Jolene 2010

Jeannette Catsoulis, New York Times: Ms. Chastain digs deep. Surrendering to her character's smoky voice-over and disastrous judgment, the actress finds pockets of soul in a role that's part Jessica Rabbit, part Marilyn Monroe. Read more

Andrew Schenker, Time Out: One minute a guy's making Jolene patently false promises, the next she's getting sodomized on her wedding night. Read more

Tom Keogh, Seattle Times: Chastain proves near-heroic embodying Jolene's innate strength and incremental wisdom. Yet she also makes us understand how the heroine's wobbly resistance to manipulative characters is overwhelmed time and again. Read more

Frank Scheck, Hollywood Reporter: Read more

Lou Lumenick, New York Post: So bad it's almost (but not quite) good, Dan Ireland's Jolene is an unusually elaborate and excruciatingly long vanity production... Read more

Rex Reed, New York Observer: The movie has been through as many hurdles getting here as dear, sweet Jolene, but sometimes the most engaging movies are the ones worth waiting for. Read more

Rob Nelson, Variety: Though stretched to a two-hour run time, Doctorow's socially critical tale is reduced to queasy spectacle. Read more

Nick Schager, Village Voice: Throughout, Chastain delivers a full-bodied debut performance, but she's ultimately stuck taking her wandering-soul protagonist far more seriously than it -- or the film -- deserves. Read more