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ROAD TO NOWHERE (2011)Movie Reviews
Romantic thriller about a filmmaker making a movie based on a true story about the disappearance of a couple, who becomes obsessed with his mysterious lead actress, who may or may not be involved in the scandal on which the movie is based. Cast:Shannyn Sossamon, Tygh Runyan, Michael Bigham, Mallory Culbert, Cliff De Young, John DiehlDirector:Monte HellmanRelease Date:June 10, 2011DVD Release:August 23, 2011From:Monterey MediaRating:RLength:2 hr 1 min
AUGUST 23, 2011
Road to Nowhere (2011), Good (Not Great) Reviews Key Cities
Road to Nowhere (2011) played in key cities to good not great reviews. • Michelle Orange wrote for Movieline, "...it's almost impossible to tell what's happening... works best when wandering through a hall-of-mirrors, personally invested world of independent filmmaking." • And Bill Goodykoontz wrote in the Arizona Republic, "...a beautifully made, glorious mess." More Reviews Below...
Road to Nowhere (2011) Positive Reviews (17 Reviews, reviews below)
Roger Ebert, RogerEbert.com: MODERATE(cg) "Each scene works within itself on its own terms. But there is no whole here. I've rarely seen a narrative film that seemed so reluctant to flow."(See all of Roger Ebert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 718 words, 08/05/11
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NEW YORK/LOS ANGELES/CHICAGO/TORONTO (7 Reviews)
Stephen Holden, New York Times: GOOD (NOT GREAT) "...grandiloquent... if Mr. Hellman's movie only partly fulfills its promise as a gripping neo-noir mystery, his stylistic hallmarks lend it a singularly haunting atmosphere."(See all of Stephen Holden's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 751 words, 06/10/11
Elizabeth Weitzman, New York Daily News: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...you'll have to accept the title as a promise... Hellman's first film in 22 years is unlikely to achieve the cult status of his best, 1971's 'Two-Lane Blacktop.' "(See all of Elizabeth Weitzman's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 158 words, 06/10/11
Kevin Thomas, Los Angeles Times: EXCELLENT "...a stylish, shimmering neo-noir with a multi-layered narrative.... In its masterful use of evocative imagery and music, 'Road to Nowhere' is flawless."(See all of Kevin Thomas's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 282 words, 06/17/11
Lou Lumenick, New York Post: MODERATE(cg) "...has a great setup but not much in the way of a payoff.... there are some giggles in the film-within-the-film, the artsy-fartsy direction and flat-as-a-pancake acting..."(See all of Lou Lumenick's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 194 words, 06/10/11
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: MODERATE(cg) "Each scene works within itself on its own terms. But there is no whole here. I've rarely seen a narrative film that seemed so reluctant to flow."(See all of Roger Ebert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 718 words, 08/05/11
Nick Pinkerton, Village Voice/LA Weekly: GOOD "...frequently elevated by the fresh evidence of Hellman's craft in the tranquil, largely nocturnal atmosphere, until the closing-credits song ruins everything."(See all of Nick Pinkerton's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 215 words, 06/08/11
KEY CITIES (4 Reviews)
Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star-Tribune: VERY GOOD(cg) "...if you buckle down and concentrate, you'll have the pleasure of unraveling one of the few mysteries in recent years that feels innovative."(See all of Colin Covert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 319 words, 07/01/11
Bill Goodykoontz, Arizona Republic: VERY GOOD(cg) "...a beautifully made, glorious mess.... you can have a grand old time just sitting back and watching, then trying to piece everything together afterward."(See all of Bill Goodykoontz's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 498 words, 06/24/11
David Lewis, San Francisco Chronicle: MODERATE(cg) "...a beautifully shot movie that gives you an entertaining glimpse into the world of independent filmmaking.... But ultimately, the film gets too clever and confusing..."(See all of David Lewis's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 252 words, 07/22/11
Jeff Shannon, Seattle Times: VERY GOOD(cg) "Monte Hellman subtly shifts between film and reality (and a possibly hidden identity), refusing to coddle us with easy distinctions. The final scene offers clarity..."(See all of Jeff Shannon's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 285 words, 08/12/11
ALTERNATIVE/INDIE PRESS (5 Reviews)
Nick Pinkerton, Village Voice/LA Weekly: GOOD "...frequently elevated by the fresh evidence of Hellman's craft in the tranquil, largely nocturnal atmosphere, until the closing-credits song ruins everything."(See all of Nick Pinkerton's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 215 words, 06/08/11
Keith Phipps, AV Club: EXCELLENT(cg) "Told via a fractured chronology, it keeps playing with the divide between truth and fiction, identity and performance, in ways that remain compelling..."(See all of Keith Phipps's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 593 words, 06/09/11
Michelle Orange, Movieline: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...it's almost impossible to tell what's happening... works best when wandering through a hall-of-mirrors, personally invested world of independent filmmaking."(See all of Michelle Orange's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 608 words, 06/09/11
Chuck Bowen, Slant: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "Monte Hellman's characteristically languorous staging lends the film a mystery and occasional poignancy that probably wasn't on the page..."(See all of Chuck Bowen's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 431 words, 06/08/11
HIGHBROW PRESS (3 Reviews)
Stephen Holden, New York Times: GOOD (NOT GREAT) "...grandiloquent... if Mr. Hellman's movie only partly fulfills its promise as a gripping neo-noir mystery, his stylistic hallmarks lend it a singularly haunting atmosphere."(See all of Stephen Holden's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 751 words, 06/10/11
Anthony Lane, New Yorker: WEAK "Everything about it sounds delicious.... [but] the film is a dead end. Most of the performances are carved from balsa wood. The result is all maze and no heart."(See all of Anthony Lane's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 442 words, 06/06/11
Kevin Thomas, Los Angeles Times: EXCELLENT "...a stylish, shimmering neo-noir with a multi-layered narrative.... In its masterful use of evocative imagery and music, 'Road to Nowhere' is flawless."(See all of Kevin Thomas's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 282 words, 06/17/11
MOVIE INDUSTRY (4 Reviews)
F.X. Feeney, Daily Variety: OUTSTANDING "...displays this director's trademark virtues -- an elegant compositional eye, tough-minded thematic sense and sharp sensitivity to what goes unspoken between people..."(See all of F.X. Feeney's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,015 words, 09/09/10
Natasha Senjanovic, Hollywood Reporter: GOOD "...a visually sturdy (with its many slow pans and static shots) film-within-a-film that throws winks and nudges at the illusory nature of both art and reality..."(See all of Natasha Senjanovic's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 628 words, 10/15/10
Kevin Thomas, Los Angeles Times: EXCELLENT "...a stylish, shimmering neo-noir with a multi-layered narrative.... In its masterful use of evocative imagery and music, 'Road to Nowhere' is flawless."(See all of Kevin Thomas's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 282 words, 06/17/11
Stephen Holden, New York Times: GOOD (NOT GREAT) "...grandiloquent... if Mr. Hellman's movie only partly fulfills its promise as a gripping neo-noir mystery, his stylistic hallmarks lend it a singularly haunting atmosphere."(See all of Stephen Holden's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 751 words, 06/10/11
18.3 Percentage Points Average Difference Between Reviews (Norm is 18.4pp; <18.4pp = More Consistent; >18.4pp = More Mixed)
Road to Nowhere (2011)'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.
Road to Nowhere (2011) (17 reviews) Roll over dots for each review
Coverage:Road to Nowhere (2011)'s reviews cover 21.0% of potential readers (average is 67.9%). Volume:The film's reviews total 7,647 words involume (average is 20,194 words). Length:The film's reviews average 450 words in length (the norm is 517 words).
Reviews Broke 14.8 Hours Before Release (Norm is 1.2 Release)
Road to Nowhere (2011)'s reviews on average broke 14.8 hours 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 Road to Nowhere (2011)'s opening day. Click on any bar for a list of the reviews for that day.
Road to Nowhere (2011) (17 reviews, click on bars for reviews)
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