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Lymelife
Metascore
64 out of 100

Generally favorable reviews - based on 19 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 13 out of 19
  2. Mixed: 5 out of 19
  3. Negative: 1 out of 19
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  1. Chicago Sun-Times
    Reviewed by: Roger Ebert
    88
    Lymelife doesn't have the sheer power of "The Ice Storm," but it's not just another recycling of suburban angst. By allowing their characters complexity, the Martinis spill open those tiny model homes as thoroughly as a dropped Monopoly game.
  2. New York Post
    Reviewed by: Kyle Smith
    88
    Lymelife, set amid marital decay and teen frustration, isn't quite the "American Beauty" of the 516 area code, but it'll do.
  3. Variety
    Reviewed by: Rob Nelson
    80
    Intense perfs by Rory Culkin and Alec Baldwin are standouts in a movie that brims with vivid supporting turns.
  4. Rolling Stone
    Reviewed by: Peter Travers
    75
    Even when the drama gets overcooked, Lymelife sends off sparks.
  5. San Francisco Chronicle
    Reviewed by: Reyhan Harmanci
    75
    A charming if unoriginal coming-of-age story.
  6. USA Today
    Reviewed by: Claudia Puig
    75
    It's a family drama that treads on well-worn middle-class territory but is redeemed by the complexity of the characters and the intriguing ambiguity of their actions.
  7. The Hollywood Reporter
    Reviewed by: Michael Rechtshaffen
    70
    A period suburban rites-of-passage story with a pitch-perfect cast.
  8. Salon.com
    Reviewed by: Andrew O'Hehir
    70
    Lymelife offers charm and humor through its young central characters and pathos through its remarkable supporting cast, without pulling punches on its overall atmosphere of autumnal darkness and anomie.
  9. Los Angeles Times
    Reviewed by: Michael Ordona
    70
    Scott's coming-of-age bumblings form the piece's narrative rhythm. But the most affecting moments come from Mickey's midlife machinations: Baldwin, who also produced the film, has his best role since "The Cooler."
  10. The New York Times
    Reviewed by: Manohla Dargis
    70
    Despite such floundering, Lymelife keeps you hooked, mostly through Mr. Hutton, Mr. Baldwin and Kieran Culkin as Scott's older brother, Jimmy.
  11. Washington Post
    Reviewed by: Dan Zak
    70
    Directed by first-timer Derick Martini and produced by Martin Scorsese, balances grimness and levity with relative success. It stops short of quirk. It only flirts with "American Beauty"-style hyperbole. It falls somewhere in between, thanks to Martini's steady hand and a bunch of reliable actors working in good form.
  12. Chicago Reader
    Reviewed by: Andrea Gronvall
    70
    Thanks to a strong ensemble cast, it's poignant and funny.
  13. Portland Oregonian
    Reviewed by: M. E. Russell
    67
    Lymelife is more shaggy character study than rewarding narrative; its fateful final moments are self-consciously ambiguous in a way that (to me) feel almost flip, given the long dramatic build that preceded those final moments.
  14. Film Threat
    Reviewed by: Stina Chyn
    60
    Funny and well-acted, but it's just shy of being compelling enough to be remembered.
  15. Village Voice
    Reviewed by: Scott Foundas
    60
    Given how steeped it is in symbolic portent, Lymelife proves surprisingly watchable from moment to moment, thanks to the uniformly fine playing (particularly of the Culkin frères), evocative production design (by Kelly McGehee), and handsome widescreen photography (by Frank Godwin).
  16. Entertainment Weekly
    Reviewed by: Lisa Schwarzbaum
    58
    Overworked if heartfelt indie.
  17. The Globe and Mail (Toronto)
    Reviewed by: Liam Lacey
    50
    There's a whole lot of "American Beauty" and "The Ice Storm" packed into Lymelife.
  18. Austin Chronicle
    Reviewed by: Marjorie Baumgarten
    40
    Lymelife arrives with an impressive pedigree but, unfortunately, little originality.
  19. Boston Globe
    Reviewed by: Wesley Morris
    38
    Like so many of these farm-raised films, this one looks polished, but takes no risks, offers no surprises, and contains a final sequence that's laughable for its lack of courage.
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User Reviews

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User Score
7.3 out of 10

Generally favorable reviews- based on 20 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 9 out of 12
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 12
  3. Negative: 3 out of 12
  1. Flaneur
    9
    Subtler, better-written, and less stagy than 'The Ice Storm' or 'Igby Goes Down'--this cuts deeper than any other film about the Sick Soul of Suburban Life.… Full Review »
  2. AaronS
    10
    Let's not pull any punches here..this is the best "cinema" I've seen in 09. Acting, writing, directing are all top notch. My big concern is the powerhouse performance Baldwin gives and Rory Culkin and the amazing Timoth Hutton delivers will be forgotten at award time. This is a Screen Media release. How in god's name did it end up there? It is a Miramax, Searchlight film all the way. It is what independent film is all about. It is exactly how I felt when I went to see Resivior Dogs or Hard 8 or Bottle Rocket. The big difference is Lymelife stomps Hard 8 and Bottle Rocket to death. Maybe not Dogs, but that's a tall order. And forgivable. QT is the man. But PT and Wes A better look in their rearview mirrors. There's a new sheriff in town folks, and his name is Derick Martini. Fearless, blunt, beautiful, hilarious and twisted. Needless to say I am utterly impressed.… Full Review »
  3. BillL
    10
    Cool movie. Like everything Revolutionary Road should have been. This was awesome. Cool ending too. Made my stale mind think.
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