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Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed movies.
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Duets
Buena Vista Pictures
MPAA RATING: R for language and some sexuality
Starring
Gwyneth Paltrow,
Andre Braugher,
Huey Lewis,
Maria Bello,
Brent Butt,
and
Paul Giamatti
Karaoke enthusiasts travel across the country competing in singing contests leading to the national championship in Omaha.
| GENRE(S): |
Romance
|
| WRITTEN BY: |
John Byrum
|
| DIRECTED BY: |
Bruce Paltrow
|
| RELEASE DATE: |
DVD: May 8, 2001
Video: May 8, 2001
Theatrical: September 15, 2000
|
| RUNNING TIME: |
112 minutes, Color |
| ORIGIN: |
USA / Canada |
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...
75
Seattle Post-Intelligencer
William Arnold
The big downside of the film is that it always feels slightly contrived.
70
Dallas Observer
M. V. Moorhead
A highly likable movie.
66
Mr. Showbiz
Kevin Maynard
An intermittently irresistible entertainment.
63
Chicago Sun-Times
Roger Ebert
Has little islands of humor and even perfection, floating in a sea of missed marks and murky intentions.
60
Film.com
Tom Keogh
A mixed bag, all in all (casting Huey Lewis was not the best idea), but worth seeing.
60
The New York Times
Dana Stevens
Every so often a movie comes along that's bad in such original and unexpected ways that it inspires an almost admiring fascination
50
Washington Post
Megan Rosenfeld
If scriptwriter Byrum hadn't tried to cram every possible theme into this film -- hoping, no doubt, they would all add up to greatness -- Duets would be an entertaining, wryly observed slice of Americana.
50
Philadelphia Inquirer
Carrie Rickey
Duets is to movies what karaoke is to pop: a spirited attempt by non-pros.
50
San Francisco Chronicle
Bob Graham
Appealing, and ultimately moving.
50
Salon.com
Stephanie Zacharek
A simple entertainment that's by and large carried on the backs of its actors, some who are wonderful and others who are merely likable.
50
Chicago Tribune
Mark Caro
The joys of singing give the movie a hook, but when Duets aims for lyricism, it's got a tin ear.
50
Variety
Todd McCarthy
Lack of much substance or dramatic payoff makes the whole significantly less than sum of its parts.
50
Christian Science Monitor
David Sterritt
Too crisp and calculated to match the moods of its wild and woolly characters, and its interwoven subplots lead to predictable outcomes.
50
Miami Herald
Curtis Morgan
Simply creaks with contrivance -- particularly in its overwrought finale.
50
USA Today
Susan Wloszczyna
The ensemble cast, struggling with wanly written characters, hits more clunkers than high notes.
50
Chicago Reader
Jonathan Rosenbaum
Slight but savory.
50
New York Daily News
Jack Mathews
Hard to take stone-cold sober.
42
Entertainment Weekly
Steve Daly
A leaden piece of whimsy that looks for profound life lessons among a group of karaoke bar aficionados.
38
Boston Globe
Jay Carr
Hits mostly flat notes, then a few really sour ones.
38
San Francisco Examiner
Wesley Morris
Miserable as it crawls for two eternal hours toward being "life-affirming."
38
Baltimore Sun
Ann Hornaday
Giamatti provides those small moments of triumph that Duets pretends to celebrate but instead stifles with its sense of superiority.
33
Portland Oregonian
Shawn Levy
To be fair, there are moments when the film seems better than, finally, it is.
30
LA Weekly
Chuck Wilson
Why the devotion to such dull material?
30
TV Guide
Maitland McDonagh
This soft, formulaic comedy/drama has a far better cast than it deserves, and they work their hearts out trying to bring life to a cliched script.
30
Village Voice
Dennis Lim
A road movie, though there's a decided lack of forward motion.
30
Austin Chronicle
Marjorie Baumgarten
Only the most indulgent would fail to notice that this movie can't hold a tune.
30
Los Angeles Times
Kenneth Turan
By the time Duets faces the music, hardly anyone is going to care.
25
New York Post
Lou Lumenick
The talented cast doesn't stand much of a chance in this rambling, pointless narrative.
20
Washington Post
Desson Thomson
A conceptual train wreck, with half an idea scattered like disaster debris all over the screen.
 The average user rating for this movie is 8.8 (out of 10) based on 12 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.
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