Dumbstruck
Truly Indie | Release Date: April 15, 2011 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
47
METASCORE
Mixed or average reviews based on 10 Critic Reviews
Positive:
1
Mixed:
9
Negative:
0
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
70
The Hollywood ReporterSheri LindenApr 12, 2011
The spotlight illuminates a well-chosen quintet of subjects, all wholesomely passionate practitioners of a readily dissed form of entertainment and each at a different point in their career. Read full review
60
Boxoffice MagazineMark KeizerApr 26, 2011
The resulting distillation is brisk, light and engaging with none of the cheap shots that usually accompany any discussion of ventriloquism. If anything, Goffman is too gentle, refusing to pursue his charges into their darker corners. Read full review
58
The A.V. ClubAlison WillmoreApr 21, 2011
The film's tendency to pull away once its character start their performances adds to the sense that director Mark Goffman knows his money shots will showcase the vents' oddities rather than their acts. Read full review
50
San Francisco ChronicleAmy BiancolliJun 2, 2011
A minor but sometimes touching documentary. Read full review
50
New York PostV.A. MusettoApr 22, 2011
Unpretentious, TV-style documentary. Read full review
50
The New York TimesJeannette CatsoulisApr 21, 2011
The writer and director, Mark Goffman, sticks to a no-frills style that makes the film feel longer than its 1 hour 24 minutes. Read full review
50
Village VoiceEric HynesApr 19, 2011
All are compelling subjects, especially the disarmingly gifted and emotionally relatable Horn. But Goffman's either unwilling or incapable of getting them to move their lips to reveal enough of themselves, or of their artistry, to make the already overly familiar endeavor worth anyone's time. Read full review
50
VarietyPeter DebrugeApr 12, 2011
It's only natural that audiences should root for such characters to succeed, but since human nature also harbors a mean streak, it's peculiar that Dumbstruck doesn't better exploit the obvious humor of its eccentric subject. Read full review
40
New York Daily NewsJoe NeumaierApr 22, 2011
An earnest but undeniably eye-rolling documentary about the denizens of this odd pocket of show business. Read full review
40
Time OutS. James SnyderApr 19, 2011
Some ventriloquists win the fame game, while some remain stuck in the D-list dugout. The fact that Dumbstruck doesn't even attempt to differentiate these camps makes the film feel as if it's just talking out of the side of its mouth. Read full review
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