All Is Bright (2013)
Average Rating: 5.4/10
Reviews Counted: 26
Fresh: 11 | Rotten: 15
No consensus yet.
Average Rating: 5.3/10
Critic Reviews: 10
Fresh: 5 | Rotten: 5
No consensus yet.
liked it
Average Rating: 2.7/5
User Ratings: 181
Movie Info
French-Canadian ex-con Dennis (Paul Giamatti) schemes to buy his estranged daughter a new piano by selling Christmas trees on the streets of New York City with handsome lothario Rene (Paul Rudd), whose latest conquest was Dennis' wife. Sally Hawkins co-stars. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
Oct 4, 2013 Limited
Nov 18, 2013
$4.1k
Anchor Bay Films
Watch It Now
Cast
-
Paul Rudd
Rene -
Paul Giamatti
Dennis -
Sally Hawkins
Olga -
Amy Landecker
Therese -
Curtiss Cook
Kevin -
Peter Hermann
Monsieur Tremblay -
-
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All Is Bright Trailer & Photos
All Critics (26) | Top Critics (10) | Fresh (11) | Rotten (15)
The film has an accomplished mood of cantankerous despair, but it's still little more than downbeat fluff.
Top CriticWorth enduring only for a rare lead performance by Paul Giamatti, whose expert delineation of rage and frustration lends form to Morrison's otherwise shapeless script.
"All Is Bright" isn't - and was never meant to be - a major cinematic gift to audiences. But as a little stocking stuffer, and nostalgic recollection of how movies used to be, it often has its own small and quite welcome delights.
In its own strange way, "All Is Bright" pulls you in even as it frustrates.
With its affection for downscale characters who dart in and out of the men's lives, "All Is Bright" has an openheartedness reminiscent of a Preston Sturges film.
[Its] flaws pretty much disappear against the powerful and pervasive mood of working-class sadness, and the sense that the holiday season for grown-ups is almost always about loss and sacrifice.
For people who like their Christmas movies set under slate-grey skies.
It's certainly missing some holiday cheer.
I wish I could give four stars to Giamatti's big, sad eyes and outrageous Civil War beard.
Oddly touching Christmas tale about ex-con, jilted love.
The story is low-key and quiet, performed by big-time actors acting for the sake of their craft, not a major paycheck or a higher profile.
All Is Bright proves that two Pauls are better than one, as Giamatti and Rudd turn a holiday story with little cheer into a buddy dramedy with an entertaining Canadian twist.
This strangely dark comedy is a wistful, joyless, forgettable interlude.
It's difficult to be a Grinch about such a harmless endeavor, yet without a pulse, the movie can't offer a beating heart.
Giamatti merely offers another variation on the irascible persona he's been cultivating since Sideways, while Rudd is ultimately defeated by his character's shapelessness.
Has it's moments, and Giamatti & Rudd are always worth watching. Overall though, it's uneven and draggy.
A small but thoroughly engaging dramatic comedy...Paul Giamatti is one of our great screen actors, a poet of frustration and regret with a wide range.
Audience Reviews for All Is Bright
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There's actually very little that's "bright" about this film (formally called Almost Christmas), often featuring a damp mood, surrounded by complete and utter uncertainty. There might be a major dose of realism in this flick - since it depicts the consequences of a man's life after doing hard time in jail, but that's not the typical mood the average Christmas movie lover wants during the holidays. Ultimately, this seasonal film suffers from a massive lack of direction and more often than not struggles to find a driving point. This isn't a story about redemption or righting past misdoings, it's strictly about one man's struggle to cope with the outcome of his previous choices in life. There are no ghosts of Christmas past, present, or future, in this particular story. The damage has been done, and it's basically a doomsday scenario for Paul Giamotti's character, Dennis - forced to wonder about and wallow in his current predicament of no job, no family, and an untrustworthy friend.
One of the few reasons I've even bothered to give this film any attention is solely based on my appreciation for the contributions of Paul Giamatti and Paul Rudd to the film industry. There's not much you can possibly say about the previous and impressive roles of Paul Giamatti that hasn't been said already. He is an actor that will never give a poor performance, regardless of the writing or storytelling. Without a doubt, Giamatti belongs in the conversation of elite Hollywood actors and is by far and away one of the most talented individuals in the business. His co-star, Paul Rudd, is a different story - and that shouldn't be taken in a negative context. It just so happens he has taken a different career path than Giamatti, often taking the role of the "stoner" or degenerate. Surprisingly, Paul Rudd shines in this film, also displaying his own impressive charismatic qualities. He provides brief moments of comedy, and mainly thrives in this mostly serious role as Giamatti's "partner in crime."
Overall, there's not a whole lot of quality being offered by All is Bright. It can be considered a theme-driven film, depicting characters that refuse to give in to the poor "hands" of life that they've been dealt. Sadly, there are very few points during this film at feature memorable exchanges or scenes that stick out more than others. This is a slow-progressing film with a predictable climax and uneventful conclusion. Paul Giamatti and Paul Rudd both do their best to maintain viewing interest, but even their chemistry struggles due to uninteresting writing and lackluster direction. The tell-tale sign that this film lags from beginning to end is the fact that it's a straight-to-video production, not to mention it's a holiday film that wasn't even delegated for a holiday-timed release. Unless you're like me and enjoy the presence of Giamatti and Rudd, you should come to a quick conclusion that this film will serve no other purpose other than to bore you into submission. Feel free to pass on this flick and seek your holiday amusement in some other fashion.
GRADE: D+