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THE SQUAREMovie Reviews
Thriller about a man who is enticed by his mistress to steal a bag full of cash from her husband with unforeseen results. Cast:David Roberts, Claire Van Der Boom, Joel Edgerton, Anthony Hayes, Lucy BellDirector:Nash EdgertonRelease Date:April 9, 2010DVD Release:August 24, 2010From:ApparitionRating:RLength:1 hr 45 min
The Square played in key cities to very good reviews. • Tom Long wrote in the Detroit News, "...the Edgertons never lose control and the manic, pinball energy they deliver keeps your eyes pinned to the screen.... Hit us again, boys." • And Curt Holman wrote in Atlanta Creative Loafing, "Nash Edgerton reveals a nasty sense of humor and willingness to prove the fragility of the human body." More Reviews Below...
The Square Positive Reviews (33 Reviews, reviews below)
Jake Coyle, Associated Press: VERY GOOD(cg) "...blatantly but faithfully channels James M. Cain's hard-boiled tales of doomed affairs and dubious murder plots.... appearances can be deceiving..."(See all of Jake Coyle's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 598 words, 04/08/10
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...never pushes too hard... It lovingly, almost sadistically, lays out the situation and deliberately demonstrates all the things that can go wrong. And I mean all the things."(See all of Roger Ebert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 687 words, 04/29/10
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NEW YORK/LOS ANGELES/CHICAGO/TORONTO (11 Reviews)
A.O. Scott, New York Times: VERY GOOD "...nasty, gripping... Mr. Edgerton, with crack timing in the editing room and a sure hand on the Steadicam, is a coldblooded professional. His craft is frightening."(See all of A.O. Scott's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 878 words, 04/09/10
Joe Neumaier, New York Daily News: WEAK(cg) "David Roberts and Claire van der Boom are engaging, yet 'The Square' digs up familiar ground without adding any fresh dirt."(See all of Joe Neumaier's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 145 words, 04/09/10
Michael Ordoña, Los Angeles Times: GOOD (NOT GREAT) "...the angles don't quite meet in the key relationship... [but] as one might expect from stuntman-turned-director Nash Edgerton, the action is well staged."(See all of Michael Ordoña's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 194 words, 04/09/10
Lou Lumenick, New York Post: VERY GOOD(cg) "...a highly effective Aussie noir that marks the auspicious feature debut of stuntman and music-video director Nash Edgerton.... steadily ratchets up the tension..."(See all of Lou Lumenick's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 272 words, 04/09/10
Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune: VERY GOOD(cg) "...a thing of considerable soundness.... Hollywood can always use talent like Nash Edgerton and his brother, Joel, who co-wrote the script with Matthew Dabner..."(See all of Michael Phillips's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 487 words, 04/30/10
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...never pushes too hard... It lovingly, almost sadistically, lays out the situation and deliberately demonstrates all the things that can go wrong. And I mean all the things."(See all of Roger Ebert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 687 words, 04/29/10
Melissa Anderson, Village Voice/LA Weekly: WEAK "...confuses incoherent body pileups with 'twists'.... the film's most lethal flaw: two adulterous leads as sexless as Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman in 'Australia.' "(See all of Melissa Anderson's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 199 words, 04/07/10
Peter Howell, Toronto Star: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...isn't so much a whodunit as it is a 'whydunit'.... How did they get so badly in over their heads? It's almost Biblical in the way it metes out rough justice."(See all of Peter Howell's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 453 words, 04/16/10
Liam Lacey, Toronto Globe & Mail: MODERATE(cg) "Dark comedy with a refreshing Aussie twang. The noirish settings recall the Coen brothers, but this is just a rework of an old fatalist formula."(See all of Liam Lacey's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 755 words, 04/16/10
Radheyan Simonpillai, Toronto Now: EXCELLENT(cg) "...using 'Double Indemnity' and 'The Postman Always Rings Twice' as blueprints, Nash Edgerton engineers a tightly crafted, character-driven thriller."(See all of Radheyan Simonpillai's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 158 words, 04/15/10
KEY CITIES (13 Reviews)
Dan Kois, Washington Post: OUTSTANDING(cg) "One of the great pleasures of 'The Square' -- in addition to its lived-in performances, sharp dialogue and elegant direction -- is the way it teases its audience."(See all of Dan Kois's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 666 words, 05/07/10
Steven Rea, Philadelphia Inquirer: OUTSTANDING(cg) "Neatly shot and smartly edited... the two actors' everyman and everywoman vibe makes the story more compelling and convincing, not less."(See all of Steven Rea's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 517 words, 04/23/10
Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star-Tribune: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...a neat, nasty Australian import that bears comparison with 'Body Heat' and 'Blood Simple'.... the film thwarts our expectations at every turn."(See all of Colin Covert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 514 words, 04/23/10
Lisa Kennedy, Denver Post: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "Nash and Joel Edgerton work together and have a nasty-cheeky (or vice versa) way with mayhem has led to comparisons to Joel and Ethan Coen."(See all of Lisa Kennedy's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 534 words, 04/30/10
Wesley Morris, Boston Globe: VERY GOOD(cg) "The surprise here is how thrillingly bad things get, all because Ray and Carla want to ditch their respective spouses and run off together."(See all of Wesley Morris's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 576 words, 04/16/10
Moira Macdonald, Seattle Times: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "This is a whole lotta noir, and it goes on rather longer than it can sustain itself. But Edgerton finds a few moments that indicate that he's destined for better things."(See all of Moira Macdonald's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 416 words, 04/23/10
Marc Mohan, Portland Oregonian: OUTSTANDING(cg) "The whole thing unfolds with sadistic precision, but Edgerton's expert manipulation makes it a fun ride nonetheless."(See all of Marc Mohan's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 204 words, 05/21/10
Joe Williams, St. Louis Post-Dispatch: VERY GOOD(cg) "...a solidly constructed thriller with some missing pieces at the center but vivid splashes of color outside the lines."(See all of Joe Williams's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 346 words, 05/14/10
Tom Long, Detroit News: EXCELLENT(cg) "...the Edgertons never lose control and the manic, pinball energy they deliver keeps your eyes pinned to the screen.... packs unexpected punch. Hit us again, boys."(See all of Tom Long's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 250 words, 05/14/10
ALTERNATIVE/INDIE PRESS (7 Reviews)
Melissa Anderson, Village Voice/LA Weekly: WEAK "...confuses incoherent body pileups with 'twists'.... the film's most lethal flaw: two adulterous leads as sexless as Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman in 'Australia.' "(See all of Melissa Anderson's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 199 words, 04/07/10
Tom Meek, Boston Phoenix: VERY GOOD(cg) "Edgerton, a stuntman by trade, doesn't offer much that's new, but the script by his brother, Joel, keeps folding back in on itself... the tension stays high."(See all of Tom Meek's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 176 words, 04/15/10
Tasha Robinson, AV Club: EXCELLENT(cg) "...plot complexity is one of the film's major appeals... Rarer and equally appealing is the film's restraint and ambiguity both in the details and in the complex moral tone..."(See all of Tasha Robinson's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 444 words, 04/08/10
Radheyan Simonpillai, Toronto Now: EXCELLENT(cg) "...using 'Double Indemnity' and 'The Postman Always Rings Twice' as blueprints, Nash Edgerton engineers a tightly crafted, character-driven thriller."(See all of Radheyan Simonpillai's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 158 words, 04/15/10
Curt Holman, Atlanta Creative Loafing: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...a sharp, moody film noir... Nash Edgerton reveals a nasty sense of humor and willingness to prove the fragility of the human body."(See all of Curt Holman's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 371 words, 04/30/10
Tricia Olszewski, Washington City Paper: VERY GOOD "...a tense and wince-inducing topple of deadly dominoes.... the Edgertons don't waste a minute of running time with superfluous scenes or expository dialogue..."(See all of Tricia Olszewski's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 505 words, 05/06/10
HIGHBROW PRESS (2 Reviews)
A.O. Scott, New York Times: VERY GOOD "...nasty, gripping... Mr. Edgerton, with crack timing in the editing room and a sure hand on the Steadicam, is a coldblooded professional. His craft is frightening."(See all of A.O. Scott's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 878 words, 04/09/10
Michael Ordoña, Los Angeles Times: GOOD (NOT GREAT) "...the angles don't quite meet in the key relationship... [but] as one might expect from stuntman-turned-director Nash Edgerton, the action is well staged."(See all of Michael Ordoña's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 194 words, 04/09/10
MOVIE INDUSTRY (5 Reviews)
Richard Kuipers, Daily Variety: VERY GOOD "...a promising debut by Aussie stuntman-turned-helmer Nash Edgerton.... cleverly plotted... Elaborately mapped events reach a bloody and satisfying climax..."(See all of Richard Kuipers's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 562 words, 06/24/08
Sheri Linden, Hollywood Reporter: GOOD (NOT GREAT) "What's missing is a compelling sexual engine to spark the narrative machine. Ultimately more concerned with plot mechanics than character..."(See all of Sheri Linden's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 663 words, 03/22/10
Michael Ordoña, Los Angeles Times: GOOD (NOT GREAT) "...the angles don't quite meet in the key relationship... [but] as one might expect from stuntman-turned-director Nash Edgerton, the action is well staged."(See all of Michael Ordoña's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 194 words, 04/09/10
Michael T. Dennis, Cinema 24/7: VERY GOOD(cg) "...gripping... approximates classical film noir by directors who were masters of the conventions of their era, using careful exaggeration and manipulation of the medium..."(See all of Michael T. Dennis's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 980 words, 03/07/10
A.O. Scott, New York Times: VERY GOOD "...nasty, gripping... Mr. Edgerton, with crack timing in the editing room and a sure hand on the Steadicam, is a coldblooded professional. His craft is frightening."(See all of A.O. Scott's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 878 words, 04/09/10
17.8 Percentage Points Average Difference Between Reviews (Norm is 18.4pp; <18.4pp = More Consistent; >18.4pp = More Mixed)
The Square's reviews are separated by an average 17.8 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.
The Square (33 reviews) Roll over dots for each review
Coverage:The Square's reviews cover 37.4% of potential readers (average is 67.9%). Volume:The film's reviews total 14,458 words involume (average is 20,194 words). Length:The film's reviews average 438 words in length (the norm is 517 words).
The Square Coverage, Volume & Length (33 Reviews, reviews below)
Reviews Broke 49.3 Hours After Release (Norm is 1.2 Release)
The Square's reviews on average broke 49.3 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 The Square's opening day. Click on any bar for a list of the reviews for that day.
The Square (33 reviews, click on bars for reviews)
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