Yonkers Joe (2008)

52% of critics liked it
(23 reviews)
48% of users liked it
(537 ratings)

Robert Celestino's drama Yonkers Joe stars Chazz Palminteri as an aging gambler and professional cheat. Although Joe is quite good at his various unethical endeavors, he feels guilt about his chosen profession. He has a grown son (Tom Guiry) who suffers from Down syndrome, and the dad firmly… More Robert Celestino's drama Yonkers Joe stars Chazz Palminteri as an aging gambler and professional cheat. Although Joe is quite good at his various unethical endeavors, he feels guilt about his chosen profession. He has a grown son (Tom Guiry) who suffers from Down syndrome, and the dad firmly believes that the ailment is some sort of punishment. When the difficult to control son leaves the institution that has cared for him, Yonkers Joe tries to reconnect with him, while also planning a big score that will allow the son to live in comfort and safety. ~ Perry Seibert, Rovi

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Rating, Runtime: R, 1 hr. 42 min.
Directed By: Robert Celestino
Written By: Robert Celestino
Genres: Drama

In Theaters: Jan 9, 2009 Wide
On DVD: May 19, 2009
Studio: Magnolia Pictures

Critic Reviews

Lisa Kennedy, Denver Post
As Janice, Christine Lahti is the pivot between father and son. The scenes between Janice and Joe Jr. are sweet, harrowing, movie-altering.
Reyhan Harmanci, San Francisco Chronicle
Yonkers Joe is incoherent, succeeding neither as an exciting gambling ride nor a touching family story.
Lou Lumenick, New York Post
An extremely awkward cross between Ocean's Eleven and Rain Man.
Stephen Whitty, Newark Star-Ledger
A nicely photographed, mostly satisfying look at a gang of East Coast sharps and how they part marks from their money.
Stephen Holden, New York Times
For all its attention to detail, Yonkers Joe isn't half as tough as it pretends to be. The real story of these bottom-feeders and the sad young man they exploit is a lot uglier than the movie even begins to let on.
Michelle Orange, Village Voice
Lahti burns through a thinly written role with a surprising level of warmth and humanity, and Guiry is at times repellently convincing as a kid genetically incapable of either nuance or fakery.
Leo Goldsmith, indieWIRE
Mostly strong, that is, with the major exception of Tom Guiry's portrayal of Joe Jr. Painfully broad, Guiry practically sinks the film with garishly slack-jawed and over-the-top manchildishness.
Carol Cling, Las Vegas Review-Journal
It's far from a natural, but somehow, some way, it makes its point.
Gary Thompson, Philadelphia Daily News
Celestino's bid to wrap everything up in tidy fashion feels at odds with the grittiness of the film's first two-thirds, but in the end, the movie's glimpse into a seldom-seen slice of life sticks with you.
Brent Simon, Shared Darkness
Palminteri helps the film earn very slight passing marks, if only mostly because it's interesting to see these old operators have to adapt their schemes for new times.
Joel Keller, Cinematical
A very well-made and well-acted film, with a very touching story about fathers, sons, and the difficulties of raising special needs kids.
Stan Hall, Oregonian
The parts of Yonkers Joe that have to do with gambling are fun; unfortunately, they make up only half the movie.
Phil Villarreal, Arizona Daily Star
The typecast actor breaks out of his comfort zone.
Brian Tallerico, Movie Retriever
Yonkers Joe is like a so-so trip to Vegas, one where you lose as much as you gain gambling. In other words, it's not the trip you're most likely to tell your friends about.
Noel Murray, AV Club
[Director] Celestino steers clear of the can't-miss pulp thriller that Yonkers Joe could've been, and goes for broke by giving it big dollop of schmaltz. His horse doesn't come in, but it runs a respectable race.
Frank Lovece, Film Journal International
Heartfelt, well-acted but overly sincere drama of a smalltime hustler and the 20-year-old Down's syndrome son he's barely known.
Norm Schrager, Filmcritic.com
If you can watch Yonkers Joe without thinking it's a mild Rain Man rip-off, you'll enjoy a film that could have been plagued with plot issues, but rises above it
David Fear, Time Out New York
Whatever atmosphere [director] Celestino milks from the seedy world of late-night poker games and whiskey-soaked mornings after is leached away once Tom Guiry's pantomime idiot savant shows up.

Read all 18 critic reviews

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Featured Audience Ratings

jay n

Middling drama about the trying for the big score. Not much really. Christine Lahti is far to fine an actress to be stuck in dreck like this.
Jeffrey M

Yonkers Joe succeeds very well as a family drama, with an authentic feel. The gambling aspects of the film were also interesting, though never fleshed out enough. But overall, I found Yonkers Joe to be pretty moving, with a lot of credit going to Chazz Palminteri with his spot on… More
Yonkers Joe succeeds very well as a family drama, with an authentic feel. The gambling aspects of the film were also interesting, though never fleshed out enough. But overall, I found Yonkers Joe to be pretty moving, with a lot of credit going to Chazz Palminteri with his spot on performance.
Sol C

Great film!!! Chazz Palminteri shines in the film. It is great seeing him in a leading role where he isn't the villain. He also has a great ensemble including Christine Lahti, Linus Roache, Michael Lerner, and Tom Guiry. Lahti has a great on screen chemistry with Palminteri.… More
Great film!!! Chazz Palminteri shines in the film. It is great seeing him in a leading role where he isn't the villain. He also has a great ensemble including Christine Lahti, Linus Roache, Michael Lerner, and Tom Guiry. Lahti has a great on screen chemistry with Palminteri. Great screenplay. I definitely recommend this film.