The Boys in the Boatcapsizes with critics, which accentuates his 12-year losing streak. A-list Hollywood actor,George Clooney, has taken his fair share of turns in the director’s chair over the years, but Clooney hasn’t had one of his films register a “fresh” rating on the Tomatometer since 2011. AndThe Boys in the Boat’searly reviews aren’t going to right that ship any time soon. At the time of this writing, the film holds a 44% rating against 32 reviews. Barry Hertz ofGlobe and Mailwrites in his critique:
“Nine films into his directorial career now, and it is clear that the guy only operates on two behind-the-scenes wavelengths: He’ll either frustrate or bore you to death. Either way, to watch ‘A George Clooney Film’ is to accept a good, long nap.”
The last movie Clooney directed that scored with critics came with 2011’sThe Ides of March. Based on the staged production,Farragut North, written by playwright and Juilliard alum Beau Willimon,The Ides of Marchboasts an 83% on Rotten Tomatoes. The political drama also starred Clooney as the unscrupulous Governor Mike Norris who is called out for his corruption by the film’s protagonist (Ryan Gosling) when the politician’s abhorrent behavior leads to the suicide of a young woman (Evan Rachel Wood) the governor is having an affair with.
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The Boys in the Boat Sinks
Critics are lambasting George Clooney’s sportsdrama,The Boys in the Boat, but it’s impossible to gauge how the film is performing with audiences. At the time of this writing,Clooney’s latest big-screen venturehasn’t been screened by cinephiles, and it won’t drop in theaters until its limited screenings on Sunday, December 17 — a very odd release date compared to the normal theatrical openings, which are more times than not scheduled for Fridays. Chase Hutchinson of Collider writes in his review:
“For being based on such a memorable story, it’s incredible how forgettable The Boys in the Boat is. Clooney’s direction is so empty and the writing so trite that it leaves the committed cast stranded out on the water with nowhere meaningful to go.”
While the majority of critics are maligning Clooney’s most recent cinematic effort, there are still those who see the merits of the director’s on-screen endeavors. Moira MacDonald of the Seattle Times says:
It leaves you with an uncomplicated warmth that few films find these days. The rest of the story’s there in the pages of the book, just waiting for you.
Sheri Linden of The Hollywood Reporter adds:
At times The Boys in the Boat could have used more of an edge. But like the Huskies, it gets the job done, stumbling sometimes but mostly assured.
After its limited 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. screenings on Sunday, December 17,The Boys in the Boatwill open in wide release across the United States on Christmas Eve. The film stars Joel Edgerton, Callum Turner and Peter Guinness inGeorge Clooney’s uplifting storyof the real-life University of Washington rowing team that competed in the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin.
