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Al Franken: God Spoke
Balcony Releasing

Al Franken: God Spoke reviews
Critic Score
Metascore: 49 Metascore out of 100
User Score  
6.0 out of 10
based on 22 reviews
Read critic reviews
How did we calculate this?
based on 6 votes
Read user comments
Rate this movie

MPAA RATING: Not Rated

Starring Al Franken, Ann Coulter, Sean Hannity, and Michael Medved

This documentary takes a hilarious look behind the front lines of the media wars during the most contentious election in recent history. But ultimately, the film is a personal drama of transformation, as Al Franken leaves his comedy days behind and moves from his seat in the sidelines to become a contender inside the political ring. (Balcony Releasing)


GENRE(S): Documentary  
DIRECTED BY: Nick Doob
Chris Hegedus
 
RELEASE DATE: DVD: April 24, 2007 
Theatrical: September 13, 2006 
RUNNING TIME: 90 minutes, Color 
ORIGIN: USA 

What The Critics Said

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

75
Christian Science Monitor Peter Rainer
Less a documentary than a love fest for Al Franken, this scattershot movie, shot over two years, follows the zigzag trail of political satirist Al Franken as he feuds with Bill O'Reilly, campaigns against George W. Bush, and helps establish Air America.
Read Full Review
70
Los Angeles Times Carina Chocano
Captures comedian and pundit Al Franken evolving from satirist to activist.
Read Full Review
67
The Onion (A.V. Club) Nathan Rabin
The film ends with Franken contemplating a run for U.S. Senate, but it's clear that his political campaign began long ago.
Read Full Review
63
New York Daily News Jack Mathews
Humorist and liberal radio talk-show host Al Franken is a funny guy, and most of the people he attacks - Ann Coulter, Bill O'Reilly, Sean Hannity, Dick Cheney - are not. But the joke was on him when George Bush won re-election in 2004.
Read Full Review
63
New York Post Lou Lumenick
A lot of preaching to the converted.
Read Full Review
63
Boston Globe Wesley Morris
Neither a profile nor a critique, though, the film's only focus is its subject's mild self-regard.
Read Full Review
63
Miami Herald Marta Barber
Listening to O'Reilly, Anne Coulter and others vilify Franken -- and vice versa -- is part of the dialogue that makes America great.
Read Full Review
60
LA Weekly Charles Taylor
Throughout God Spoke, Franken comes off as passionate and funny, with an impressive ability to muster facts and an absence of smugness.
Read Full Review
60
Washington Post Desson Thomson
Sketchy but often entertaining.
Read Full Review
50
TV Guide Maitland McDonagh
The film ends before Franken can actually take the step from commentator to participant, which adds to its overall unfinished and unfocused air.
Read Full Review
50
Chicago Tribune Michael Phillips
Most of this doc is content to wander through Franken's recent show-biz resume, to no particular end.
Read Full Review
50
Chicago Reader J.R. Jones
I love Franken and wish there were more funny liberals in the chattering class, but his crushing sarcasm wouldn't exactly elevate the national debate.
Read Full Review
50
San Francisco Chronicle Mick LaSalle
A documentary in search of a story.
Read Full Review
50
Premiere Ethan Alter
It's great that the comedian felt the call of a higher office, but it's a call that apparently only he can hear.
Read Full Review
50
Salon.com Andrew O'Hehir
For me, Franken is funniest at his least guarded and his most incorrect, and as he inches toward becoming a politician himself, we get less and less of that.
Read Full Review
50
Variety Joe Leydon
Despite these flashbacks, however, God Spoke never really delves into the reasons and/or motivations behind Franken's transformation from monologist and sketch-comedy performer to political pundit and liberal activist. Indeed, even during intimate moments, Franken rarely comes across as someone given to explaining himself.
Read Full Review
50
New York Magazine David Edelstein
With the transformation of Al Franken from comedian to activist, Nick Doob and Chris Hegedus stumbled onto a good subject, but in the documentary Al Franken: God Spoke, they stumble around in it.
Read Full Review
50
The New York Times Dana Stevens
Even his fans may find themselves frustrated, since the film observes Mr. Franken closely without generating much insight into him.
Read Full Review
42
Portland Oregonian M. E. Russell
Fans of Franken's wittier print and broadcast work might smile. But I haven't seen this much smug, awkward laughter and bathos since, well, "Man of the Year."
Read Full Review
40
Village Voice Rob Nelson
Unfocused but brisk.
Read Full Review
30
Austin Chronicle Marc Savlov
Neither as adroitly funny as Franken's comic routines, nor as notable as his conversion to the fine art of politics, this is a 90-minute "What If?" with no discernible answer.
Read Full Review
30
The New Republic Stanley Kauffmann
This film by Nick Doob and Chris Hegedus forces us to make some decisions about him. For myself, I find him generally gross, in person and in manner.
Read Full Review

What Our Users Said

Vote Now!The average user rating for this movie is 6.0 (out of 10) based on 6 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Miya gave it a9:
Al Franken is many things. Snob? Maybe Goofy? Yeah, pretty much Arrogant? Not that I can tell Mean? Definitely not. - This guy is a writer and actor for heaven sakes and he's Jewish. What did you expect? Now he takes on politics. His jokes are often a bit lame, but his intentions and actions speak volumes as evidenced on this DVD. Franken lives the message he preaches. I can't think of anyone who has given so much of himself to the GI's in Iraq and Afghanistan. And you know, they love him because they can tell he really cares. - You can say what you want about Al Franken, but he's tops in my book.

Ian B gave it a9:
Al comes across as warm, intelligent and caring. He was especially effective dissecting right wing propaganda to college kids. I saw an early cut with Ann Coulter being an idiot, but she make the directors cut those scenes. I can understand why!

Rick W. gave it a7:
Good enough, but could be better. Franken is better than this movie.

Jon B. gave it a1:
Elitist snob diatribe. Boring. How he's made it this far is amazing. He's goofy.

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