Intermission
DreamWorks Distribution | Release Date: March 19, 2004 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
64
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 27 Critic Reviews
Positive:
18
Mixed:
7
Negative:
2
Watch Now
Buy on

Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
100
San Francisco ChronicleRuthe Stein
A breed apart from anything coming off the Hollywood assembly line or, for that matter, from the saccharine romances Britain has lately produced. Read full review
91
Entertainment WeeklyLisa Schwarzbaum
The first Irish creation I've seen in ages to pull off the high-difficulty feat of trafficking in grit, drollery, and emotion without turning to blarney as a crutch. Read full review
90
Washington PostDesson Thomson
So full of pep you can't help surrendering to its creative energy. Read full review
88
Chicago Sun-TimesRoger Ebert
That it succeeds is some kind of miracle; there's enough material here for three bad films, and somehow it becomes one good one. Read full review
80
The New York TimesA.O. Scott
Altogether compelling. Read full review
80
Washington PostMichael O'Sullivan
Very, very funny, thanks to a lively first script by Mark O'Rowe, who has a good ear for earthy dialogue and a sense of life's absurd little synchronicities. Read full review
80
Chicago ReaderJ.R. Jones
Irish playwright Mark O'Rowe, who wrote the script, has an admirable sense of dramatic proportion that suits his intertwining stories; theater director John Crowley, making his film debut, has a sure hand with his actors; and an excellent cast enlivens this web of romantic and criminal intrigue, set in a gray suburb of Dublin. R. Read full review
80
The New YorkerAnthony Lane
John Crowley’s film is high on its own briskness, and its glances at Irish backstreet life land it securely in the terrain that was mapped out by Stephen Frears’s “The Snapper” and “The Van.” [5 April 2004, p. 89]
80
Dallas ObserverGregory Weinkauf
Stupid camera shenanigans aside, theater veteran Crowley deftly directs his large, stellar cast, and playwright-cum-screenwriter Mark O'Rowe serves up a wild knot of character arcs pitched somewhere among the neighborhoods of Ken Loach, Mike Leigh and Danny Boyle. Read full review
75
PremiereGlenn Kenny
It’s tempting to summarize this Irish picture as a working-class version of "Love Actually," and indeed, the hardscrabble lives of most of its amorously unfulfilled characters go a long way in making it a whole lot less emetic than Richard Curtis’s hugfest. Read full review
75
Boston GlobeTy Burr
Could fairly be described as a Robert Altman ensemble movie without the flab, or "Magnolia" with a mean streak and bigger laughs. Read full review
75
Chicago TribuneMark Caro
If Intermission isn't profound, it's got boisterous humor and energy, with U2's rollicking "Out of Control" leading the charge. Given the grimness of many Irish tales, Intermission represents less of a pause than a burst into a fresh direction. Read full review
75
Charlotte ObserverLawrence Toppman
Intermission is like a creme brulee, invigoratingly grainy when you bite into it but sweet and soft underneath. Director John Crowley and writer Mark O'Rowe infuse this Irish crime drama with such adrenaline that you don't realize how lightweight it is until after it's over. Read full review
75
Philadelphia InquirerCarrie Rickey
Here, love and violence are random, everyone's a fool for love, and tomfoolery often has a shocking twist. And every action has an equal and opposite reaction. Read full review
70
VarietyDerek Elley
Borderline grungy but highly entertaining comedy-drama. Read full review
70
TV Guide MagazineMaitland McDonagh
The film's uniformly excellent performances are a delight, and fans of Irish actor Farrell (whose pitch-perfect American accent has served him well in Hollywood) can hear both his natural inflections and his singing voice. Read full review
67
Portland OregonianKaren Karbo
A sort of low-down, dirty-faced Irish cousin of "Love Actually," the glossy smarm replaced by a jittery raunchiness. Read full review
63
New York PostLou Lumenick
"Love, Actually" meets "Trainspotting" in Intermission, an edgy Irish romantic comedy that deftly juggles a dozen interconnected story lines. Read full review
More From This Movie

64 Critic Reviews

7.5 User Reviews

Details & Credits|Trailers

Current Movie Releases
By MetascoreBy User Score
1 81 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple
2 77 Project Hail Mary
3 75 Send Help
4 73 Hoppers
5 71 The Sheep Detectives
SEE ALL
Essential Links
New on Amazon Prime Video
New on Netflix
Coming Soon to DVD/Blu-ray
SEE ALL