- Network: HBO
- Series Premiere Date: Oct 28, 2013
Critic Reviews
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Every enlightening, poignant or funny word is true in the documentary airing Monday on HBO. The fact that it is so funny eventually becomes strangely sad, which makes the film thoroughly enjoyable but also irresistibly provocative.
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While Seduced and Abandoned may be hard to categorize, it is easy to sum up: amazing.
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Seduced and Abandoned doesn’t always stay on track, but nonetheless never derails. It’s both a romp and a stomp, with Cannes the go-between.
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[A] tantalizing quasi-mock-documentary.
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Baldwin and Toback’s bloviating can grate, and the whole project comes across as pretty frivolous when all is said and done. But for film buffs with an interest in the frustrating business side of things, it’s a rare glimpse into a crucial part of the moviemaking industry.
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There are knocks in Seduced and Abandoned, but none of them seem that hard.
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If it’s even partly a put-on, Seduced and Abandoned is nevertheless a fun, larky travel essay and commentary on the film biz, an exquisite wallow in the most rarefied sort of first-world problems.
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[Toback is] an uneven director, yes, but a frequently brilliant interviewer.
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Rather than produce a compelling documentary, they felt the need to insert themselves in a story that didn't require it.
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Seduced is many things: a funny road trip, a canny look at Cannes and the industry, a conversation with directors about their epic battles to get their masterpieces on screen. If it had stuck to one idea, it might have made a terrific documentary.
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It’s all done in a tone of subtly absurdist humor, which is fine but wearing. While explanations of international marketability and aftermarket products may fascinate Hollywood, they soon become white noise.
Awards & Rankings
User score distribution:
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Positive: 1 out of 2
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Mixed: 1 out of 2
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Negative: 0 out of 2
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Oct 29, 2013