before delivering lines... A nagging inertia grows out of the lack of drama, beyond a kind of contemplative tension."(See all of Nicolas Rapold's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 356 words, 04/27/12
Mark Olsen, Los Angeles Times: FAIR "...lacks bustle... In its portrait of a Restless City the film is strangely inert and feels like the work of image-makers, not storytellers."(See all of Mark Olsen's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 252 words, 04/27/12
Ernest Hardy, Village Voice/LA Weekly: GOOD (NOT GREAT) "Eugene Gussenhoven's script is so basic as to be rudimentary... visually gorgeous... the thrust and power of the film lies in its poetic imagery..."(See all of Ernest Hardy's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 245 words, 04/25/12
Gary Thompson, Philadelphia Inquirer: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "Violent episodes explode and recede, but without context and emotional connection, they're sometimes just pictures."(See all of Gary Thompson's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 330 words, 05/04/12
Wesley Morris, Boston Globe: VERY GOOD(cg) "...tumescent with atmosphere.... has the alluring thinness of old French movies and the throbbing vividness of oldish American ones."(See all of Wesley Morris's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 549 words, 08/17/12
ALTERNATIVE/INDIE PRESS (4 Reviews)
Ernest Hardy, Village Voice/LA Weekly: GOOD (NOT GREAT) "Eugene Gussenhoven's script is so basic as to be rudimentary... visually gorgeous... the thrust and power of the film lies in its poetic imagery..."(See all of Ernest Hardy's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 245 words, 04/25/12
Miles Bowe, Boston Phoenix: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...characters and plotlines never gel and often feel painfully clichéd.... becomes tedious by the end. 'Restless City' looks gorgeous, but has nothing to say."(See all of Miles Bowe's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 154 words, 08/16/12
Chuck Bowen, Slant: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "Dosunmu's is one of the sexiest and most visually accomplished directorial debuts in recent memory.... But Eugene Gussenhoven's script simply isn't in the same league..."(See all of Chuck Bowen's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 422 words, 05/01/12
HIGHBROW PRESS (2 Reviews)
Nicolas Rapold, New York Times: GOOD (NOT GREAT) "Dosunmu seems to have directed all his actors to pause before delivering lines... A nagging inertia grows out of the lack of drama, beyond a kind of contemplative tension."(See all of Nicolas Rapold's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 356 words, 04/27/12
Mark Olsen, Los Angeles Times: FAIR "...lacks bustle... In its portrait of a Restless City the film is strangely inert and feels like the work of image-makers, not storytellers."(See all of Mark Olsen's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 252 words, 04/27/12
MOVIE INDUSTRY (4 Reviews)
John Anderson, Daily Variety: EXCELLENT "...extraordinarily beautiful... Both the sound and the creative use of silence are crucial to the film's impact, as are the faces -- melancholic portraits of hope and sadness..."(See all of John Anderson's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 338 words, 02/01/11
Duane Byrge, Hollywood Reporter: OUTSTANDING "A stunning slant on the Horatio Alger myth... a mesmerizing glimpse into a culture and community that is only superficially seen by indifferent New Yorkers."(See all of Duane Byrge's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 402 words, 01/28/11
Mark Olsen, Los Angeles Times: FAIR "...lacks bustle... In its portrait of a Restless City the film is strangely inert and feels like the work of image-makers, not storytellers."(See all of Mark Olsen's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 252 words, 04/27/12
Nicolas Rapold, New York Times: GOOD (NOT GREAT) "Dosunmu seems to have directed all his actors to pause before delivering lines... A nagging inertia grows out of the lack of drama, beyond a kind of contemplative tension."(See all of Nicolas Rapold's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 356 words, 04/27/12
17.2 Percentage Points Average Difference Between Reviews (Norm is 18.4pp; <18.4pp = More Consistent; >18.4pp = More Mixed)
Restless City's reviews are separated by an average 17.2 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.
Restless City (11 reviews) Roll over dots for each review
Coverage:Restless City's reviews cover 11.3% of potential readers (average is 67.9%). Volume:The film's reviews total 3,770 words involume (average is 20,172 words). Length:The film's reviews average 343 words in length (the norm is 517 words).
Restless City Coverage, Volume & Length (11 Reviews, reviews below)
Reviews Broke 24 Days Before Release (Norm is 1.2 Release)
Restless City's reviews on average broke 24 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 Restless City's opening day. Click on any bar for a list of the reviews for that day.
Restless City (11 reviews, click on bars for reviews)
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