Sylvia

Name: Sylvia
Genre: Biography, Drama, Romance
Released: October 17, 2003
Duration: 110 min
Rating: 56
Cast: Daniel Craig, Lucy Davenport

2003

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Mixed or average reviews based on 40 Critic Reviews

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Generally favorable reviews based on 12 Ratings

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6.5

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6.5	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 12 Ratings

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Sylvia

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Movie Details & Credits

Focus Features | Release Date: October 17, 2003 | R

Starring: Daniel Craig, Lucy Davenport

Summary: Paltrow stars as legendary American author and poet Sylvia Plath, opposite Craig as British Poet Laureate Edward (Ted) Hughes. The film explores the source of creative genius, and love in all its passion. (Focus Features)

Director: Christine Jeffs

Genre(s): Biography, Drama, Romance

Rating: R

Runtime: 110 min

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Critic Reviews

Owen Gleiberman

This is the richest role Paltrow has had since ''Shakespeare in Love,'' and she rises to the challenge. She digs deep into Plath's mercurial nature, giving us a Sylvia who's fiercely independent and alive yet burdened with demons of insecurity that bubble up in a rage. Read full review

Dallas Observer Gregory Weinkauf

As a film it's mostly top-notch work. Kiwi director Christine Jeffs has taken the poignant, thoughtful screenplay of erstwhile documentarian John Brownlow and rendered it a moving mood-piece of subtlety and ever-encroaching sorrow. Read full review

Paula Nechak

What Jeffs -- and Paltrow -- do capture is the shroud of tragedy that hovered over Plath. Read full review

Kenneth Turan

Aside from Paltrow's performance, Sylvia is neither a film so spectacular it shouldn't be missed nor something so tepid you have to stay away. Read full review

Mick LaSalle

It's a coy, cautious film about a frank, fearless writer. Read full review

Peter Travers

Paltrow looks glam even in death, which only supports the notion, raised by Plath’s daughter Frieda Hughes, that the movie would be about a "Sylvia Suicide Doll." Good call. Read full review

Ann Hornaday

Sylvia plays it safe, and in doing so it becomes little more than just another domestic melodrama devoid of life and, of all things, poetry. Read full review

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DawdlingPoet

Nov 26, 2021

This is quite a good film, with the 2 main performances done well by Gwyneth Paltrow and Daniel Craig. Its a sad story of course but I liked some of the prose spoken and its not too bad in terms of being a period piece. It isn't a film I'm likely to want to re-watch but it's a pretty goodThis is quite a good film, with the 2 main performances done well by Gwyneth Paltrow and Daniel Craig. Its a sad story of course but I liked some of the prose spoken and its not too bad in terms of being a period piece. It isn't a film I'm likely to want to re-watch but it's a pretty good film otherwise - somewhat thought provoking I suppose. Yes, I would recommend it.… Expand

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