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Criminal
Warner Bros.


5.4

based on 35 reviews
Read critic reviews
How did we calculate this?

based on 9 votes
Read user comments
Rate this movie

FILM:

MPAA 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.)

GENRE(S):	Drama \| Suspense/Thriller
WRITTEN BY:	Gregory Jacobs Steven Soderbergh Fabián Bielinsky (film Nueve Reinas)
DIRECTED BY:	Gregory Jacobs
RELEASE DATE:	DVD: April 12, 2005 Theatrical: September 10, 2004
RUNNING TIME:	87 minutes, Color
ORIGIN:	USA

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.

Los Angeles Times Carina Chocano

Captures Los Angeles in a straightforward, naturalistic way, neighborhood-hopping like a native.

ReelViews James Berardinelli

A respectable caper movie in the tradition of "The Sting" and David Mamet's "Heist."

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.

Baltimore Sun Chris Kaltenbach

The performances of Luna and, especially, Reilly, make the film more enthralling than it perhaps deserves to be.

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.

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.

New York Post Lou Lumenick

Jacobs keeps the action moving rapidly and gets solid performances from an ensemble cast, especially the rumpled Reilly.

New York Magazine Peter Rainer

Taut and straightforward and a little grungy, which is how these movies ought to be.

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.

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.

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.

Austin Chronicle Marjorie Baumgarten

Movies about cons, if well done, are hard to resist – and such is the case with Criminal.

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.

Portland Oregonian Karen Karbo

The resulting film, while derivative, is worth the price of admission.

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.

USA Today Mike Clark

The casting falters on every level compared with Queens.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Empire Adam Smith

Apart from an irritating plot glitch this is a solidly entertaining ride, more than competently directed and played.

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.

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.

Dallas Observer Bill Gallo

This plodding mediocrity displays none of the flair or the compelling trickery that enlivened its 2002 prototype.

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.

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.

Chicago Tribune Sid Smith

Criminal is an exercise where viewers are likely to ponder not "How did the characters do it?" but "Who cares?"

The Onion (A.V. Club) Scott Tobias

Without any glimmers of depth or subtext.

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.

Charlotte Observer Lawrence Toppman

In the end, coincidence undoes Criminal.

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.

Film Threat Christopher Zinsli

Can be fun. Just don’t think about it too hard.

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.

Criminal Warner Bros.

Criminal
Warner Bros.