All Critics (52)
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Top Critics (16)
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Fresh (21)
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Rotten (31)
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DVD (7)
Is Jack, who is patterned on a real-life character, sociopathic or just plain clueless? Gallo doesn't seem to care. He cares about parading before us lowlifes living the high life.
I never got the feeling Gallo and company figured out how to compress and focus their stories.
Mr. Gallo, for his part, is content to decorate a fairly conventional, intermittently entertaining crime chronicle with a bit of skin and a soupçon of pop sociology. There must be other ways to learn about pornography on the Internet.
This very well-acted, often amusing and dirty-minded hard-R film still stands out in a sea of market-driven blandness.
Middle Men is an anxious film, but not in a good way, in that it doesn't generate suspense so much as dread.
Inspired by the reputed experiences of the film's producer, Middle Men casts its protagonist in a suspiciously flattering light... Fortunately Wilson brings enough dark and disreputable shades to the character for the film to work.
Save yourself the trouble of watching it and just check out Goodfellas instead.
Considering the naughty subject matter, Middle Men is a shockingly dull affair.
Sex, Lies And MasterCard. An irreverent, strictly behind the scenes tabloid peep show about those thankfully unsung guys who perpetrated the online porn revolution, without ever taking their clothes off.
It's lively, to be sure, but it never comes to life. (Blu-ray Edition)
...a film that can't make up its mind what it wants to be: a comedy, a melodrama, a crime thriller, or a documentary.
Trust me when I say there is too much story here for a film that runs just over 100 minutes.
If it weren't for James Caan's shyster Las Vegas lawyer, the whole, um, pornucopia would be a complete waste of time. Best to think of this as Middling Men.
What could have been a complex portrait of a flawed man dealing with the perils of success ends up far less interesting.
Sex, Lies And MasterCard. An irreverent, strictly behind the scenes tabloid peep show about those thankfully unsung guys who perpetrated the online porn revolution, without ever taking their clothes off.
Luke Wilson's terrific performance renders an uneasy hybrid of crime drama, comedy and ecommerce far more compelling than it otherwise would be.
Hampered mightily by Luke Wilson's casting, Middle Men has energy and some sleazy fun around its edges, but critically fails to locate a sincere lasting feeling, be it titillation or trepidation.
Pretty much proffers everything you can want in a film based on the upstart company that brought porn to a computer screen near you.
With outstanding performances from a brilliant ensemble cast, Middle Men turns out to be wickedly entertaining with some of the best acting you will see all year.
Far from a classic and won't tug at your heartstrings, but it manages to be captivating from top to bottom with a refreshingly sharp and funny screenplay, a great ensemble cast and a lively soundtrack.
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