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Young Adam

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Young Adam (2004)

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62 %
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Reviews Counted: 113

Fresh: 70

Rotten:43

Average Rating: 6.3/10

Consensus: A grim mood piece with good performances from the leads.

Rated: NC-17 [See Full Rating] for some explicit sexual content

Runtime: 1 hr 37 mins

Genre: Dramas

Theatrical Release:Apr 16, 2004 Limited

Box Office: $668,585

Synopsis: YOUNG ADAM is David McKenzie's adaptation of Scottish Beat writer Alexander Trocchi's cult novel, a romantic murder mystery set on a barge in the canals of Scotland. Lovely photography by Giles... YOUNG ADAM is David McKenzie's adaptation of Scottish Beat writer Alexander Trocchi's cult novel, a romantic murder mystery set on a barge in the canals of Scotland. Lovely photography by Giles Nuttgens, complemented by a lonely score by David Byrne, provides a picturesque backdrop for what is otherwise a seedy story of morality gone far astray and hopelessness taking hold of everyday life, with sex as the only outlet. Ewan McGregor and Tilda Swinton both lend excellent performances to the film, acting out a strained relationship of carnal misgiving that is their mutual respite. Working on a barge that travels to ports between Glasgow and Edinburgh, Joe (McGregor) is a randy ol' chap. He befriends Les (Peter Mullen) as they labor hard days shoveling coal and pass their evenings over pints and darts in the local pubs. But Joe is simply positioning himself to seduce Les' wife, Ella (Swinton), who he easily and frequently beds. A steamy affair with a heavy dose of on-screen coitus eventually leads to trouble for all three. A subplot concerns Joe's past romance with a girl (Emily Mortimer) whose mysterious death is reported in local papers, with flashbacks to raunchy sexual interludes representing his fondest memories of her. This movie screened in October 2003 as part of the 41st New York Film Festival organized by the Film Society of Lincoln Center. [More]

Starring: Ewan McGregor, Tilda Swinton, Peter Mullan, Emily Mortimer

Starring: Ewan McGregor, Tilda Swinton, Peter Mullan, Emily Mortimer, Ewan Stewart, Alan Cooke, Rory McCann, Pauline Turner, Stuart McQuarrie, Therese Bradley, Jack McElhone

Director: David Mackenzie

Director: David Mackenzie
Producer: Jeremy Thomas
Composer: David Byrne
Studio: Sony Pictures Classics

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Release:

Sep 14, 2004

No Details Exist
 
 

Reviews for Young Adam

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1 - 20 (sorted by date)
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nudity is perhaps the only intriguing element in this ponderous and torpid story about Joe (McGregor), a young drifter who takes work on a barge operated by a husband and wife (Peter Mullan and Tilda Swinton) after the mysterious death of his ex-girlfrien

Full Review Source: ColeSmithey.com | comment Comment
05/05/09
Cole Smithey
ColeSmithey.com
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Urban Cinefile | comment Comment
10/18/08
Urban Cinefile Critics
Urban Cinefile

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Empire Magazine | comment Comment
12/30/06
Empire Magazine
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Combustible Celluloid | comment Comment
05/26/06
Jeffrey M. Anderson
Combustible Celluloid
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Time Out | comment Comment
02/09/06
Geoff Andrew
Time Out

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Film Threat | comment Comment
12/06/05
Film Threat
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Houston Chronicle | comment Comment
07/21/05
Houston Chronicle
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Sydney Morning Herald | comment Comment
05/13/05
Sydney Morning Herald
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

... a sepia-toned dirge of a film, pointedly sluggish and crabbed

Full Review Source: Arkansas Democrat-Gazette | comment Comment
01/29/05
Philip Martin
Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Looking Closer | comment Comment
12/27/04
J. Robert Parks
Looking Closer

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: tonymedley.com | comment Comment
10/07/04
Tony Medley
tonymedley.com

I was much impressed with this superbly performed and tightly scripted noirish period drama.

Full Review Source: Ozus' World Movie Reviews | comment Comment
09/16/04
Dennis Schwartz
Ozus' World Movie Reviews

Where it’s disturbing is in McGregor’s challenging, defiant performance...

Full Review Source: Flick Filosopher | comment Comment
09/08/04
MaryAnn Johanson
Flick Filosopher

The story's drab, attention-span-testing pace makes it tough to keep wondering what dark secrets shuffle beneath the surface.

Full Review Source: Arizona Daily Star | comment Comment
07/30/04
Phil Villarreal
Arizona Daily Star

A humorless and dank display of ashcan angst that leaves you wishing theater restrooms had shower facilities.

Full Review Source: Kansas City Star | comment Comment
06/25/04
Robert W. Butler
Kansas City Star

A movie that delights in creating atmosphere at the expense of dialogue, and its effectiveness is testament to the genius of the performances.

Full Review Source: Jam! Movies | comment Comment
06/25/04
Louis B. Hobson
Jam! Movies

Young Adam" is a study in contrasts. It's a movie full of explicit sex scenes and almost no passion, and it's a beautiful-looking film with a very ugly soul at its center.

Full Review Source: Capital Times (Madison, WI) | comment Comment
06/25/04
Rob Thomas
Capital Times (Madison, WI)

An amoral and boring affair, beautifully filmed but empty at its core.

Full Review Source: Des Moines Register | comment Comment
06/25/04
Jeffrey Bruner
Des Moines Register

The movie ladles out its atmosphere of quiet dread admirably, but atmosphere alone seldom makes a film watchable. This one is too sour in its attitude and vague in its ideas.

Full Review Source: EricDSnider.com | comment Comment
06/12/04
Eric D. Snider
EricDSnider.com

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Zertinet Movies | comment Comment
06/12/04
Steven Snyder
Zertinet Movies
 
 
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Latest News for Young Adam

August 27, 2007: RT talks to Hallam Foe helmer David Mackenzie
The Brit director introduces us to his "teen gothic fairytale." More...

August 26, 2007: RT-UK's What to Watch at the Edinburgh Film Festival
Rotten Tomatoes UK heads up north to take in the sights and sounds of the Edinburgh Film Festival. And as the celebration of cinema draws to a close we present what's hot and... More...

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