Dear Reader: Update, Movie Review Intelligence will discontinue
publishing this website at the end of May (more...)
Search a Movie:
WHITE IRISH DRINKERSMovie Reviews
Drama set in 1975 about two working-class Brooklyn brothers attempting to escape their confining background, albeit in very different ways. Cast:Nick Thurston, Stephen Lang, Peter Riegert, Karen AllenDirector:John GrayRelease Date:March 25, 2011DVD Release:June 28, 2011From:Screen Media FilmsRating:RLength:1 hr. 49 min.
White Irish Drinkers played in key cities to mixed reviews. • Kyle Smith wrote in the New York Post, "...strongly acted... a far more resonant and convincing portrait of working-class life than the recent awards-bait phoniness that called itself 'The Fighter.' " • And Ty Burr wrote in the Boston Globe, "...the baldest of retreads.... What little kick there is comes from Peter Riegert in the small role of Whitey..." More Reviews Below...
White Irish Drinkers Positive Reviews (21 Reviews, reviews below)
Peter Travers, Rolling Stone: VERY GOOD(cg) "The close, cramped intimacy of this film is so real it stings.... The performances are uniformly terrific, finding the specific details that create a universal truth."(See all of Peter Travers's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 371 words, 03/25/11
we have an app for when you're out and about
get our iPhone app... or get our mobile web app...
Elizabeth Weitzman, New York Daily News: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "Despite the cliches that push every scene forward, there's an unexpected appeal to John Gray's modest drama, emanating from its center."(See all of Elizabeth Weitzman's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 118 words, 03/25/11
Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times: POOR "...offers hopelessly regimented emotional beats and by-the-numbers storytelling... clichés are what make it a drearily predictable bout..."(See all of Robert Abele's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 235 words, 03/25/11
Kyle Smith, New York Post: VERY GOOD(cg) "...strongly acted... a far more resonant and convincing portrait of working-class life than the recent awards-bait phoniness that called itself 'The Fighter.' "(See all of Kyle Smith's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 277 words, 03/25/11
Linda Barnard, Toronto Star: WEAK(cg) "...mediocre... the predictable story just never leaves the station.... too much mean streets obviousness and not enough originality..."(See all of Linda Barnard's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 412 words, 03/25/11
Michael Atkinson, Village Voice/LA Weekly: POOR "...a stubborn throwback to the Sundance-fueled, ethnic-neighborhood movie of the early '90s... obvious, going for 'troot,' but recycling dese-dose-dem clichés..."(See all of Michael Atkinson's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 200 words, 03/23/11
Rick Groen, Toronto Globe & Mail: MODERATE(cg) "Despite some crisp dialogue and a good ensemble cast... it leaves behind only the clichés along with the vivid impression that we've seen this movie before..."(See all of Rick Groen's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 545 words, 03/25/11
Radheyan Simonpillai, Toronto Now: WEAK(cg) "...the sense of authenticity of many autobiographical movies is missing... tries to be clever and funny but ultimately feels earnest and laboured instead."(See all of Radheyan Simonpillai's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 198 words, 03/24/11
KEY CITIES (4 Reviews)
Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star-Tribune: MODERATE(cg) "...conventional working-class family melodrama -- fistfights, flirtation, love and beer -- elevated by Karen Allen and Stephen Lang."(See all of Colin Covert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 158 words, 04/29/11
Ty Burr, Boston Globe: WEAK(cg) "...the baldest of retreads.... What little kick there is comes from Peter Riegert in the small role of Whitey, the shabby owner of the shabbier neighborhood movie theater..."(See all of Ty Burr's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 478 words, 03/25/11
Anthony Venutolo, New Jersey Star-Ledger: MODERATE(cg) "There are a few details that feel genuine... but for the most part, this feels flat and familiar. It is wonderful to see Karen Allen again, though..."(See all of Anthony Venutolo's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 464 words, 03/25/11
Michael Atkinson, Village Voice/LA Weekly: POOR "...a stubborn throwback to the Sundance-fueled, ethnic-neighborhood movie of the early '90s... obvious, going for 'troot,' but recycling dese-dose-dem clichés..."(See all of Michael Atkinson's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 200 words, 03/23/11
Peg Aloi, Boston Phoenix: VERY GOOD(cg) "...a solid indie effort... a gritty, dreamy Everyman story, sure to resonate with viewers who grew up on the wrong side of the tracks."(See all of Peg Aloi's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 152 words, 03/24/11
Elvis Mitchell, Movieline: POOR(cg) "...as full of cheap sentimentality and predictable behavior as a Hell's Kitchen bar would have been in the 1970s.... The inevitability of it all seems almost fetishistic..."(See all of Elvis Mitchell's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 529 words, 03/24/11
Radheyan Simonpillai, Toronto Now: WEAK(cg) "...the sense of authenticity of many autobiographical movies is missing... tries to be clever and funny but ultimately feels earnest and laboured instead."(See all of Radheyan Simonpillai's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 198 words, 03/24/11
Curt Holman, Atlanta Creative Loafing: WEAK(cg) "...the young leads lack the magnetism to make their overly familiar crises compelling.... you wish Gray the director had replaced Gray the screenwriter."(See all of Curt Holman's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 402 words, 04/27/11
HIGHBROW PRESS (3 Reviews)
John Anderson, Wall Street Journal: GOOD (NOT GREAT) "All the moving parts are in place for well-oiled melodrama. What gets in the way of all this formulation is honesty.... it's the older actors who deliver the dramatic gravity."(See all of John Anderson's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 365 words, 03/25/11
Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times: POOR "...offers hopelessly regimented emotional beats and by-the-numbers storytelling... clichés are what make it a drearily predictable bout..."(See all of Robert Abele's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 235 words, 03/25/11
MOVIE INDUSTRY (5 Reviews)
Joe Leydon, Daily Variety: GOOD (NOT GREAT) "...earns few points for originality but rewards attention with persuasive performances, outbursts of robust humor and a vivid yet understated evocation of time and place."(See all of Joe Leydon's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 659 words, 09/18/10
Ray Bennett, Hollywood Reporter: VERY GOOD "...a sparkling piece of entertainment.... John Gray's screenplay is atmospheric, inventive and full of surprises... his direction draws vivid portrayals from his players."(See all of Ray Bennett's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 448 words, 10/15/10
Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times: POOR "...offers hopelessly regimented emotional beats and by-the-numbers storytelling... clichés are what make it a drearily predictable bout..."(See all of Robert Abele's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 235 words, 03/25/11
John Anderson, Wall Street Journal: GOOD (NOT GREAT) "All the moving parts are in place for well-oiled melodrama. What gets in the way of all this formulation is honesty.... it's the older actors who deliver the dramatic gravity."(See all of John Anderson's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 365 words, 03/25/11
19.7 Percentage Points Average Difference Between Reviews (Norm is 18.4pp; <18.4pp = More Consistent; >18.4pp = More Mixed)
White Irish Drinkers's reviews are separated by an average 19.7 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.
White Irish Drinkers (21 reviews) Roll over dots for each review
Coverage:White Irish Drinkers's reviews cover 27.1% of potential readers (average is 67.9%). Volume:The film's reviews total 7,520 words involume (average is 20,172 words). Length:The film's reviews average 358 words in length (the norm is 517 words).
Reviews Broke 5 Days Before Release (Norm is 1.2 Release)
White Irish Drinkers's reviews on average broke 5 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 White Irish Drinkers's opening day. Click on any bar for a list of the reviews for that day.
White Irish Drinkers (21 reviews, click on bars for reviews)
Mobile Web App version 1.2 shows a list of all current movies and review information. You can click through to the cast, director, synopsis, release date and rating on page two, plus individual reviews on page three. The information is updated on a live/real-time basis. You can also search our database of films. Designed for when you're on the move and want the latest info, this app will work on any mobile web browser. From your mobile device -- only from a mobile device -- open our Mobile Web App here...
