David Parkinson

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Empire
For 400 reviews, this critic has graded:
  • 39% higher than the average critic
  • 4% same as the average critic
  • 57% lower than the average critic
On average, this critic grades 7.3 points higher than other critics. (0-100 point scale)

David Parkinson's Scores

  • Movies
  • TV
Average review score: 73
Highest review score: 100 Sansho the Bailiff
Lowest review score: 40 Tommy's Honour
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 239 out of 400
  2. Mixed: 161 out of 400
  3. Negative: 0 out of 400
400 movie reviews
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    • 57 Metascore
    • 60 David Parkinson
    My Father and The Man In Black
    Slightly jerry-built reconstructions detract from an intriguing film with a unique angle on the country legend.
    • 72 Metascore
    • 60 David Parkinson
    Flying Down to Rio
    The first Fred and Ginger feature is a little clunky and short on plot and character but a beautiful and atmospheric treat for all that.
    • 51 Metascore
    • 60 David Parkinson
    A Midsummer Night's Sex Comedy
    Not Woody Allen at his best, this period piece has some clever writing but is not completely convincing.
    • 69 Metascore
    • 60 David Parkinson
    The Great Ziegfeld
    Drags in places and deosn't even try for a true-to-life portrait of the great theatre entrepeneur but it's shiny and big spectacle with impressive choreography.
    • 58 Metascore
    • 60 David Parkinson
    Still the Water
    While beautiful, early scenes of shocking violence give way to philosophising and gauche symbolism.
    • 80 Metascore
    • 60 David Parkinson
    The Gay Divorcee
    The second outing for Fred and Ginger which cemented their partnership can be irritating in it's romantic machinations but the Astaire flair is always winning.
    • 51 Metascore
    • 60 David Parkinson
    Macbeth
    Poetic but bleekly pessimistic version of the Danish tragedy.
    • 75 Metascore
    • 60 David Parkinson
    This Film Is Not Yet Rated
    Packed with amusing graphics, animated sequences and damning testimonies, this is a landmark denunciation of Hollywood infantilisation and protectionism.
    • 56 Metascore
    • 60 David Parkinson
    White Christmas
    Great songs, gentle humour and a dose of syrup which is not to everyone's tastes, but worth buying to keep that Christmas spirit going until next year.
    • 69 Metascore
    • 60 David Parkinson
    Look Back in Anger
    Powerhouse performance from Richard Burton but a little too old to play the angry young man stuff that is essential to this tale.
    • 61 Metascore
    • 60 David Parkinson
    Under Capricorn
    This has many more plus points than critics at the time were willing to admit.
    • 73 Metascore
    • 60 David Parkinson
    An African Election
    Occasionally lacking in context but never less than intriguing, Jarreth Merz's polished film is a handy document to a rarely visited democracy.
    • 81 Metascore
    • 60 David Parkinson
    The Levelling
    Unflinching in its depiction of rural reality, this may be a dour drama, but it has been made with sincerity and an exceptional sense of place.
    • 61 Metascore
    • 60 David Parkinson
    Antarctica: Ice and Sky
    The archive footage is compelling, but the soundtrack is a muddle of voice-over, music and effects.
    • 82 Metascore
    • 60 David Parkinson
    The Lodger: A Story of the London Fog
    One of Hitchcock's earlier efforts that was hacked around a bit to take out some of the more ambiguous psychological elements by the editor but still retains the old Hitch charm.
    • 66 Metascore
    • 60 David Parkinson
    Catfight
    Played with committed ferocity by the excellent Oh and Heche, this riotous state-of-the-nation satire may lack subtlety, but it has the courage of its socko convictions and certainly packs a punch.
    • 74 Metascore
    • 60 David Parkinson
    Dancing in Jaffa
    Exasperatingly trite, but also rather sweet.
    • 60 Metascore
    • 60 David Parkinson
    Sweet Bean
    Ostensibly, a lovingly made study of homemade cooking and old-fashioned values, this beautifully played drama also contains a mordant denunciation of the lack of compassion that shapes Japanese attitudes to social stigma.
    • 59 Metascore
    • 60 David Parkinson
    Finian's Rainbow
    Falls into the "interesting failure" category.
    • 45 Metascore
    • 60 David Parkinson
    Two Night Stand
    Charming performances from both leads and insightful vignettes makes up for occasional clumsy writing and plot developments.
    • 51 Metascore
    • 60 David Parkinson
    Hello, Dolly!
    Emphasis has been placed on extravaganza, when it should really have been placed on getting good performances out of a talented cast.
    • 75 Metascore
    • 60 David Parkinson
    Life, Animated
    A touch twee at times, but the use of classic and original animation is admirable, while Owen emerges as the king of sidekicks.
    • 65 Metascore
    • 60 David Parkinson
    The Harvey Girls
    Judy Garland is magnificent in this charming musical with a number of star turns from the impressive cast.
    • tbd Metascore
    • 60 David Parkinson
    Irreplaceable
    Persuasively played by fine leads and a well-cast ensemble, this thoughtful treatise captures provincial life and the medical mindset with authenticity and tact.
    • 68 Metascore
    • 60 David Parkinson
    Kumiko, The Treasure Hunter
    Rinko Kikuchi's superb core performance and some striking photography stand out in the latest feature from the Zellner Brothers.
    • 80 Metascore
    • 60 David Parkinson
    Which Way Is the Front Line from Here? The Life and Time of Tim Hetherington
    Unsurprisingly, considering the circumstances, this is less a meticulous study of photojournalist's art than an privileged and emotional look at the life of a friend and colleague.
    • 55 Metascore
    • 60 David Parkinson
    Secret Things
    Stylish and gripping at times, this wry very-French gender satire is definitetly entertaining but falls down a little in the third act.
    • 81 Metascore
    • 60 David Parkinson
    Ballets Russes
    One of the finest documentaries ever made about the performing arts, this magisterial history of the companies that danced under the name Ballet Russe will enchant dance aficionados and novices alike.
    • 61 Metascore
    • 60 David Parkinson
    Stockholm, My Love
    It's more than a little precious, but it's also sincere, touching and astute in its insights into social geography and human nature.
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