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STONE (2010)Movie Reviews
Dramatic thriller about a convicted arsonist who, in his attempt to get paroled, arranges for his wife to seduce his parole officer. Cast:Robert De Niro, Edward Norton, Milla Jovovich, Frances ConroyDirector:John J. CurranRelease Date:October 8, 2010DVD Release:January 25, 2011From:Relativity MediaRating:RLength:1 hr 45 min
Stone (2010) played in key cities to moderate reviews. Reviews were mixed. • Clint O'Connor wrote in the Cleveland Plain-Dealer, "...tends to be more repetitive than absorbing, more downer than redemptive. But we have to take it seriously, because the screen is filled with two such accomplished leads." • And James Berardinelli wrote for Reel Views, "The craftsmanship is impeccable as is the acting, but the storytelling..." More Reviews Below...
Stone (2010) Positive Reviews (37 Reviews, reviews below)
Alynda Wheat, People: MODERATE(cg) "They may be onscreen together, but I'm still not sure De Niro and Norton are in the same movie.... At least Jovovich knows precisely what she's doing."(See all of Alynda Wheat's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 95 words, 10/07/10
Christy Lemire, Associated Press: MODERATE(cg) "Norton is all sorts of mannered in his performance, but it's still kind of a hoot to watch.... In the end, the whole film feels like sound and fury, signifying nothing."(See all of Christy Lemire's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 641 words, 10/07/10
Owen Gleiberman, Entertainment Weekly: FAIR(cg) "Norton tries on a showy cornrowed hairdo and actor-y, mumbly vocal stylings to play a convicted arsonist who claims to undergo a spiritual conversion... Lordy."(See all of Owen Gleiberman's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 84 words, 10/08/10
Claudia Puig, USA Today: MODERATE(cg) "Moral ambiguity and ethical compromise are at the heart of this meandering prison drama, but at a certain point we simply don't care anymore who is base and baser."(See all of Claudia Puig's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 482 words, 10/08/10
Roger Ebert, RogerEbert.com: VERY GOOD(cg) "...could have been some sort of a procedural, a straightforward crime movie, but it's too complex for that. It is actually interested in the minds of these characters..."(See all of Roger Ebert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 509 words, 10/14/10
James Berardinelli, Reel Views: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "The craftsmanship is impeccable as is the acting, but the storytelling... with such a poorly realized narrative, it's hard to be enthusiastic..."(See all of James Berardinelli's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 934 words, 10/20/10
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NEW YORK/LOS ANGELES/CHICAGO/TORONTO (11 Reviews)
Manohla Dargis, New York Times: FAIR "You can understand why the filmmakers didn't want to make just another genre movie in which everything falls neatly into place. They want to mess with our heads, but..."(See all of Manohla Dargis's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 715 words, 10/08/10
Joe Neumaier, New York Daily News: VERY GOOD(cg) "...sweaty, slightly chatty... like the retiring Michigan parole officer played by Robert De Niro, there's much more going on beneath the surface.... often mesmerizing."(See all of Joe Neumaier's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 264 words, 10/08/10
Michael Phillips, Los Angeles Times: VERY GOOD "For many, the actors will be enough. For others, the material will be too much or not enough. I found it vexing, a little obvious -- and hard to shake off."(See all of Michael Phillips's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 474 words, 10/08/10
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: VERY GOOD(cg) "...could have been some sort of a procedural, a straightforward crime movie, but it's too complex for that. It is actually interested in the minds of these characters..."(See all of Roger Ebert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 509 words, 10/14/10
Peter Howell, Toronto Star: VERY GOOD(cg) "...the movie wouldn't work as well as it does without the impressive support they get from the film's leading ladies, Frances Conroy and Milla Jovovich..."(See all of Peter Howell's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 746 words, 10/15/10
Rick Groen, Toronto Globe & Mail: MODERATE(cg) "The film sets up the noir icons but then, in its search for deep meaning, squeezes all the juice out of them. No wonder these guys seems so static and lifeless..."(See all of Rick Groen's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 681 words, 10/15/10
Norman Wilner, Toronto Now: POOR(cg) "It's hard to say which element of this risible drama is sillier: MacLachlan's portentous screenplay, or co-star Norton's sustained impression of Bubbles from 'The Wire.' "(See all of Norman Wilner's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 130 words, 10/14/10
KEY CITIES (15 Reviews)
Ann Hornaday, Washington Post: MODERATE(cg) "...feels more written than lived, with Jack's and Stone's actions too neatly fitting the millennial warnings heard on the evangelist radio show Jack listens to in his car."(See all of Ann Hornaday's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 489 words, 10/15/10
Carrie Rickey, Philadelphia Inquirer: VERY GOOD(cg) "...an ambiguous film boasting a quartet of mesmerizing performances... I was with the movie until its head-scratcher of an ending, too oblique for its own good."(See all of Carrie Rickey's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 371 words, 10/22/10
Mick LaSalle, Houston Chronicle/San Francisco Chronicle: VERY GOOD(cg) "...four characters who are fascinating, specific and yet in some way unknowable, not like the usual characters in fiction but rather like people we might meet in life."(See all of Mick LaSalle's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 628 words, 10/22/10
Roger Moore, Orlando Sentinel: VERY GOOD(cg) "...modestly gripping and surprising... The incendiary mix of religion, sex and crime threatens to ignite every time Stone tries to turn the interrogations back on Mabry."(See all of Roger Moore's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 558 words, 10/22/10
Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star-Tribune: VERY GOOD(cg) "The excitement here is sparked by the verbal and gestural give-and-take between the actors.... We're unsure of what comes next but enjoy the uncertainty."(See all of Colin Covert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 591 words, 10/22/10
Tom Maurstad, Dallas Morning News: VERY GOOD(cg) "Does it all work? No. Does it all make sense? No. But chances are the parts that don't work for one person are different than those for another."(See all of Tom Maurstad's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 468 words, 10/22/10
Ty Burr, Boston Globe: VERY GOOD(cg) "...a dead-serious meditation on faith and grace, redemption and damnation. So few Hollywood movies go here that this one's oddly welcome..."(See all of Ty Burr's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 731 words, 10/15/10
Clint O'Connor, Cleveland Plain-Dealer: GOOD(cg) "...more repetitive than absorbing, more downer than redemptive. But we have to take it seriously, because the screen is filled with two such accomplished leads."(See all of Clint O'Connor's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 414 words, 10/22/10
Shawn Levy, Portland Oregonian: GOOD(cg) "...wonderful performances fight overdetermined ideas to an unsteady draw. It's made with genuine skill, but it too often points toward a sole intention..."(See all of Shawn Levy's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 270 words, 10/15/10
Calvin Wilson, St. Louis Post-Dispatch: VERY GOOD(cg) "...a fascinating but flawed showcase for Norton and De Niro, who bring to the proceedings a bracing sense of purpose."(See all of Calvin Wilson's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 326 words, 10/22/10
Steve Persall, St. Petersburg Times: POOR(cg) "De Niro looks pained to be here, and Norton performed this jittery liar routine so indelibly in 'Primal Fear' that nothing his character does is surprising."(See all of Steve Persall's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 480 words, 10/28/10
Tom Long, Detroit News: VERY GOOD(cg) "From its freak-squeak soundtrack to the questions that abound without answers, this is a disconcerting and challenging film. It leaves you wondering."(See all of Tom Long's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 292 words, 10/22/10
Rene Rodriguez, Miami Herald: POOR(cg) "...the film's noble attempts at something more thought-provoking end up robbing the picture of energy... gives you no entryway to invest emotionally in the story."(See all of Rene Rodriguez's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 463 words, 10/22/10
Peter Keough, Boston Phoenix: VERY GOOD(cg) "...sustains suspense and an atmosphere of intensifying menace.... mostly the film depends on the tension the actors create..."(See all of Peter Keough's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 569 words, 10/14/10
Scott Tobias, AV Club: GOOD(cg) "...works as a morally freighted film noir... But Curran resists 'Stone's' genre elements to his peril, suffocating the drama with a tone of high seriousness..."(See all of Scott Tobias's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 392 words, 10/07/10
Jesse Cataldo, Slant: MODERATE(cg) "...presents little more than this fruitless scenario, examining the divide between ethical uprightness and moral bankruptcy with dreary ponderousness."(See all of Jesse Cataldo's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 509 words, 10/07/10
Norman Wilner, Toronto Now: POOR(cg) "It's hard to say which element of this risible drama is sillier: MacLachlan's portentous screenplay, or co-star Norton's sustained impression of Bubbles from 'The Wire.' "(See all of Norman Wilner's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 130 words, 10/14/10
Manohla Dargis, New York Times: FAIR "You can understand why the filmmakers didn't want to make just another genre movie in which everything falls neatly into place. They want to mess with our heads, but..."(See all of Manohla Dargis's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 715 words, 10/08/10
Michael Phillips, Los Angeles Times: VERY GOOD "For many, the actors will be enough. For others, the material will be too much or not enough. I found it vexing, a little obvious -- and hard to shake off."(See all of Michael Phillips's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 474 words, 10/08/10
Kirk Honeycutt, Hollywood Reporter: POOR "...one imagines it will at least be thought-provoking. Ennui-provoking is more like it. There is not a credible moment in this overly calculated melodrama."(See all of Kirk Honeycutt's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 736 words, 09/09/10
Michael Phillips, Los Angeles Times: VERY GOOD "For many, the actors will be enough. For others, the material will be too much or not enough. I found it vexing, a little obvious -- and hard to shake off."(See all of Michael Phillips's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 474 words, 10/08/10
Manohla Dargis, New York Times: FAIR "You can understand why the filmmakers didn't want to make just another genre movie in which everything falls neatly into place. They want to mess with our heads, but..."(See all of Manohla Dargis's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 715 words, 10/08/10
19.5 Percentage Points Average Difference Between Reviews (Norm is 18.4pp; <18.4pp = More Consistent; >18.4pp = More Mixed)
Stone (2010)'s reviews are separated by an average 19.5 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.
Stone (2010) (37 reviews) Roll over dots for each review
Coverage:Stone (2010)'s reviews cover 59.4% of potential readers (average is 67.9%). Volume:The film's reviews total 17,626 words involume (average is 20,194 words). Length:The film's reviews average 476 words in length (the norm is 517 words).
Stone (2010) Coverage, Volume & Length (37 Reviews, reviews below)
Reviews Broke 45.2 Hours After Release (Norm is 1.2 Release)
Stone (2010)'s reviews on average broke 45.2 hours 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 Stone (2010)'s opening day. Click on any bar for a list of the reviews for that day.
Stone (2010) (37 reviews, click on bars for reviews)
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