Yonkers Joe (2008)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:22
Fresh:12
Rotten:10
Average Rating:5.2/10
Consensus: A solid cast adds subtlety to this otherwise schmaltzy and sometimes awkward gambling-flick-cum-family-drama.
Theatrical Release:Jan 9, 2009 Limited
Synopsis: Yonkers Joe is an exciting, high-stakes con film and moving family drama written and directed by Robert Celestino, and starring Academy Award-nominee Chazz Palminteri, Academy Award-winner... [More]
Starring: Chazz Palminteri, Christine Lahti, Tom Guiry, Linus Roache
Director: Robert Celestino
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Reviews for Yonkers Joe
| Tomatometer | Critic | Review | Category |
|---|---|---|---|
 |
Mostly strong, that is, with the major exception of Tom Guiry's portrayal of Joe Jr. Painfully broad, Guiry practically sinks the film with garishly slack-jawed and over-the-top manchildishness. Full Review |
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 B- |
It's far from a natural, but somehow, some way, it makes its point. Full Review |
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C+ |
Celestino's bid to wrap everything up in tidy fashion feels at odds with the grittiness of the film's first two-thirds, but in the end, the movie's glimpse into a seldom-seen slice of life sticks with you. Full Review |
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C+ |
Palminteri helps the film earn very slight passing marks, if only mostly because it's interesting to see these old operators have to adapt their schemes for new times. Full Review |
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A very well-made and well-acted film, with a very touching story about fathers, sons, and the difficulties of raising special needs kids. Full Review |
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The parts of Yonkers Joe that have to do with gambling are fun; unfortunately, they make up only half the movie. Full Review |
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3.5/4 |
The typecast actor breaks out of his comfort zone. Full Review |
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2.5/4 |
As Janice, Christine Lahti is the pivot between father and son. The scenes between Janice and Joe Jr. are sweet, harrowing, movie-altering. Full Review |
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1/4 |
Yonkers Joe is incoherent, succeeding neither as an exciting gambling ride nor a touching family story. Full Review |
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Yonkers Joe is like a so-so trip to Vegas, one where you lose as much as you gain gambling. In other words, it's not the trip you're most likely to tell your friends about. Full Review |
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2/4 |
An extremely awkward cross between Ocean's Eleven and Rain Man. Full Review |
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3/4 |
A nicely photographed, mostly satisfying look at a gang of East Coast sharps and how they part marks from their money. Full Review |
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B- |
[Director] Celestino steers clear of the can't-miss pulp thriller that Yonkers Joe could've been, and goes for broke by giving it big dollop of schmaltz. His horse doesn't come in, but it runs a respectable race. Full Review |
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Heartfelt, well-acted but overly sincere drama of a smalltime hustler and the 20-year-old Down's syndrome son he's barely known. Full Review |
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2.5/5 |
For all its attention to detail, Yonkers Joe isn't half as tough as it pretends to be. The real story of these bottom-feeders and the sad young man they exploit is a lot uglier than the movie even begins to let on. Full Review |
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3/5 |
If you can watch Yonkers Joe without thinking it's a mild Rain Man rip-off, you'll enjoy a film that could have been plagued with plot issues, but rises above it Full Review |
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2/6 |
Whatever atmosphere [director] Celestino milks from the seedy world of late-night poker games and whiskey-soaked mornings after is leached away once Tom Guiry’s pantomime idiot savant shows up. Full Review |
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Lahti burns through a thinly written role with a surprising level of warmth and humanity, and Guiry is at times repellently convincing as a kid genetically incapable of either nuance or fakery. Full Review |
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7/10 |
There's great potential to be a classic Vegas indie drama ala Swingers or The Cooler though it's only 60% its way to getting there. Full Review |
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2/4 |
Yonkers Joe confirms that writer-director Robert Celestin knows his way around a local cash-stakes game of craps. It also proves, unfortunately, that his scripting skills need substantial honing. Full Review |
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November 26, 2008:
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