Game Change 2012

Sarah Rodman, Boston Globe: A compelling, sometimes funny, sometimes poignant dramatization of the behind-the-scenes machinations of the Republican side of the 2008 presidential campaign that is unlikely to sway already entrenched opinions on both sides. Read more

Mary McNamara, Los Angeles Times: The overall atmosphere of the film is surprisingly kind to all. Read more

David Hinckley, New York Daily News: It takes a story whose outline we know and uses backstage access to turn it into a well-paced drama. Read more

David Hiltbrand, Philadelphia Inquirer: The dramatic re-creations are somewhat uneven: The convention staging is quite convincing, the campaign trail less so. Read more

Nancy DeWolf Smith, Wall Street Journal: The theme of women who are unobjectionable (and even sexy) until they have real power, at which point they are labeled mentally unstable and must be shut down, isn't new. Read more

Alessandra Stanley, New York Times: This is a sharp-edged but not unsympathetic portrait of a flawed heroine. Read more

Ed Bark, Uncle Barky: As an entertaining, briskly paced political yarn, it's right up there with HBO's Emmy-winning Recount. Read more

Scott Tobias, AV Club: The film does little but provide the real Palin with more grist for her endless media-persecution narrative. Read more

Liz Smith, Chicago Tribune: Actress Moore makes one actually feel sorry for Sarah Palin at points in this wonderful film. Read more

Joanne Ostrow, Denver Post: While Moore's performance is riveting, the most insightful aspects of the tale are the insider reactions. Read more

Ken Tucker, Entertainment Weekly: Game Change does stress a theme that applies to both sides of the aisle. Read more

Brian Dickerson, Detroit Free Press: Game Change, which explores how smart people make dumb decisions, is a movie for all of us. Read more

Tim Goodman, Hollywood Reporter: It's a fascinating behind-the-scenes look at politics - as long as you're a Democrat. Read more

Verne Gay, Newsday: A luminous and fully alive portrait by a first-rate actress. Read more

Linda Stasi, New York Post: The movie is more balanced than I expected. Read more

Alex Pareene, Salon.com: The constant use of actual news footage adds a bit of verisimilitude but also constantly raises the question of why this lightly fictionalized version of the election actually needs to exist. Read more

David Wiegand, San Francisco Chronicle: Game Change is graced by three extraordinary performances in the leading roles, beginning with Moore's portrayal of Palin, which is both complex and entirely credible. Read more

Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: Seeing Game Change is like living again through the campaign of 2008. Read more

James Poniewozik, TIME Magazine: It all feels like piling on - the campaign movie as blooper reel. Read more

Alec MacGillis, The New Republic: Try as the filmmakers might, it just isn't the same. How could it be, really? Read more

Robert Bianco, USA Today: Pleasure, you may get out of Game Change. Truth will be in the eye of the beholder. Read more

Brian Lowry, Variety: Beyond the campaign, the movie yields sobering observations about the legitimacy of cable news, modern political extremism and the shrillest voices influencing the Republican Party. Read more

Matt Zoller Seitz, New York Magazine/Vulture: The movie is so smart and ethical that I wish it were better. Read more

Hank Stuever, Washington Post: Game Change comes too soon and too raw, smack in the middle of another ugly political season. Read more