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Criminal
Generally favorable reviews
Based on 35 critic reviews
How did we calculate this?
Based on 9 votes
Read user comments
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Movie Info
Genre(s): Drama | Suspense/Thriller
Written by:
Gregory Jacobs
Steven Soderbergh
Fabián Bielinsky (film Nueve Reinas)
Directed by: Gregory Jacobs
Release Date:
Theatrical: September 10, 2004
DVD: April 12, 2005
Running Time: 87 minutes, Color
Origin: USA
Summary
RATING: R for language
Starring John C. Reilly, Diego Luna, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Jonathan Tucker, Peter Mullan, Zitto Kazann, Maeve Quinlan, and Brent Sexton
Set in Los Angeles over the course of 24 hours, Criminal follows a day in the life of two smalltime bunco artists who stumble upon a foolproof, and extremely lucrative, scam. (Warner Bros.)
Also On Metacritic
FILM: Nine Queens Wind Chill
Also On The Web: Internet Movie Database View The Trailer Official Studio Site
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...
LA Weekly Scott Foundas
The cast is brilliant, not least of all Reilly -- vaguely despicable, smooth as an oil slick and altogether mesmerizing in the most impressive screen performance he's yet given.
Read Full Review >Los Angeles Times Carina Chocano
Captures Los Angeles in a straightforward, naturalistic way, neighborhood-hopping like a native.
Read Full Review >ReelViews James Berardinelli
A respectable caper movie in the tradition of "The Sting" and David Mamet's "Heist."
Read Full Review >New York Daily News Jami Bernard
The movie is fast and fun. Best of all are the actors, who likewise seem to know they've lucked into a rare good gig.
Read Full Review >Baltimore Sun Chris Kaltenbach
The performances of Luna and, especially, Reilly, make the film more enthralling than it perhaps deserves to be.
Read Full Review >Boston Globe Wesley Morris
Just as exciting and socially vivid as Bielinsky's. Yet, somehow it's more stressful. The American characters practically sweat desperation.
Read Full Review >Philadelphia Inquirer Carrie Rickey
Apart from Luna's exquisitely subtle performance, Criminal's strongest suit is the so-artless-it's-artful cinematography by Chris Menges, which gives the impression of being shot by a fly on the wall. Similarly, Alex Wurman's jazz-infused score contributes to the improvisational atmosphere.
Read Full Review >New York Post Lou Lumenick
Jacobs keeps the action moving rapidly and gets solid performances from an ensemble cast, especially the rumpled Reilly.
Read Full Review >New York Magazine Peter Rainer
Taut and straightforward and a little grungy, which is how these movies ought to be.
Read Full Review >Washington Post Ann Hornaday
The main reason to see Criminal isn't for the mental workout it might offer but simply to watch these two appealing performers act and act and act.
Read Full Review >Washington Post Desson Thomson
Reilly and Luna make a chemically appealing screen team. Reilly, one of the best working actors in the indie side of things, is wonderfully world-weary, manipulative and roguishly charming.
Read Full Review >The New York Times Stephen Holden
Even with its tepid lead performance, Criminal is a clever and diverting caper film. At least, it is as long as you don't think too hard about it.
Read Full Review >Austin Chronicle Marjorie Baumgarten
Movies about cons, if well done, are hard to resist – and such is the case with Criminal.
Read Full Review >Entertainment Weekly Lisa Schwarzbaum
The performances are winning -- Gyllenhaal is particularly sharp as an aggrieved sibling, and there's mutual zing in her scenes with Reilly.
Read Full Review >Portland Oregonian Karen Karbo
The resulting film, while derivative, is worth the price of admission.
Read Full Review >Premiere Aaron Hillis
Subtly gaining momentum as it dexterously glides through pages of good-time, snappy dialogue, Criminal offers no time to catch your breath, let alone enough to think through its reality-stretching story flaws and subtext-lacking motives.
Read Full Review >The Globe and Mail (Toronto) Liam Lacey
Jacobs is a competent director but he doesn't bring anything extra to this shell game of a narrative.
Read Full Review >Chicago Sun-Times Roger Ebert
Since you have probably not seen "Nine Queens," Criminal will be new to you, and I predict you'll like the remake about as much as I liked the original -- three stars' worth. If, however, you've seen "Nine Queens," you may agree that some journeys, however entertaining, need only be taken once.
Read Full Review >Chicago Reader Jonathan Rosenbaum
The filmmakers have lovingly retained and expanded on that film's only flaws, some implausible plot details. But even without the same cultural significance, it's still a good story, and the interesting cast.
Read Full Review >The Hollywood Reporter Frank Scheck
Although Criminal retains its source material's cleverness and intricate plotting, something seems to have been lost in the translation.
Read Full Review >Variety Ken Eisner
More a tribute than a remake, Steven Soderbergh-approved take on Argentine hit "Nine Queens" isn't quite as sharp or surprising as the original, one of the best scam pics of the past decade.
Read Full Review >Village Voice Mark Holcomb
He (Jacobs) and cinematographer Chris Menges compose the film largely in close-ups, and the effect is appropriately unnerving. Regardless, unfavorable comparisons to "Nine Queens" are inevitable.
Read Full Review >Empire Adam Smith
Apart from an irritating plot glitch this is a solidly entertaining ride, more than competently directed and played.
Read Full Review >TV Guide Maitland McDonagh
The remake is infinitely more entertaining if you haven't seen "Nine Queens" -- the details are different, but the surprises are the same and something of the first film's underlying darkness has been lost in translation.
Read Full Review >Seattle Post-Intelligencer Paula Nechak
The film is inherently calculated and cold, so smugly satisfied with itself and its surprise final trick that it seems to be running its own con to convince us the script's house of cards is actually substantial, original and slick.
Read Full Review >Dallas Observer Bill Gallo
This plodding mediocrity displays none of the flair or the compelling trickery that enlivened its 2002 prototype.
Read Full Review >Christian Science Monitor David Sterritt
Effective at times, and Gyllenhaal shows a new side of her talent, but the main impression is of first-rate performers doing second-rate work.
Read Full Review >Rolling Stone Peter Travers
Here's the problem: The movie was made just four years ago by Argentinian director Fabian Bielinsky. It is called "Nine Queens," and it is vastly superior to this blah U.S. remake from director Gregory Jacobs.
Read Full Review >Chicago Tribune Sid Smith
Criminal is an exercise where viewers are likely to ponder not "How did the characters do it?" but "Who cares?"
Read Full Review >San Francisco Chronicle Carla Meyer
The problems lie not with the actors but with a glib approach that exposes the flaws of the original story.
Read Full Review >Miami Herald Rene Rodriguez
Criminal is happy to reprise Fabian Bielinsky's original note for note, and it's a listless, dutiful affair -- a cover version played out of obligation, not inspiration.
Read Full Review >What Our Users Said
The average user rating for this movie is 5.4 (out of 10) based on 9 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.
daniel wtf gave it a0:
Yet another Hollywood remake ruining an authentic foreign masterpiece. Now they are after 'My Sassy Girl', a Korean masterpiece that redefined the industry standard of romantic comedies.
Gabi B. gave it a1:
Horrible compared to the original. Stop running from subtitles and go watch a much better actor, Ricardo Darin, star in a much better movie.
Chuck gave it an8:
A huge percentage of viewers will have never seen "Nine Queens", so why rate it in comparison? It's a very fun movie on its own, and those who complain about holes in the plot have no imagination.
Keiko G. gave it a10:
I loved this film. It was great. John C. Reily Oscar caliber performance.
Si Caro gave it a10:
This is a great film. I loved it.
Alex V. gave it a 3:
Every single aspect is inferior to the original. Pretty bad directed and miscasted. Go for the real thing, find the Queens...
Jay W. gave it a 6:
Highly contrived plot detracts from Reilly's outstanding performance. Just when it seems that Reilly is morphing into something that resembles a human being he pulls a totally unnecessary and dangerous trick, right in public no less. Sometimes less is more.
