76
Metascore
13 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 90Los Angeles TimesKevin ThomasLos Angeles TimesKevin ThomasIn his feature debut, writer-director John Mangold brings remarkably sensitive powers of observation to bear upon ordinary people living ordinary lives.
- 88Chicago Sun-TimesRoger EbertChicago Sun-TimesRoger EbertYou don't guess the true horror of the place, which is that there are no secrets, because everyone here knows all about everyone else, inside and out, top to bottom, and has for years.
- 88ReelViewsJames BerardinelliReelViewsJames BerardinelliWriter/director Mangold never compromises the integrity of his painfully-intense script. There isn't one crowd-pleasing moment in the entire movie, except perhaps the last scene, which offers a flicker of hope.
- 83Entertainment WeeklyEntertainment WeeklyMangold, who also wrote the script, has made a modern-day "Marty", a kitchen-sink drama that doesn't condescend to its characters.
- 80Chicago ReaderJonathan RosenbaumChicago ReaderJonathan RosenbaumThe performances are strong (my favorite is Deborah Harry as an older waitress) and the sense of eroded as well as barely articulated lives is palpable.
- 75San Francisco ChronicleEdward GuthmannSan Francisco ChronicleEdward GuthmannMangold's sympathy is genuine and his refusal to mock or condescend to his characters -- indeed, that may be the point of the film -- is a pleasure.
- 75San Francisco ExaminerBarbara ShulgasserSan Francisco ExaminerBarbara ShulgasserMangold's vision is bold. There is nothing cutesy or gimmicky about Heavy, which may be why something in its grimness recalls the work of Ingmar Bergman.
- 75Christian Science MonitorDavid SterrittChristian Science MonitorDavid SterrittWritten and directed with uncommon sensitivity by James Mangold, a strikingly talented newcomer.
- 70The New York TimesJanet MaslinThe New York TimesJanet MaslinThough Heavy begins beautifully, it isn't always able to sustain its balance between narrative subtlety and inertia.
- 67Austin ChronicleMarjorie BaumgartenAustin ChronicleMarjorie BaumgartenThe movie demands to be watched and rewards that attention handsomely, though at times Heavy seems a little too introverted for its own good.