Punching the Clown
  • Release Date: Oct 22, 2010
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Metascore
62 out of 100

Generally favorable reviews - based on 7 Critics What's this?

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  • Summary: Henry Phillips, a hapless modern day troubadour who grinds his way through the heartland, living out of his car and singing his twisted satirical songs to anyone who will listen. After a booking mishap involving a Christian fundraiser, he decides he's hit rock bottom.
    Seeking to shake thing    s up, he moves to L.A. where his luck changes overnight. Thanks less to his inept manager than to a wild case of mistaken identity, he falls backwards into a string of packed gigs, a record deal and even the promise of love. But he who lives by the whimsy of show business dies by it, and reality hits him like a fist in the face: an innocent miscommunication over a bagel starts a vicious rumor about him in the tabloids. Luckily, somewhere between rock bottom and the middle of nowhere lies the perfect terrain for his dark and hilarious songs. (Viens Films)… Expand

Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 3 out of 7
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 7
  3. Negative: 0 out of 7
  1. New York Post
    Reviewed by: Kyle Smith
    Oct 22, 2010
    75
    See his movie now, brag about your discerning taste for undiscovered talent later.
  2. Time Out New York
    Reviewed by: Eric Hynes
    Oct 20, 2010
    60
    While never uproarious, Punching the Clown exudes the clever, warped sincerity of its star, eschewing uppercuts for a series of playful jabs.
  3. New York Daily News
    Reviewed by: Elizabeth Weitzman
    Oct 22, 2010
    60
    Every aspiring performer will appreciate Gregori Viens' unassuming comedy, which cheerfully skewers industry pretensions and media-fueled trends.
  4. The New York Times
    Reviewed by: Mike Hale
    Oct 21, 2010
    60
    Holding things together are Mr. Phillips's quiet charm and his songs, which really are funny.

See all 7 Critic Reviews

User Reviews

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Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1 out of 1
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 1
  3. Negative: 0 out of 1
  1. earlv
    9
    We really enjoyed this. Much of the story seemed like it must have been inspired by real life. The script was tight, and the humor flowed naturally out of the situations. I'd love to know more about the guy who wrote the songs, co-wrote the script, and played the main character - I'm curious how autobiographical the story was.… Collapse

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