RottenTomatoes.com
Log In | Register | What is RT?
Check out the new RT Community
  • Home
  • Movies
  • DVD
  • Celebrities
  • News
  • Critics
  • Trailers & Pictures
  • CommunityBeta
  • Box Office
  • | In Theaters
  • | Opening
  • | Upcoming
  • | Best Of
  • | Certified Fresh
  • | Showtimes
RT Search Powered by Google
help icon Enhanced RT
searches on Google
Click here to turn on enhanced search results from RT on your Google searches.
 
Movies / On DVD / Mister Foe
Mister Foe

Rate this Movie Help Icon

  • Write a Review
  • Read Reviews
  • Add to List
  • Get this Movie
  • Buy Poster External Icon
  • Bookmark and Share

Mister Foe (2008)

  • T-Meter Critics
  • Top Critics
  • RT Community
  • My Critics
  • My Friends
  • DVD
72 %
Tomatometer

How does the Tomatometer work Help Icon

Reviews Counted: 60

Fresh: 43

Rotten:17

Average Rating: 6.5/10

Consensus: Carefully balanced between the dark and the dreamy, Mister Foe is a charged coming-of-age story with whimsy and bite.

Rated: R [See Full Rating] for strong sexual content and language.

Runtime: 1 hr 36 mins

Genre: Dramas

Theatrical Release:Sep 5, 2008 Limited

Synopsis: MISTER FOE is director David MacKenzie's offbeat film adaptation of Peter Jinks's coming-of-age story centered on the unlikely protagonist of Hallam Foe, excellently portrayed by Jamie Bell (BILLY... MISTER FOE is director David MacKenzie's offbeat film adaptation of Peter Jinks's coming-of-age story centered on the unlikely protagonist of Hallam Foe, excellently portrayed by Jamie Bell (BILLY ELLIOT). A troubled young man beset with voyeuristic tendencies and a strong Oedipal longing for his dead mother, Hallam is a sensitive and volatile teenager who has taken to spying on his stepmother, Verity (Claire Forlani), who he suspects is responsible for his mother's death by drowning two years earlier. When a charged psychosexual confrontation with Verity stokes the fires of his unresolved grief, Hallam flees his father's country estate for the picturesque Scottish capital of Edinburgh. There, he sets his sights on Kate (Sophia Myles), an attractive hotel manager who happens to bear a striking resemblance to his late mother. Soon, through a bit of charm and more than a little stalking, Hallam scores a menial job under Kate's employ; romantically--or creepily, depending on your viewpoint--Hallam pines for Kate from a distance, observing her daily activities (kickboxing, grooming, sex), through binoculars. Hallam's adolescent fantasies soon blossom into an unlikely romance when, during an after-work function, Kate revealingly declares, "I like creepy guys." While MISTER FOE tackles some rather unsettling psychological territory, David MacKenzie infuses the film with enough light, comic touches and a playful atmosphere of magic realism to prevent it from edging toward dolorous melodrama. Rounding out this very likeable indie feature are a delightful animated title sequence by artist David Shirgley, and a spirited soundtrack from Domino Records, featuring a bevy of Scottish rockers such as Franz Ferdinand and Orange Juice. [More]

Starring: Jamie Bell, Ciaran Hinds, Sophia Myles, Jamie Sives

Starring: Jamie Bell, Ciaran Hinds, Sophia Myles, Jamie Sives, Maurice Roeves, Ewen Bremner, Claire Forlani

Director: David Mackenzie

Director: David Mackenzie
Screenwriter: David Mackenzie, Ed Whitmore
Producer: Gillian Berrie

[See More Credits]

  • Trailers
  • Pictures
  • Trailer
    >
1 of 1

See More Movie Trailers & Pictures

Get This Movie

Rent DVD
 
 

Click on the "ADD" button to put this movie into your Netflix queue.

 
 
Buy DVD
 
 
Release:

Nov 11, 2008

[DVD Details]
 
 
  • Jamie Bell is Hallam Foe, a troubled young man whose knack for voyeurism paradoxically reveals his darkest fears, and his most peculiar desires. Driven to expose the true cause of his mother's death, he instead finds himself searching the rooftops of the city of Edinburgh for love.
  • Source: Magnolia Home Entertainment
  •  
     
     
     

    Reviews for Mister Foe

    • T-Meter Critics
    • Top Critics
    • RT Community
    • My Critics
    • My Friends
    • DVD
     
     
    1 - 20 (sorted by date)
    Text View | 1 2 3 >> >|
    Arrange By: Fresh | Rotten | Comments | Name | Source | Date
     
     

    it's ultimately impossible to rise above the overly melodramatic script. The world doesn't really need another wicked stepmother, after all.

    Full Review Source: Filmcritic.com | comment Comment
    10/28/08
    Don Willmott
    Filmcritic.com

    Grumpy Glaswegians going at it are once again the focus of David ("Young Adam") Mackenzie's bleak and dreary -- but not wholly uninteresting -- drama.

    Full Review Source: rec.arts.movies.reviews | comment Comment
    10/23/08
    David N. Butterworth
    rec.arts.movies.reviews

    Another successful and intriguing entry in Mackenzie's growing oeuvre.

    Full Review Source: Reel.com | comment Comment
    10/18/08
    Bonnie Fazio
    Reel.com

    Bell was a decent kid actor and a terrific dancer in Billy Elliot, but he's grown into a really first-rate actor.

    Full Review Source: San Francisco Chronicle | comment Comment
    10/18/08
    David Wiegand
    San Francisco Chronicle
    Top Critic Icon Top Critic

    [A] prettily photographed but relationally science-fictional coming-of-age blather.

    Full Review Source: Chicago Tribune | comment Comment
    10/18/08
    Michael Phillips
    Chicago Tribune
    Top Critic Icon Top Critic

    It's a coming of age you can believe in.

    Full Review Source: Washington Post | comment Comment
    10/09/08
    Michael O'Sullivan
    Washington Post
    Top Critic Icon Top Critic

    The final installment of Mackenzie's 'sex trilogy' is so strenuously edgy it's tiresome.

    Full Review Source: Washington City Paper | comment Comment
    10/09/08
    Tricia Olszewski
    Washington City Paper

    This Scottish film often pushes for realism, though its stylish tones fall back on whimsy.

    Full Review Source: Film Threat | comment Comment
    09/26/08
    Matthew Sorrento
    Film Threat

    While the film playfully telegraphs its inspirations, Mister Foe never persuasively comes together as a dark fable about an adolescent misfit stuck in loss.

    Full Review Source: Seattle Times | comment Comment
    09/19/08
    Tom Keogh
    Seattle Times

    [Director David] Mackenzie has reined in the strangeness to deliver a conventional, if better than average, mystery.

    Full Review Source: Seattle Post-Intelligencer | comment Comment
    09/18/08
    Bill White
    Seattle Post-Intelligencer

    By the end of "Hallam Foe," you've nearly forgotten his all-too-regular boy development. Now you're wondering, what's Kate doing when he's not looking?

    Full Review Source: PopMatters | comment Comment
    09/12/08
    Cynthia Fuchs
    PopMatters

    Didn't I review this coming-of-age picture back in the spring when it was called Charlie Bartlett?

    Full Review Source: Combustible Celluloid | comment Comment
    09/11/08
    Jeffrey M. Anderson
    Combustible Celluloid

    Jamie Bell in his most memorable outing since Billy Elliot, as a Peeping Tom acting upon Oedipal urges in a dysfunctional family drama from Scotland.

    Full Review Source: EURWeb | comment Comment
    09/06/08
    Kam Williams
    EURWeb

    A worthy addition to Holden Caulfield's coming-of-age subgenre of off-kilter teenage boys let loose in big cities. Bell and Myles give terrific performances.

    Full Review Source: The Cinema Source | comment Comment
    09/05/08
    Michael Dance
    The Cinema Source

    Although it's nice to see Mackenzie find uplift in the erotic, what helps drive Mister Foe is how deftly he turns chasm into intimacy between Bell and Myles, both of whom give sharply observed, charismatic portrayals.

    Full Review Source: Los Angeles Times | comment Comment
    09/05/08
    Robert Abele
    Los Angeles Times
    Top Critic Icon Top Critic

    Jamie Bell gives a watchable performance in this self-conscious, coming-of-age drama, though the film's overall effect is best described as David Lynch lite.

    Full Review Source: New York Daily News | comment Comment
    09/05/08
    Joe Neumaier
    New York Daily News
    Top Critic Icon Top Critic

    Jamie Bell has his best role since Billy Elliot in Mister Foe, a darkly comic tale of a twisted teen on the cusp of adulthood.

    Full Review Source: New York Post | comment Comment
    09/05/08
    Lou Lumenick
    New York Post
    Top Critic Icon Top Critic

    Director David Mackenzie's complex story is never sure exactly what tone to strike.

    Full Review Source: Oregonian | comment Comment
    09/05/08
    Grant Butler
    Oregonian

    You find yourself wishing that what happened in Edinburgh stayed in Edinburgh.

    Full Review Source: USA Today | comment Comment
    09/05/08
    Claudia Puig
    USA Today
    Top Critic Icon Top Critic

    [The film's] intellectualized sexuality stirs neither the head nor the nether regions.

    Full Review Source: Cinematical | comment Comment
    09/05/08
    Nick Schager
    Cinematical
     
     
    1 - 20 (sorted by date)
    Text View | 1 2 3 >> >|
    all

    Latest News for Mister Foe

    January 08, 2009: RT Interview: Jamie Bell talks Defiance and Dance
    Jamie Bell tap-danced his way into the national consciousness with his breakthrough performance in Billy Elliot nine years ago. Since then he has worked with heavyweight screen... More...

    November 02, 2008: Baret DVD News: A movie about a Scottish Peeping Tom who is sufficiently demented to give even Peeping Toms a bad name, it seems to be a lot less about fetish and voyeurism, than warped emotional espionage as pathological mommy love. Opens in new window
    More...

    September 08, 2008: Teen Peeping Tom acts upon oedipal urges in dysfunctional family drama from Scotland. Opens in new window
    More...

    September 03, 2008: A movie about a Scottish Peeping Tom who is sufficiently demented to give even Peeping Toms a bad name, it seems to be a lot less about fetish and voyeurism, than warped emotional espionage as pathological mommy love. Opens in new window
    More...

    See More Topics...

    Related Forums for Mister Foe

    Click here to be the first to post a message on this forum.

    See All

    More DVDs

    Close
    Top Rentals
    Tomatometer Percentage Movie
    —
    The Code
    23%
    23%
    Confessions of a Shopa…
    39%
    39%
    Inkheart
    80%
    80%
    Gran Torino
    28%
    28%
    Tyler Perry's Madea Go…

    More Rentals…

    New On DVD This Week
    Tomatometer Percentage Movie
    84%
    84%
    Two Lovers
    28%
    28%
    12 Rounds
    04%
    04%
    Street Fighter: The Le…
    23%
    23%
    Jonas Brothers - The C…

    More New Releases…

    RT On Current TV

    What’s Hot On RT

    Exclusive Concept Art

    Exclusive Concept Art

    Images from Blood: The Last Vampire and more

    50 States, 50 Movies

    50 States, 50 Movies

    This July 4th, take a cinematic road trip!

    Johnny Depp's Best Movies

    Johnny Depp's Best...

    The finest work from Public Enemies' star.

    Fred Durst's Faves

    Fred Durst's Faves

    The singer/director talks movies and more.

    Other News

    Close
    • Top Stories
    • Popular
    • Interviews
     
     

    Comments

     
     
    Top Stories
    Headlines Comments
      
    • Weekly Ketchup: Universal Takes on Asteroids
    60
    • Brandon Routh Talks Superman's Future Source: Moviehole
    67
    • Sony's Amy Pascal Explains Moneyball Balk Source: Los Angeles Times
    6
    • Three Theaters Getting Harry Potter in IMAX Opening Day Source: Collider.com
    18
    • Weekly Ketchup: Adam Sandler joins The Zookeeper, David Fincher joins Facebook
    72
    • Zak Penn Talks The Avengers Source: Sci Fi Wire
    20
    • Watchmen Director's Cut Headed to Theaters Source: Collider.com
    32
    • Lorenzo di Bonaventura Talks G.I. Joe, Beverly Hills Cop 4, More Source: Collider.com
    14
    • (Teaser) Trailer Bulletin: The Last Airbender Source: MTV
    61
    • Johnny Depp Talks Alice, Pirates 4, Dark Shadows Source: Collider.com
    12
    Popular
    Headlines Comments
      
    • Box Office Guru Wrapup: Transformers 2 Generates Explosive Box Office
    168
    • Critics Consensus: Solid Public Enemies Doesn't Quite Bring The Noise
    104
    • Five Favorite Films with Fred Durst
    86
    • Total Recall: Johnny Depp's Best Movies
    83
    • RoboGeisha: 2009's Most Insane Trailer?
    77
    • RT on DVD: Street Fighter, Transmorphers 2, and Uwe Boll's Tunnel Rats!
    36
    • Weekly Ketchup: Universal Takes on Asteroids
    30
    • Academy Invites Tyler Perry, Michael Cera, Seth Rogen to Join Oscar Ranks
    28
    • Box Office Guru Preview: Dinosaurs and Gangsters Spark Fireworks
    23
    • Karl Malden: 1912-2009
    17
    Interviews
    Headlines Comments
      
    • RT Interview: Director Carlos Cuaron on Rudo and Cursi
    0
    • RT Interview: Tony Scott on The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3
    10
    • Cannes 2009: RT Interview - Sally Hawkins on We Want Sex
    2
    • RT Interview: Tilda Swinton on Julia
    5
    • Hollywood Legend Debbie Reynolds Reflects On her Life in Showbiz
    10
    • Exclusive: McG Talks Terminator Salvation
    24
    • Georgia Groome - Fresh Talent on RT
    5
    • RT Interview: Reading The Reader with Stephen Daldry
    11
    • RT Interview: Oscar Nominee Melissa Leo
    7
    • Carey Mulligan - Fresh Talent on RT
    7
     
     

    Sponsored Links

    Around The Network

    • Mister Foe at Rotten Tomatoes
    • Mister Foe at IGN

    Fresh Links

    Featured
    Appreciating Michael Jackson
    Appreciating Michael Jackson External Link

    TIME music critic Josh Tyrangiel remembers - and appreciates - the high peak of Michael Jackson's career in the early '80s.

    10 Best Picture Noms?
    10 Best Picture Noms? External Link

    With the Best Picture Oscar noms now 10 deep, BuzzSugar looks at 10 films that should have made the cut.

    Successful Sci-Fi Sequels
    Successful Sci-Fi Sequels External Link

    Sequels never used to be as good as the original, but now they can be even better. Can Transformers 2 follow suit?

    Films That Time Forgot
    Films That Time Forgot External Link

    The AV Club's Zack Handlen explores why Snowbeast has been dismissed and forgotten.

     
     
    About| Site Map| Help| RT To Go| Contact Us| Critics Submission| Linking to RT| Licensing| Movie List| Games| Celebs List| Newsletter
    IGN Logo

    IGN.com | GameSpy | Comrade | Arena | FilePlanet | GameSpy Technology
    TeamXbox | Planets | Vaults | VE3D | CheatsCodesGuides | GameStats | GamerMetrics
    AskMen.com | Rotten Tomatoes | Direct2Drive | Green Pixels


    By continuing past this page, and by the continued use of this site, you agree to be bound by and abide by the User Agreement.
    Copyright 1998-2009, IGN Entertainment, Inc. About IGN | Support | Advertise | Privacy Policy | User Agreement | Subscribe to RT's XML feed! IGN RSS Feeds
    IGN's enterprise databases running Oracle, SQL and MySQL are professionally monitored and managed by Pythian Remote DBA
    Certain product data ©1995-present Muze, Inc. For personal use only. All rights reserved.