The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby: Them

2014

The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby: Them

Critics Consensus

Led by strong performances from Jessica Chastain and James McAvoy, The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby is a hauntingly original rumination on love and loss.

65%

TOMATOMETER

Total Count: 91

52%

Audience Score

User Ratings: 8,417
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Movie Info

With his unique vision, writer/director Ned Benson ambitiously captures a complete picture of a relationship in the beautifully relatable portrait of love, empathy and truth that is THE DISAPPEARANCE OF ELEANOR RIGBY. Once happily married, Conor (McAvoy) and Eleanor (Chastain) suddenly find themselves as strangers longing to understand each other in the wake of tragedy. The film explores the couple's story as they try to reclaim the life and love they once knew and pick up the pieces of a past that may be too far gone. Screened for the first time at the 2014 Cannes Film Festival, Benson's latest version of their story combines his previous two films - titled HIM and HER - uniting their perspectives and taking a further look into the subjectivity of relationships. (C) The Weinstein Co

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Cast

Jessica Chastain
as Eleanor Rigby
James McAvoy
as Conor Ludlow
William Hurt
as Julian Rigby
Isabelle Huppert
as Mary Rigby
Jess Weixler
as Katy Rigby
Bill Hader
as Stuart
Viola Davis
as Prof. Friedman
Ciarán Hinds
as Spencer Ludlow
Nina Arianda
as Alexis
Nikki M. James
as Sia
Jeremy Shamos
as Evangelist
Wyatt Ralff
as Philip
Brendan Donaldson
as Casimir Waiter
Daron P. Stewart
as Guy Walking On Bridge
June Miller
as Elderly Woman
Lawrence Cioppa
as Elderly Man
Julee Cerda
as Nurse
Sasha Eden
as Coffee Truck Barista
Johnathan Fernandez
as Bar Fight Guy
Justine Salata
as Bar Fight Girl
Musto Pelinkovicci
as Ukrainian Cabbie
Rafael Feldman
as Paramedic
Michael King
as Paramedic
Jimmy Palumbo
as Rental Car Attendant
Will Beinbrink
as Gary the Dentist
Ryan Eggold
as Guy from Club
Marta Milans
as Phoebe
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Critic Reviews for The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby: Them

All Critics (91) | Top Critics (33)

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Audience Reviews for The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby: Them

  • May 28, 2015
    Bereft of their child, a man and woman separate after the woman's attempted suicide. I spent an entire day with The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby, so I get the Purple Heart. There are three different versions of the film, Them, Him, and Her, and I watched all three. The conceit is to tell a story from two different perspectives, each comprising its own film, and that's an interesting idea. What is he doing while she's doing that? What's the backstory behind this little anecdote? And if these were interesting and compelling characters, the films may have something worthwhile. But they're not. Conor is all rending, all but gnashing his teeth, and Eleanor is dreamy wandering, but they're forgettable people by and large. William Hurt is wonderful as always. I suspect Hurt's mission in life and art is to make a genuine connection with another human being, and seeing him in action is always an interesting and heart-warming experience. If you decide to journey into this bland story, I encourage you to skip Them altogether because it's Her plus and minus a little bit. You can watch Her and Him in any order, but Them should never have been made. Overall, while there are a couple compelling moments in these films, the characters fail to inspire any real connection with this audience member.
    Jim H Super Reviewer
  • Nov 29, 2014
    A sensitive drama with strong performances but unfortunately a bit longer than it should be, with a lot of unnecessary dialogue (like the final tête-à-tête between father and daughter) and not really able to resist giving in to clichés and becoming a melodrama close to the end.
    Carlos M Super Reviewer
  • Sep 24, 2014
    The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby is a well acted exercise by a talented ensemble. There are some nice vignettes particularly involving Jessica Chastain that effectively amplify her grief. But the picture often descends into melodrama without scratching below the surface. It's extremely slow moving too, a melancholy portrait that wallows in depression. There's not much to hold our attention. Even after two hours, there's still a number of things left unanswered. Given the paper thin narrative on display, it's difficult to comprehend that Them is the distilled union of two other films. The Him tale is 89 minutes. The Her version is 100 minutes. Considering the time it took for us to learn what little we did, I cannot even muster up the desire to endure another 189 minutes of this tale. fastfilmreviews.com
    Mark H Super Reviewer
  • Aug 18, 2014
    Ned Benson's Outstanding Feature Film debut is a one of a kind romantic drama that certainly hits all the high notes as part of American Independent cinema. The film focuses on both sides of a relationship; after a tragic event triggers a brief separation; We then see how this plays out among Eleanor and Conor's personal lives. Beautifully written, there's a great sense of raw emotions that brings out a very natural sense of society within its urban american setting. While the supporting characters play their roles exceptionally the film purely belongs the Outstanding leads Chastain and McAvoy bring out some really touching and sensual character development to their performances. Highly Recommended!!! I'm certain this will be a theatrical hit.
    Luke E Super Reviewer
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