54
Metascore
25 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 75Rolling StonePeter TraversRolling StonePeter TraversBuscemi does not act in Lonesome Jim, but his sly humor and keen eye for nuance resonate in every frame. I can't recall having a better time at a movie about depression.
- 75PremierePremiereWith a cast of well-chosen actors, a good script, and an eye for making ordinary suburban scenes visually heartbreaking, director Steve Buscemi's small story of failure, depression-and ultimately, love-in one Indiana town rings painfully true-to-life.
- 70Film ThreatFilm ThreatAffleck is dead on as the hapless Jim but the film is nearly stolen from him by Mark Boone Jr. who plays Jim's drug induced Uncle Evil. Kevin Corrigan is also great as Jim's brother Tim.
- 70The Hollywood ReporterThe Hollywood ReporterUnder Buscemi's overall smart direction, the acting is terrific.
- 60VarietyDennis HarveyVarietyDennis HarveyThere's a slightness to the mildly eccentric material here that leaves the whole enterprise in danger of fluttering away.
- 58Christian Science MonitorPeter RainerChristian Science MonitorPeter RainerMostly a snooze. Maybe if Buscemi himself had starred in it things would have turned out better.
- 50Village VoiceMichael AtkinsonVillage VoiceMichael AtkinsonLonesome Jim has the import of a deliberately squelched sitcom, or a home movie that's poisoned by unhappiness but shown anyway for stray laughs.
- 50The A.V. ClubKeith PhippsThe A.V. ClubKeith PhippsIt finds some fine comedic moments when it stops focusing on Affleck's never-ending angst and starts exploring small-town oddness.
- 42Entertainment WeeklyLisa SchwarzbaumEntertainment WeeklyLisa SchwarzbaumBuscemi is stymied here by the inertia of his material.
- 40The New York TimesStephen HoldenThe New York TimesStephen HoldenMr. Buscemi wrote and starred in the small gem of a movie ("Trees Lounge"), which had more psychological nuance than this emotionally cauterized slice of minimalist malaise.