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In Search of a Midnight Kiss

Generally favorable reviews
Based on 25 critic reviews
How did we calculate this?
Based on 11 votes
Read user comments
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Movie Info
Genre(s): Comedy | Romance
Written by: Alex Holdridge
Directed by: Alex Holdridge
Release Date:
Theatrical: August 1, 2008
Running Time: 90 minutes, B/W
Origin: USA
Summary
RATING: Not Rated
Starring Scoot McNairy, Sara Simmonds, Brian Matthew McGuire, Katy Luong, Bret Roberts, and Twink Caplan
In Search of a Midnight Kiss is a funny and bittersweet look at love, sex, and modern romance. With an unsold script, no concrete plans, and a love life reduced to getting caught in compromising positions, a twenty-nine-year aspiring writer, Wilson just had the worst year of his life. That is until his best friend, Jacob, browbeats him into posting a personal ad for New Year's Eve on Craig's List. When Vivian, a sexy, sarcastic, and seemingly blind-date-from-hell responds, the two strangers embark on an unexpected, chaotic, and hilariously awkward journey through the black-and-white streets of Los Angeles hoping to meet the right one before the stroke of midnight. (IFC Films)
Also On The Web: Internet Movie Database
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...
ReelViews James Berardinelli
Wonderfully romantic and romantically bittersweet. It's not about forever; it's about now.
Read Full Review >Chicago Sun-Times Roger Ebert
We increasingly admire the quality of the acting: Both actors take their characters through a difficult series of changes, without ever seeming to try, or be aware of it.
Read Full Review >Empire Patrick Peters
Lovingly photographed in a monochrome that recalls Woody Allen’s Manhattan, this is a slickly scripted rom-com.
Read Full Review >Film Threat Eric Campos
The film also doesn't try to wrap things up nice and neat. That's not how life is and that's not how this film goes. But for those who can handle the truth, they should be prepared for a very moving experience. And Freddy Krueger references.
Read Full Review >Chicago Reader J.R. Jones
Smart dialogue, an impeccably crafted story, and eye-catching LA locations make this low-budget feature by Alex Holdridge the most worthwhile date movie I've seen in some time.
Read Full Review >Austin Chronicle Josh Rosenblatt
Holdridge is clever enough to keep his characters from slipping into outright narcissism, or when they do, he's familiar enough with the art of mainstream moviemaking to balance the exhausted with the ecstatic.
Read Full Review >Seattle Post-Intelligencer Bill White
The rude naturalism of the opening scenes between Wilson and Jacob recalls the spirited vulgarity of "Clerks," with dialogue that would be hopelessly offensive were it not so funny and true to life.
Read Full Review >New York Post Kyle Smith
Takes a bit of "Swingers" and a bit of "Manhattan" to create a slacktacular vision of uncertain youth in today's L.A.
Read Full Review >Philadelphia Inquirer Steven Rea
With a moody overlay of songs supplied by Okkervil River and Shearwater, In Search of a Midnight Kiss also serves as a millennial's answer to Woody Allen's "Manhattan."
Read Full Review >San Francisco Chronicle Walter Addiego
It's a handsome and entertaining small-scale picture with nice acting, some crisp (and some crude) dialogue and effective direction.
Read Full Review >The Hollywood Reporter Sura Wood
An amusing ensemble piece about the troubles of dislocated twentysomethings attempting to find their way through life and love.
Read Full Review >Variety Dennis Harvey
Performances are aptly quirky and ingratiating, Holdridge's seriocomic balance nicely judged. But the most outstanding element in an accomplished low-budget package is Robert Murphy's lensing, which recalls "Manhattan" in its B&W celebration of a cityscape.
Read Full Review >Salon.com Andrew O'Hehir
Profane, hilarious and ultimately heartbreaking, Alex Holdridge's black-and-white feature In Search of a Midnight Kiss has a gutter purity that makes you root for it all the way and forgive its patches of ultra-indie awkwardness.
Read Full Review >Washington Post Mike Mayo
Despite some scenes that have the feel of an acting or writing workshop, these are believable, complex characters. Their story has a full measure of Judd Apatow raunch, with a dash of "Swingers" emotional sweetness.
Read Full Review >The Onion (A.V. Club) Noel Murray
Even when Midnight Kiss is sputtering, viewers can tune the dialogue out and just watch the scenery in one of the most "there"-y L.A. movies ever made.
Read Full Review >Portland Oregonian Stan Hall
Very much a time-and-place film, by 2030 it will be useful fodder for historians.
Read Full Review >The New York Times Manohla Dargis
In Search of a Midnight Kiss has its derivative moments along with awkward patches -- the inelegantly shaped climax tries to force uninteresting parallels between the two central couples -- it manages the difficult task of creating a sustained, plausible and inviting world.
Read Full Review >New York Daily News Elizabeth Weitzman
By the end, Holdridge has captured the bittersweet complexities of romance with a wisdom that proves surprisingly seductive.
Read Full Review >Village Voice Scott Foundas
Holdridge's film oscillates wildly between low-key romantic comedy and antic slapstick and doesn't always hit the mark, but it has charm to burn.
Read Full Review >Premiere Jenni Miller
The arc of the story mirrors "Before Sunrise" and "Before Sunset," but the writing isn't nearly as strong, nor the characters as believable -- or likable.
Read Full Review >The New Yorker Anthony Lane
In Holdridge's movie there is as much to repel as there is to allure, and I cannot imagine leaving a screening of it in anything less than two minds.
Read Full Review >Los Angeles Times Mark Olsen
If it were a parody of relationship-youth pictures, In Search of a Midnight Kiss would maybe be tolerable, but writer-director Alex Holdridge seems to be playing it with a straight face.
Read Full Review >Chicago Tribune Michael Phillips
It wanders and putters and follows its main characters around.
Read Full Review >What Our Users Said
The average user rating for this movie is 6.7 (out of 10) based on 11 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.
