The Private Lives of Pippa Lee 2009

A.O. Scott, At the Movies: I was interested in the characters and situations, but I was not absorbed. Read more

Joshua Rothkopf, Time Out: Adult children and friends watch nervously as Pippa reclaims a measure of spunk; too bad it all feels like one of those pharmaceutical ads for longer, healthier lifestyles. Read more

Jonathan F. Richards, Film.com: A superb performance by Robin Wright Penn illuminates Rebecca Miller's intelligent and revealing look at the inner wild child beneath a 50-ish Connecticut matron. Read more

Noel Murray, AV Club: For a movie about the unpredictability of life, Pippa Lee plays it awfully safe. Read more

Peter Rainer, Christian Science Monitor: By turns antic, frantic, and dull, Pippa Lee is unconvincing -- emotionally, dramatically, filmically. Read more

Lisa Schwarzbaum, Entertainment Weekly: Read more

Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times: Pippa's crisis of guilt -- about troubled lives she couldn't fix and parts of her personality she rashly abandoned -- is ultimately swamped by Miller's own sketchy grasp of what's funny or heartbreaking or illuminating about her characters. Read more

Rene Rodriguez, Miami Herald: There's a deliberate quality to the storytelling that makes the movie drag in many scenes; and yet, numerous characters flit by that we don't have time to really meet. Read more

Stephen Whitty, Newark Star-Ledger: [It announces] that a very good actress is back and ready to start a new and interesting life of her own. Read more

Ian Buckwalter, NPR: As a woman under the influence of everyone but herself, Pippa often feels lost when she's on her own - a blank slate with no one holding a chalk - Robin Wright Penn allows us to get to know a character who still doesn't really know herself. Read more

Lou Lumenick, New York Post: Miller never really fleshes out all of these colorful characters in her emotionally facile script, leaving the heavy lifting to the actors. Fortunately for The Private Lives of Pippa Lee, Wright is more than up to the challenge. Read more

Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star Tribune: The movie has the busy-aimless feeling of a cocktail party rather than a rigorously constructed drama. Interesting people drift through, anecdotes are shared, attention shifts here and there, and abruptly it's time to go. Read more

Liam Lacey, Globe and Mail: Awkward in ways both intended and not. Read more

Linda Barnard, Toronto Star: Miller has created a witty satire about society and relationships that is both funny and heartbreaking, delivered by a first-rate cast. Read more

Mary F. Pols, TIME Magazine: Pippa should be a career changer. Wright Penn's cards are finally on the table, and it looks like a full house. Read more

Trevor Johnston, Time Out: On a scene-by-scene basis, though, it's classily effective, mainly because of Wright Penn's skill in nailing the precise tenor of every moment. Read more

Claudia Puig, USA Today: Wright gives the title character a complexity and emotional shading often missing in this kind of ensemble comedy/drama. Read more

Melissa Anderson, Village Voice: In this densely populated ensemble piece, Reeves stands out as the only actor whose damaged character evokes sympathy and avoids cliche. Read more