Lay the Favorite
RADiUS-TWC | Release Date: December 7, 2012 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
38
METASCORE
Generally unfavorable reviews based on 17 Critic Reviews
Positive:
3
Mixed:
9
Negative:
5
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
75
San Francisco ChronicleMick LaSalleDec 6, 2012
A small and not particularly ambitious movie, but it's pleasing and exceptionally well made. It was directed by Stephen Frears, and while it's not up there with his best - "Dangerous Liaisons," "The Queen," "High Fidelity," "Cheri" - Lay the Favorite lavishes the same attention on the personal, on relationships, and, like most Frears films, it puts a woman at the center of the story. Read full review
63
New York PostKyle SmithDec 7, 2012
Frears has a lot of fun with the bad tempers and high spirits of this crew of adrenaline junkies, and though the story falls a little flat, the script is sprinkled with dry wit. Read full review
63
ReelViewsJames BerardinelliDec 4, 2012
On autopilot from beginning to end, Lay the Favorite feels like sitcom blown up to big-screen proportions. The laughs aren't raucous or numerous, the character development is sketchy at best, and the insider's perspective on bookies and gambling is superficial. Read full review
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