55
Metascore
22 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 90SalonAndrew O'HehirSalonAndrew O'HehirIt's the most original picture by an American director I've seen this year, and also the most delightful.
- 80The New York TimesStephen HoldenThe New York TimesStephen HoldenThere is more raw vitality pumping through Romance & Cigarettes, John Turturro’s passionate ode to the sensual pulse of life in a working-class neighborhood of Queens, than in a dozen perky high school musicals. This is a movie in which a dirty mind is a good thing. Call it “The Singing Id.” Prudes, be forewarned.
- 75ReelViewsJames BerardinelliReelViewsJames BerardinelliIt's almost unfair to make the comparison because there are so many fundamental differences, but the closest recent movie to Romance and Cigarettes is "Moulin Rouge." The key likeness is easy to spot: the characters spontaneously break into familiar pop songs.
- 63New York Daily NewsJack MathewsNew York Daily NewsJack MathewsIf you're game for something different, it's worth a few giggles.
- 50VarietyDerek ElleyVarietyDerek ElleyChockfull of ideas and with an irreverence that irresistibly recalls late '60s American cinema, thesp John Turturro's third outing in the helmer's chair, Romance & Cigarettes, alternately shines and sputters.
- 50Village VoiceVillage VoiceThe bleakly bizarre, uneven aesthetic and direction that is fluid but not quite limber succeed and fail from montage to montage, with the principals doing a sort of karaoke tribute to the likes of Joplin and Springsteen.
- 50New York PostKyle SmithNew York PostKyle SmithIt has cult item stamped all over it, and fans of (severely) experimental cinema might see it as a revelation. Most others will find that watching this movie is like having your senses beaten with a rake.
- 42Entertainment WeeklyEntertainment WeeklyWith Walken around, hair up high, of course there are fleeting moments of fascinating weirdness, but even then, you're still moderately embarrassed for the cast.
- 38TV Guide MagazineMaitland McDonaghTV Guide MagazineMaitland McDonaghThe trouble is that Turturro's reach considerably exceeds his grasp.
- 30The Hollywood ReporterRay BennettThe Hollywood ReporterRay BennettThe sad result is a karaoke nightmare. Loud and pointlessly crude, the film takes the disintegration of a dysfunctional working-class family and gives it the song-and-dance treatment.