Poolhall Junkies 2002

Richard Roeper, Ebert & Roeper: [A]ll of it just seems so familiar and so trite, we know exactly where this is going. Read more

Robert K. Elder, Chicago Tribune: If it's hard to make a Western without John Wayne, it's even tougher to film a pool hall flick without Paul Newman -- as Poolhall Junkies proves. Read more

Manohla Dargis, Los Angeles Times: The film groans under the weight of its platitudes no matter how lightly Johnny dances around a pool table. Read more

Lisa Schwarzbaum, Entertainment Weekly: An unwieldy jumble of empty tough-guy gestures. Read more

Jason Anderson, Globe and Mail: As a director, Callahan wants the verve that Martin Scorsese brought to The Color of Money, but his visual approach is careless, relying too much on cliched slo-mo and hasty edits. Read more

Paul Malcolm, L.A. Weekly: A one-way ticket to Palookaville. Read more

Jan Stuart, Newsday: 90 minutes of slow-leaking, macho stomach gas, in which everyone talks like they were on brawny pills and every tawdry song on the soundtrack makes you feel as if you were trapped in a lap dance club. Read more

A.O. Scott, New York Times: Overplotted. Read more

Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: Is this a great movie? Not at all. Is it more or less consistently entertaining? Yes. Read more

Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star Tribune: This brash little indie is oddly endearing and fun to be around. Read more

Geoff Pevere, Toronto Star: Whatever you want to say about this Mars Callaghan -- who is an avid cue-man in real life -- he would seem to be able to sink anything. Darned if he doesn't make this whole movie disappear. Read more

Todd McCarthy, Variety: Read more

David Ng, Village Voice: Low-grade billiard porn that earnestly believes in its own transparent hustle. Read more