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Movies / On DVD / The Merry Gentleman
The Merry Gentleman

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The Merry Gentleman (2009)

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Reviews Counted:69

Fresh:44

Rotten:25

Average Rating:5.8/10

Consensus: Michael Keaton's directorial debut, The Merry Gentleman, is a slow character study aided greatly by the performances of Keaton and Kelly MacDonald.

Rated: R [See Full Rating] for language and some violence.

Runtime: 1 hr 50 mins

Genre: Dramas

Theatrical Release:May 1, 2009 Limited

Box Office: $291,677

Synopsis: A delicacy of tone transforms Michael Keaton's The Merry Gentleman from what might have been a pedestrian tale into a beautifully romantic fable. Directed, photographed, and performed with a... A delicacy of tone transforms Michael Keaton's The Merry Gentleman from what might have been a pedestrian tale into a beautifully romantic fable. Directed, photographed, and performed with a precision and style that mark a distinctive directorial debut, the film begins with a woman who leaves an abusive relationship to begin a new life in a new city, where she forms an unlikely and ironic relationship with a suicidal hit man (unbeknownst to her). Enter a worn, alcoholic detective to form the third party in a very unusual triangle, and this dark, soulful, sometimes-funny story begins to unfold. Walking a line between the conventional and the idiosyncratic, Keaton creates a highly original yarn that has a quiet, sometimes-even-meditative quality, and frames a more-straightforward story about a woman's accidental involvement in a murder investigation. Wonderfully composed and enacted, The Merry Gentleman features Keaton in the lead role opposite a gifted leading lady, Kelly Macdonald, who is at once enigmatic and iconographic in her portrayal of a woman trying to find her way in a cold world. The cop, played by Tom Bastounes, is a disheveled embodiment of male cluelessness and relentless pursuit. Together they are lonely figures in an urban landscape, one that exemplifies the isolation and need for personal relationships that we all carry with us. -- © Sundance Film Festival [More]

Starring: Michael Keaton, Kelly MacDonald, Tom Bastounes, Bobby Cannavale

Starring: Michael Keaton, Kelly MacDonald, Tom Bastounes, Bobby Cannavale, Guy VanSwearingen

Director: Michael Keaton

Director: Michael Keaton
Screenwriter: Ron Lazzeretti
Producer: Tom Bastounes, Ron Lazzeretti, Steven A. Jones
Composer: Edward Shearmur
Studio: Samuel Goldwyn Films

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Release:

Nov 10, 2009

[DVD Details]
 
 

DVD Features:

  • Region 1
  • Widescreen

Audio:

  • Dolby Digital 5.1 - English
 
 
 
 

Reviews for The Merry Gentleman

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1 - 20 (sorted by date)
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The subdued relationship that develops between the two characters is out of balance with the fanciful contrivances that bring them together.

Full Review Source: Sunday Times (UK) | comment Comment
12/11/09
Edward Porter
Edward Porter
Sunday Times (UK)

There are undercurrents of a Catholic kind about grace and redemption.

Full Review Source: Observer [UK] | comment Comment
12/11/09
Philip French
Philip French
Observer [UK]

Despite memorable scenes, the narrative’s aim is never clear: is this a crime drama, dark comedy or a May-December romance?

Full Review Source: Empire Magazine | comment Comment
12/04/09
Angie Errigo
Angie Errigo
Empire Magazine

A flawed but decidedly promising first movie.

Full Review Source: Time Out | comment Comment
12/04/09
Tom Huddlestone
Tom Huddlestone
Time Out

The film never quite convinces as anything other than a puff-piece for Keaton, but it is bolstered by another deeply empathetic turn from Macdonald.

Full Review Source: Times [UK] | comment Comment
12/04/09
Kevin Maher
Kevin Maher
Times [UK]

[Michael Keaton is] the pained and taciturn star of a pained and taciturn drama.

Full Review Source: Guardian [UK] | comment Comment
12/04/09
Xan Brooks
Xan Brooks
Guardian [UK]

In a word: awful.

Full Review Source: Daily Telegraph | comment Comment
12/04/09
Tim Robey
Tim Robey
Daily Telegraph

Keaton the director wisely draws a leaf from Clint Eastwood’s book. Keeping the framing neat, his style is the kind of unobtrusive classical filmmaking that is a dying breed in contemporary Hollywood.

Full Review Source: Little White Lies | comment Comment
12/04/09
Josh Winning
Josh Winning
Little White Lies

The only merriment that The Merry Gentleman delivers is through Michael Keaton's masterful direction and the performances of the two leads. It’s perfectly watchable, but the story lacks the content and incident to deliver an emotional punch.

Full Review Source: Digital Spy | comment Comment
12/04/09
Ben Rawson-Jones
Ben Rawson-Jones
Digital Spy

Part tastefully muted, part plain morose, Keaton’s direction styles this as a character study of hearts in winter. But it doesn’t wash.

Full Review Source: Total Film | comment Comment
12/04/09
Kevin Harley
Kevin Harley
Total Film

We are never quite sure whether this is a thriller or a dark romance, but Keaton conjures up some excellent scenes and allows Macdonald the chance to shine.

Full Review Source: This is London | comment Comment
12/04/09
Derek Malcolm
Derek Malcolm
This is London

MacDonald's perky performance is a distinct plus, especially because Keaton's character is so enigmatic he's unfathomable, while the movie's lack of pace is only partly offset by some very subtle camerawork.

Full Review Source: Radio Times | comment Comment
12/04/09
David Aldridge
David Aldridge
Radio Times

Keaton is good, McDonald with her spooky equanimity and still-waters profundity even better. Sartre’s Huis Clos? Forget that. This is hell, as moodily atmospheric as low-budget screen infernos get.

Full Review Source: Financial Times | comment Comment
12/04/09
Nigel Andrews
Nigel Andrews
Financial Times

Michael Keaton's directorial debut is a low-key character study which just about survives its odd shifts of tone.

Full Review Source: Independent | comment Comment
12/04/09
Anthony Quinn
Anthony Quinn
Independent

Notable for its calm composure, unfussy style and some fine performances.

Full Review Source: Daily Express | comment Comment
12/04/09
Allan Hunter
Allan Hunter
Daily Express

Moody and thoughtful, this quiet character study is extremely beautiful to look at and features some superbly understated performances.

Full Review Source: Shadows on the Wall | comment Comment
12/04/09
Rich Cline
Rich Cline
Shadows on the Wall

Keaton's directorial style is as muted as his uncharacteristically subdued performance, but it remains strangely compelling.

Full Review Source: Scotsman | comment Comment
12/04/09
Alistair Harkness
Alistair Harkness
Scotsman

Michael Keaton's directorial debut is a beautifully shot, low-key relationship drama with an engaging central performance from Kelly Macdonald.

Full Review Source: ViewLondon | comment Comment
12/03/09
Matthew Turner
Matthew Turner
ViewLondon

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Filmcritic.com | comment Comment
11/12/09
Jason McKiernan
Jason McKiernan
Filmcritic.com

It's a confused muddle, and as a result, the film never really finds its footing -- and it never seems to have any narrative momentum.

Full Review Source: Deseret News, Salt Lake City | comment Comment
08/21/09
Jeff Vice
Jeff Vice
Deseret News, Salt Lake City
 
 
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