Critic Reviews
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Cary Darling, Dallas Morning News
It concerns an older man, alone during the holidays, who unexpectedly finds love. It also features two strong performances from veteran actors Martin Landau and Ellen Burstyn.
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Jennie Punter, Globe and Mail
There are moments during Lovely, Still when it feels like you're trapped with Martin Landau and Ellen Burstyn in a kitschy musical Christmas snowglobe that someone keeps shaking.
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Linda Barnard, Toronto Star
The places where Fackler has problems or allows things to get a tad too sentimental are smoothed over by the unmatched skills of the effortlessly superb Burstyn and Landau.
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Bill Goodykoontz, Arizona Republic
It seems too much at first, but Fackler's up to something.
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Neil Genzlinger, New York Times
Will hit home with anyone who has had to struggle with the most difficult aspects of aging.
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Kyle Smith, New York Post
If you're old enough to pluck gray hairs, you may find yourself rubbing away a few tears.
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James Croot, Flicks.co.nz
Don't be put off by the golden-hued, overly saccharine opening to this seemingly twee December (in both senses of the word) romance, because it hides a final quarter that packs an emotional wallop.
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Liz Braun, Jam! Movies
The performances from Landau and Burstyn are gobsmacking, and while there's nothing truly unexpected or surprising in the story, these two keep you watching regardless.
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Nora Lee Mandel, Film-Forward.com
A couple . . . who can still prove that true love never dies--only if love can survive this heavy-handed dose of sentimentality landing on it.
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Steve Ramos, Boxoffice Magazine
For Fackler, Lovely, Still remains an impressive first step towards another directing project.
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Brian Tallerico, Movie Retriever
There's nothing minor about the central performances in this film, even if they're in the pursuit of something that just doesn't quite work overall.
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Kam Williams, TheLoop21.com
A poignant primer on making the most of a last chance at romance!
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Nick Schager, Slant Magazine
Unlike Sarah Polley's superior kindred spirit Away from Her, Lovely, Still's portrait of late-life love is excruciatingly shallow and phony.
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Prairie Miller, WBAI Radio
A conversation With Martin Landau: It was Bette Davis who said 'growing old ain't for sissies.' And this film reiterates that notion, framing old age as perhaps the greatest superhero screen manifestation of all.
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Prairie Miller, NewsBlaze
It was Bette Davis who said 'growing old ain't for sissies.' And this film reiterates that notion from which no human being lucky enough to survive that long is exempt, framing old age as perhaps the greatest superhero screen manifestation of all.
Read all 15 critic reviews
Featured Audience Ratings
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With a beautiful story, great camera-work, interesting characters, and absolutely incredible acting from Martin Landau and Ellen Burstyn, "Lovely, Still" is a great romance film that is initially heartwarming, but ultimately turns bitter-sweet. The characters were not as… More
With a beautiful story, great camera-work, interesting characters, and absolutely incredible acting from Martin Landau and Ellen Burstyn, "Lovely, Still" is a great romance film that is initially heartwarming, but ultimately turns bitter-sweet. The characters were not as compelling as they could have been, and I felt manipulated to cry, but "Lovely, Still" is lovely, still.
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Beautifully acted and initially charming but ultimately bittersweet.
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Cast: Martin Landau, Ellen Burstyn, Adam Scott, Elizabeth Banks, Mark Booker, Candice Rose, Har Mar Superstar
Director: Nicholas Fackler
Summary: When his beautiful new neighbor Mary (Ellen Burstyn) asks him out on a date, elderly bachelor Robert (Martin Landau) suddenly finds… More
Cast: Martin Landau, Ellen Burstyn, Adam Scott, Elizabeth Banks, Mark Booker, Candice Rose, Har Mar Superstar
Director: Nicholas Fackler
Summary: When his beautiful new neighbor Mary (Ellen Burstyn) asks him out on a date, elderly bachelor Robert (Martin Landau) suddenly finds himself swept up in the excitement and panic of new love. But as romance blossoms between the couple, an unexpected challenge arises that threatens to undermine the fledgling relationship.
My Thoughts: "Great performances by the seasoned actor's Martin Landau and Ellen Burstyn. Adam Scott and Elizabeth Banks were great as well. It's a great love story that goes in a direction that I had not seen coming. The story is bittersweet, and a bit of a tear jerker. But there is no denying how wonderfully sweet these two characters are. But to say to much about this film would be giving away the beautiful story. So my final words are, see this film. I am not one for romantic films, but this one really got to me. I absolutely loved it."
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I suspected early on that there was more to the story than was being told and so was not surprised when the whole truth was revealed. It is a gentle story - one of true love and the marital vows when people really love each other and fulfill the promise to love through sickness and… More
I suspected early on that there was more to the story than was being told and so was not surprised when the whole truth was revealed. It is a gentle story - one of true love and the marital vows when people really love each other and fulfill the promise to love through sickness and health. It is especially meaningful to older adults, but a film that can (and should) be enjoyed by people of all ages.
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I really struggled with this one. As my wife said, you feel like you are missing some vital piece of information all through this up until the end, and that was true for me as well. The performance by Martin Landau is nothing short of amazing. He absolutely nailed the confusion and… More
I really struggled with this one. As my wife said, you feel like you are missing some vital piece of information all through this up until the end, and that was true for me as well. The performance by Martin Landau is nothing short of amazing. He absolutely nailed the confusion and isolation brought on by aging. But there were too many logical gaps in the story to make this a truly memorable film. Certainly not a waste of time, if you can stick with it. Ellen Burstyn is marvelous as well, but this really is Martin's film. I wanted to like this more, but to explain my reasons for only giving it three stars would mean having to give away too much of the plot. Suffice it to say a little more back story would have helped immensely.
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This is a very cute and sweet film with wonderful performances. Martin Landau and Ellen Burstyn shine in this film. They have a great on screen chemistry. Elizabeth Banks and Adam Scott provide solid supporting work here.
The problem that I had with the film was that it felt too much… More
This is a very cute and sweet film with wonderful performances. Martin Landau and Ellen Burstyn shine in this film. They have a great on screen chemistry. Elizabeth Banks and Adam Scott provide solid supporting work here.
The problem that I had with the film was that it felt too much like a stage play and not a movie. Also I thought the tone of the film was not balanced. It couldn't decide if it wanted to be a romantic comedy or a melodrama. Despite that, I enjoyed the film, especially cause of Landau and Burstyn.
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I have to say that I dread revealing any of the plot. Look at the description below...m'kay? Let's just say that it is a real shame that this film went practically straight to DVD. Landau and Burstyn might have gotten Oscar nods for their performances. Just see it and we can… More
I have to say that I dread revealing any of the plot. Look at the description below...m'kay? Let's just say that it is a real shame that this film went practically straight to DVD. Landau and Burstyn might have gotten Oscar nods for their performances. Just see it and we can chat, okay?
Read all 7 featured audience ratings
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