Hemingway and Gellhorn
  • Network: HBO
  • Series Premiere Date: May 28, 2012
Metascore
54

Mixed or average reviews - based on 22 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 10 out of 22
  2. Mixed: 7 out of 22
  3. Negative: 5 out of 22

Critic Reviews

  1. People Weekly
    Reviewed by: Tom Gliatto
    May 25, 2012
    38
    Clive Owen teams with Nicole Kidman for a long, lopsided slog through the life of Ernest Hemingway and war journalist Martha Gellhorn. [4 Jun 2012, p.42]
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  2. The New York Times
    Reviewed by: Mike Hale
    May 29, 2012
    30
    It's a disheartening misfire: a big, bland historical melodrama built on platitudes about honor and the writing life that crams in actual figures and incidents but does little to illuminate them, or to make us care about the romance at its center.
  3. Boston Herald
    Reviewed by: Mark A. Perigard
    May 29, 2012
    25
    Director Philip Kaufman's clumsy, bloated project--clocking in at a miserable two hours and 40 minutes--stars Clive Owen and Nicole Kidman in potentially career-mangling performances.
  5. Salon
    Reviewed by: Willa Paskin
    May 25, 2012
    10
    A disastrous two-and-a-half-hour Cliffs Notes on the passionate, dysfunctional love affair between Ernest Hemingway (Clive Owen) and his third wife, the war correspondent Martha Gellhorn (Nicole Kidman).
  6. The Huffington Post
    Reviewed by: Maureen Ryan
    May 25, 2012
    0
    Not only is Hemingway and Gellhorn wretched, it is bathed in pretentiousness and pseudo-intellectual delusions of grandeur. It's not just crap, it's expensive, painfully "artistic" crap starring a lot of actors who should have known better once they took a look at the script, which is hilariously awful.

User Reviews

All reviews »
User Score
6.2

Generally favorable reviews- based on 14 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 7 out of 14
  2. Mixed: 6 out of 14
  3. Negative: 1 out of 14
  1. smiyamot
    Sep 15, 2016
    7
    It's always a treat to see how the authors lived their lives. We read their books and identify with the characters, but are the authors likeIt's always a treat to see how the authors lived their lives. We read their books and identify with the characters, but are the authors like the characters they write? This is a look at one of the famous authors of our generation. Was he a "legend in his own mind?"… Full Review »
  2. Mae88
    Jun 3, 2012
    8
    I liked the acting more than the rest but the movie is well done. Not just a love story but a honest, vivid portrait of two important peopleI liked the acting more than the rest but the movie is well done. Not just a love story but a honest, vivid portrait of two important people that made our history but couldn't make a history for themselves. They were very similar but distant as well. The movie has faults but it's enjoyable. I don't understand the bad criticism. It's an old style movie, one of those epic movies they used to do and somehow they stopped. Kidman is impressive, emmy-worth, she's magnetic, powerful, uber beautiful. Owen was a little bit ouf of sea but he did a good job after all. I suggest everyone to watch it, it's not a masterpiece but not that bad as many say.… Full Review »
  3. axekat63
    May 29, 2012
    2
    Astonishing that Clive Owen, and Nucole Kiddman's agents did not nothing to stop the release of this film. HBO, while generally creating someAstonishing that Clive Owen, and Nucole Kiddman's agents did not nothing to stop the release of this film. HBO, while generally creating some of the best television, has failed with Hemingway and Gellhorn.
    This film will surely be at home with the B movie crowd that will no doubt make fun of the often stupid dialogue and poor acting. Th bombing love scene between our stars was especially moving... bowl moving! Lar Ulric makes an appearance as a film maker with an accent that can only be described as worse than the Irish Spring voice-over. Pure and simple.. Hemingway and Gellhorn was the worst Ive seen from HBO.    … Full Review »
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