83
Metascore
11 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 100Chicago TribuneMichael WilmingtonChicago TribuneMichael WilmingtonBaby Doll failed because it was stigmatized as dirty. Watching it now, it seems fresh and witty, knowing but not lewd. [26 May 2006, p.C1]
- A near-classic, balanced evenly between camp and carnality.
- 88Chicago ReaderJonathan RosenbaumChicago ReaderJonathan RosenbaumIt's largely Kazan's authentic feeling for the locale, aided by Boris Kaufman's superb black-and-white cinematography, that makes this movie so special, combined with a first-rate ensemble.
- 88ObserverObserverBaby Doll doesn't go as deep as A Streetcar Named Desire or even On the Waterfront. But it's the most seamless melding of Kazan's abilities as an actor's director and a filmmaker. [12 Jun 2006]
- 80TV Guide MagazineTV Guide MagazineAlthough Baby Doll feels tame today, the cinematography and appropriately sleazy setting still have a sizzling effect, especially in a notorious porch-swing tryst between stars Carroll Baker and Eli Wallach.
- 80The New YorkerPauline KaelThe New YorkerPauline KaelWilliams doesn't seem sure how to resolve the movie, but it's wonderfully entertaining.
- 75The Globe and Mail (Toronto)Liam LaceyThe Globe and Mail (Toronto)Liam LaceyIt still stands up as astonishingly sleazy entertainment. [15 Jun 2002, p.R1]
- 70Time OutTime OutIts erotic content now seems tame indeed; but the grotesquely caricatured performances and the evocation of the baking, dusty, indolent homestead make for witty and compelling viewing.
- 60The New York TimesBosley CrowtherThe New York TimesBosley CrowtherMr. Kazan keeps the courtship bouncing between the emotional and the ludicrous. The nonchalance of the pursuer is its most entertaining grace.