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Down to the Bone (2004)
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Reviews Counted:30
Fresh:28
Rotten:2
Average Rating:7.6/10
Consensus: A vivid portrayal of the effects of drug abuse that avoids cinematic clichés, Down to the Bone is a winning effort by first-time director Debra Granik and features a breakout performance by Vera Farmiga.
Theatrical Release:Nov 25, 2005 Limited
Synopsis: Last year's Sundance Film Festival honored DOWN TO THE BONE with two high-profile, prestigious and extremely competitive awards: Best Director and A Special Jury Prize for acting. A stellar entry... [More]
Starring: Vera Farmiga, Hugh Dillon, Clint Jordan, Caridad De La Luz
Director: Debra Granik
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Reviews for Down to the Bone
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 B |
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3/4 |
The movie seems to be about drug addiction and recovery, but it gradually shifts, becoming a look from an unusual angle at what a big job it is to be a parent and the priorities it requires. Full Review |
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3/4 |
This downbeat story of blue-collar drug abuse becomes a moving portrait of people battling their inner demons, thanks to an outstanding acting ensemble. Full Review |
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3.5/4 |
Farmiga effectively shows the fear, need and hope at war within Irene, how the false high of being clean for a week can fade when she realizes the second week isn't going to be any easier. Full Review |
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3.5/5 |
Strong performances from Vera Farmiga and Hugh Dillon keep things from becoming overdramatic. Full Review |
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3/4 |
If there were an ounce of taste left in Hollywood, the magnificent Vera Farmiga would be a front-runner for the Best Actress Oscar. Full Review |
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4/4 |
The film is so pitch perfect and realistic, it seems you are there with these people, watching their lives unfold before you as it happens. Full Review |
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if you've ever wondered why people in 12-step programs aren't supposed to sleep together right off the bat, well, this movie is about to show you, in detail. Full Review |
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3/5 |
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4/5 |
Complex and full of paradoxes, the drug addicts go through rehab and yearn for redemption, but their experiences are not tidy and there's no sweeping resolution or neat conclusion. Full Review |
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A- |
This marks [Farmiga's] arrival as One to Watch. See her here, and you can say you remember the early days. Full Review |
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A |
Down to the Bone achieves what only the best independent films have: making life, at its most unvarnished, a journey. Full Review |
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3/4 |
Conventional movies, even independent ones, tend to get histrionic and judgmental about such drug-related setbacks. But Granik's film, though hardly a clinical case study, keeps a measured distance from the heavy-handed or simplistic. Full Review |
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3/4 |
... a harrowing character study. Full Review |
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4/5 |
[A] small, beautifully faceted gem.
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2.5/4 |
... a stark, realistic portrait of a working-class mother in New York's depressed Ulster County as she tries to battle a drug habit. Full Review |
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3/5 |
Down to the Bone emerges with an aura of authenticity so strong as to be mesmerizing, thanks to a superior script brought to life with infallibly natural performances ... Full Review |
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4/5 |
Debra Granik's independent drama "Down to the Bone" builds with a strong, quiet intensity. Full Review |
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