Genova (2008)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:39
Fresh:30
Rotten:9
Average Rating:6.2/10
Consensus: Michael Winterbottom’s tale of grief and mourning, though frustrating in places, is intelligent filmmaking with superb central performances.
Genre: Dramas
Starring: Hope Davis, Colin Firth, Perla Haney-Jardine, Catherine Keener
Director: Michael Winterbottom
Reviews for Genova
| Tomatometer | Critic | Review | Category |
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 3/5 |
Whether you go with this idea might depend on how many times you've seen it before, in sentimental American films. The fact that the film is more artful doesn't make the ghost of the mother less of a cliche. Full Review |
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 2/5 |
Genova fails to provide the view with much that is satisfying and instead accomplishes only a superficial examination of grief and the way people respond. Full Review |
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3.5/5 |
A beautifully observed, moving, yet unfocused story about a professor (Colin Firth) and his two daughters, dealing with the intensities of feeling after a death in the family. Full Review |
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3.5/5 |
It’s an extremely well-made film, but just a bit too subdued for my taste. Full Review |
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3/5 |
Though he labours the symbolism of the maze, Winterbottom infuses this otherwise subtle observational drama with the verisimilitude that has become his chief style signature. Full Review |
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A brooding drama about grief, which is greatly aided by the performances and its scenic locations. Full Review |
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A delightful sojourn for one indie filmmaker and his cast and crew in a fascinating old Italian town. Full Review |
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4.5/5 |
Mainstream audiences may rue the lack of a dramatic arc or conventional plot, but this beautifully photographed and emotive tale proves to be achingly authentic and heartfelt without resorting to perfunctory flashbacks and soppy musical montages. Full Review |
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I didn't know Michael Winterbottom could make a dull movie until now. Genova, otherwise known perhaps as The Narrow Lanes of Genova, is a strange film which seems to have lost its bearings and its direction somewhere between concept and production Full Review |
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Life affirming and warm, Genova captures a great sense of place as we explore the intricate maze of cobbled streets, the historic buildings with peeling facades and well-worn green shutters, sunny beaches and dense forests Full Review |
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Genova conveys its strongest themes through insinuation, and modulates its shifting moods through Winterbottom's precisely calibrated DV processing. Full Review |
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1/5 |
Winterbottom employs a naturalistic style that, in its self-conscious flatness, becomes an affectation, and the complete, wanton lack of any kind of drama is frustrating. Full Review |
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A tender and touching film. Full Review |
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Spree killer thrillers, experimental rockumentaries, adaptations of unadaptable books and now supernatural dramas - is there anything Michael Winterbottom cannot do? Full Review |
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3/5 |
With a stronger third act and less spiritual flounce this could have been something really special, but as it stands its merely a solid entry in the versatile writer/director's CV that will no doubt be eclipsed by whatever he chooses to do next. Full Review |
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2/5 |
There is a vague sense of unease in the air but this remains a tedious movie in which everything remains unspoken, underdeveloped and annoyingly inconclusive. Full Review |
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3/5 |
Part psychodrama, part Italian travelogue, Michael Winterbottom’s latest is the progeny of an A-list film-maker and B-movie material. Full Review |
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4/5 |
There's a powerful emotional undertone to this film that overcomes its slightly thin structure and give us plenty to chew on, especially if we've experienced some sort of personal tragedy. Full Review |
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3/5 |
A film that’s ambiguous, involving and very intelligent indeed. Full Review |
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3/5 |
After his playful turn in Mamma Mia!, Firth cuts an altogether more sombre figure in this thoughtful study of bereavement. With no shock twist or homicidal dwarf up its sleeve, though, Winterbottom’s film seems a little self-defeating. Full Review |
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