Ted Shen

Select another critic »
Chicago Reader
For 78 reviews, this critic has graded:
  • 58% higher than the average critic
  • 2% same as the average critic
  • 40% lower than the average critic
On average, this critic grades 0.7 points higher than other critics. (0-100 point scale)

Ted Shen's Scores

  • Movies
  • TV
Average review score: 66
Highest review score: 100 Lilo & Stitch
Lowest review score: 30 Beautiful
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 45 out of 78
  2. Mixed: 30 out of 78
  3. Negative: 3 out of 78
78 movie reviews
view
per page
    • 57 Metascore
    • 80 Ted Shen
    My Wife Is an Actress
    The film tends to groan under the weight of his obsessions -- and his sister's fixation on circumcising her son -- yet for much of the 95-minute running time the chemistry between Attal's vulnerable husband and Gainsbourg's sweet, beguiling wife is irresistible. The terrific score is by jazz pianist Brad Mehldau.
    • 54 Metascore
    • 70 Ted Shen
    Freeze Me
    All this could've collapsed into empty shocks if not for Inoue's gripping performance as an exasperated single woman who senses her happiness slipping away with each vengeful blow.
    • 60 Metascore
    • 70 Ted Shen
    Together
    Chen tries to generate some suspense, but there's never any doubt which side has to win.
    • 78 Metascore
    • 70 Ted Shen
    Insomnia
    Pacino is typically excitable but also strangely sad, as if the case could take all he's got; Williams, on the other hand, tries playing against type but still goes over the top.
    • 64 Metascore
    • 70 Ted Shen
    Herod's Law
    Estrada references Welles throughout with his low-angle deep-focus shots, grotesque close-ups, and brassy sound track. The actors are uniformly excellent, embracing their arch roles without succumbing to caricature.
    • 63 Metascore
    • 70 Ted Shen
    Bombay Eunuch
    Shiva's voice-over narration and the commentary from academics (all in English) are spiked with gender-studies jargon but illuminate the history of this peculiar underclass, over 1.3 million strong, which is beginning to gather political power.
    • 53 Metascore
    • 70 Ted Shen
    ABCD
    Despite the familiar story, both kids are three-dimensional characters, and first-time director Patel embraces their generational dilemmas with feeling and wit.
    • 68 Metascore
    • 70 Ted Shen
    I Remember Me
    Its poignance and urgency are undeniable.
    • 68 Metascore
    • 70 Ted Shen
    Mule Skinner Blues
    Only the epilogue, a happy ending tacked on to counter the cascading disappointments, seems contrived.
    • 45 Metascore
    • 70 Ted Shen
    The Sum of All Fears
    Screenwriters Paul Attanasio and Daniel Pyne stick to Clancy's sure-fire formula -- building tension from the political infighting behind a worsening crisis.
    • 65 Metascore
    • 70 Ted Shen
    Daughters of the Sun
    At times Shahriar succumbs to self-conscious poeticism, and her male characters are invariably thieves and oppressors, but the film draws a good deal of power from the passive anguish of the girl.
    • 66 Metascore
    • 70 Ted Shen
    Barbershop
    Some of the verbal jousts are hot, and a Laurel and Hardy routine involving a stolen ATM is fitfully hilarious, but this reminds me of a pilot for a cable sitcom.
    • 63 Metascore
    • 70 Ted Shen
    Gaza Strip
    Heart-wrenching documentary.
    • 47 Metascore
    • 70 Ted Shen
    Like Mike
    Rides high on its old-fashioned sentiments and the precocious charms of its teenage star, who can be both obnoxious and endearing.
    • 77 Metascore
    • 70 Ted Shen
    Daughter from Danang
    Poignant if familiar story of a young person suspended between two cultures.
    • 72 Metascore
    • 60 Ted Shen
    A Song for Martin
    Only August's assured direction and the leads' solid performances elevate this above a TV "disease of the week" movie.
    • 72 Metascore
    • 60 Ted Shen
    Charlotte Sometimes
    The screenplay becomes annoyingly vague--Byler tries to conjure heavy weather out of Charlotte's mysterious past, but the details are confusing and the ending bewilderingly abrupt.
    • 69 Metascore
    • 60 Ted Shen
    The Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys
    Coming-of-age drama is pretty familiar stuff.
    • 45 Metascore
    • 60 Ted Shen
    The Scorpion King
    Within the limitations of the genre, the film succeeds fairly well, with enough giddy sophomoric humor, stunning fights, titillating sex, and exotic sets and costumes to keep an audience entertained.
    • 31 Metascore
    • 60 Ted Shen
    The Weekend
    Rowlands and Unger deliver sensitive performances, Shields is surprisingly good.
    • 70 Metascore
    • 60 Ted Shen
    Shadow Boxers
    Compensates with a sharp sense of rhythm, using hip-hop and turntablist sounds by Zoel to fuel Anthony Hardwick and Tony Wolberg's aggressive cinematography.
    • 49 Metascore
    • 60 Ted Shen
    Callas Forever
    Ardant embodies the diva's dazzling blend of glamour, hauteur, and vulnerability, and despite a faintly campy script by Martin Sherman, Zeffirelli captures the artistic imperative that drives both characters-and deepens their loneliness.
    • 56 Metascore
    • 60 Ted Shen
    The Lizzie McGuire Movie
    Director Jim Fall smoothly paces the action while staying true to the girlie thrills (luxury hotels, scenic jaunts, a fashion makeover), delivering an empty-headed but enjoyable romp.
    • 66 Metascore
    • 60 Ted Shen
    The Eye
    The Pang brothers rely heavily on visual razzle-dazzle (courtesy of cinematographer Decha Srimantra) and startling sound effects to work up the scares.
    • 51 Metascore
    • 60 Ted Shen
    Km. 0 - Kilometer Zero
    The film flits from one relationship to another, dispensing some well-acted bedroom scenes and a fair amount of angst and philosophical dialogue in a neighborhood bar.
    • 39 Metascore
    • 50 Ted Shen
    Restless
    The real drama is the city itself, steeped in history yet undergoing a Western face-lift.
    • 30 Metascore
    • 50 Ted Shen
    Eban and Charley
    One of the film's most poignant moments comes when he and his father discuss his compulsive attraction to young boys.
    • 47 Metascore
    • 50 Ted Shen
    Alma
    In the manner of a southern gothic, they never fail to fascinate.
    • 65 Metascore
    • 50 Ted Shen
    The Town Is Quiet
    Some of the film's situations and motivations seem convenient or underdeveloped, but Ascaride and Darroussin are riveting, and Guediguian's frankness and empathy illuminate this kaleidoscope of lonely lives.
    • 49 Metascore
    • 50 Ted Shen
    Good Boy!
    The special effects aren't too polished but the script is larded with cutesy life lessons to warm the hearts of dog lovers
Page:

Top Trailers

See all »
See all trailers »