The Last Rites of Joe May
Tribeca Film | Release Date: November 4, 2011 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
64
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 13 Critic Reviews
Positive:
9
Mixed:
4
Negative:
0
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
88
Chicago Sun-TimesRoger EbertNov 22, 2011
The film, written and directed by Joe Maggio, only has this handful of characters and looks at them carefully. The dialogue is right, the conflicts are simple and sincere, the hopes are touching. Read full review
80
Wall Street JournalJohn AndersonNov 3, 2011
The truth is, Mr. Farina would be considered Oscar material if "Joe May" were a bigger film. As it is, he'll have to settle for being great. Read full review
75
New York PostLou LumenickNov 4, 2011
Veteran character actor Dennis Farina gives one of the best performances of the year in a rare lead part as an aging, down-on-his luck small-time hood in The Last Rites of Joe May. Read full review
75
The A.V. ClubScott TobiasNov 2, 2011
The Last Rites Of Joe May succeeds in some of the smaller details and the soulful performances. Read full review
75
IndieWireEric KohnOct 31, 2011
Dennis Farina's washed-up hustler in The Last Rites of Joe May is designed in the in the mold of a classic movie star tough guy, but the veteran character actor's performance also serves to disassemble it. Read full review
70
The New York TimesManohla DargisNov 3, 2011
Mr. Maggio's strengths here are his people (not their stories), a sense of intimacy and textured place rather than the generic hoops he forces the characters to jump through. Read full review
70
The Hollywood ReporterJohn DeForeNov 1, 2011
Dennis Farina gets the enviable opportunity to humanize the kind of character he has sometimes exaggerated comically in glossier films. Read full review
70
VarietyJohn AndersonNov 1, 2011
Despite all this boilerplate gangster-with-a-heart-of-gold stuff, there's an emotional payoff to "Joe May" that feels solid and right. Read full review
63
Slant MagazineGlenn Heath Jr.Oct 31, 2011
Watching Dennis Farina dominate every scene is a joy, and thankfully the actor makes the most of this opportunity. Read full review
60
Village VoiceNick PinkertonNov 1, 2011
Farina is un-self-conscious and true enough to alchemize cliché. Read full review
50
Chicago ReaderJ.R. JonesNov 23, 2011
This male weepie is ridden with cliches (Farina's character tends to a pigeon coop on his roof, for God's sake) and climaxes with a predictable act of self-abnegation. Read full review
40
New York Daily NewsJoe NeumaierNov 4, 2011
Unfortunately, director Joe Maggio's film, despite showing real promise and an ear for threats delivered with a smile, runs out of gas. Read full review
40
Time OutDavid FearNov 1, 2011
The more the veteran actor strives to give Joe a final dose of funereal dignity, the more the film around him seems intent on deep-sixing its MVP. Read full review
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