63
Metascore
23 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 88Boston GlobeJay CarrBoston GlobeJay CarrIt'll make a natural double-feature repertory-house companion to The Player for years to come. It's filled with humor that has paid its dues. [21 Aug 1992, p.38]
- 75Chicago Sun-TimesRoger EbertChicago Sun-TimesRoger EbertThe movie lacks the cleanedged economy of the screenplay for The Player, and it could have benefitted from less talkiness and fewer characters, but as a portrait of a particular Hollywood strata it is bittersweet and knowledgeable.
- 70The New York TimesStephen HoldenThe New York TimesStephen HoldenMistress abounds with sharp comic performances that never stray into caricature or sentimentality.
- 63Washington PostRita KempleyWashington PostRita KempleyLandau and Wuhl give especially heartfelt performances under the obviously sympathetic direction of Barry Primus, who based the story on his own attempts to finance a project.
- 60Washington PostDesson ThomsonWashington PostDesson ThomsonAlthough Mistress has the spirited participation of De Niro et al, the in-jokiness seems to wear itself out. The tedious journey the movie has to go through to get made is well-defined. But there's something hackneyed about the thematic plight of artists in this modern, commercial world.
- 50Austin ChronicleMarjorie BaumgartenAustin ChronicleMarjorie BaumgartenThe performances are all strong (particularly Landau's) but, as a whole, the movie suffers from competing impulses that push and pull Mistress from comedy to drama and back again. It can't quite seem to make up its mind and as a consequence loses a lot of its steam and momentum.
- 50Time OutTime OutDespite sturdy acting from a starry cast, actor Barry Primus' directorial debut is a lacklustre affair.
- 50Chicago TribuneDave KehrChicago TribuneDave KehrThe satire is finally too thin and familiar (and not just from The Player - most of the observations here have been staples of the Hollywood comedy since the early '30s) to support the movie's pervasive tone of sourness and disgust. [21 Aug 1992, p.J]
- 40EmpireAngie ErrigoEmpireAngie ErrigoWhile Landau, Aiello and a brief appearance by Christopher Walken do perk things up, it's a tediously indulgent, redundant work.