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Bobby G. Can't Swim (1999)

tomatometer

80

Average Rating: 6.2/10
Critic Reviews: 5
Fresh: 4 | Rotten: 1

No consensus yet.

audience

56

liked it
Average Rating: 3.6/5
User Ratings: 192

My Rating

Movie Info

John-Luke Montias makes a triple-threat debut as writer, director and star of the tense urban drama Bobby G. Can't Swim. Bobby Grace (John-Luke Montias) is a small-time drug dealer who is just trying to keep himself above water, selling cocaine to a collection of losers and ne'er-do-wells in New York's Hell's Kitchen. Despite the pathetic circumstances of his life, Bobby and his pals -- girlfriend Lucy (Susan Mitchell), who makes her living as a hooker; Popeet (Norman Middleton), a blind man who

R, 1 hr. 29 min.

Drama

Oct 4, 2005

Cast

All Critics (11) | Top Critics (6) | Fresh (7) | Rotten (3) | DVD (1)

Decidedly a minor item that's been on the shelf for a while but is nonetheless an effective calling card for its writer-director- star.

November 13, 2003 Full Review Source: Los Angeles Times | Comment
Los Angeles Times
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An impressive if flawed effort that indicates real talent.

June 25, 2002 Comment
Hollywood Reporter
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Montias ... pumps a lot of energy into his nicely nuanced narrative and surrounds himself with a cast of quirky -- but not stereotyped -- street characters.

June 21, 2002 Comment
New York Post
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Unfortunately, as a writer, Mr. Montias isn't nearly as good to his crew as he is as a director or actor.

June 21, 2002 Full Review Source: New York Times | Comment
New York Times
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The minor figures surrounding [Bobby] ... form a gritty urban mosaic.

June 19, 2002 Full Review Source: Village Voice | Comment
Village Voice
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The movie rarely overcomes its terminal Scorsese- and Ferrara-isms, or fulfills the promise, evident in the film's early passages, that Montias might be a fine observer of local color with his own unique stories to tell.

November 13, 2003 Full Review Source: L.A. Weekly | Comment
L.A. Weekly

It's an awfully derivative story.

June 21, 2002 Full Review Source: TV Guide's Movie Guide | Comment
TV Guide's Movie Guide

A boisterous, exhilarating ride worth paying for.

June 5, 2002 Full Review Source: Filmcritic.com | Comment
Filmcritic.com

The kind of movie that comes along only occasionally, one so unconventional, gutsy and perfectly executed it takes your breath away.

June 5, 2002 Comment
Orlando Weekly
More Critic Reviews

Audience Reviews for Bobby G. Can't Swim

Light movie to watch when bored. Almost like a Telivision show.

April 29, 2010
UglyCasanova
Ugly Casanova

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