As a portrait of stasis brought on by poverty and a study of youthful abandon gone sour in the face of zero opportunities, this is sensitive stuff, even if there’s little that’s surprising.
Comment
12/05/08
Summer (2008)
78
%
Tomatometer
How does the Tomatometer work 
Reviews Counted:9
Fresh:7
Rotten:2
Average Rating:5.5/10
Consensus: Strong sensitive performances in this low-budget British drama illuminate this tough gritty picture.
Rated: 15
Theatrical Release:05-12-2008
Starring: Robert Carlyle
Reviews for Summer
1 - 9 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
Top CriticStrong performances across the board elevate a small-scale tale that's easy to admire but hard to get excited about.
12/05/08
Top CriticGlenaan’s spare film, set on a council estate in Bolsover, shows how dreams are cruelly extinguished, yet little bits of surreal magic illuminate this tough film with glimmers of hope.
12/05/08
Top CriticThere are a few literal-minded scene-by-scene explanations too many; how undiagnosed dyslexia made a bad kid out of Shaun. It's a shame as they put the emotional heart of film at arm's-length.
12/05/08
Top CriticA quiet film to inspire quiet admiration, Kenny Glenaan's wistful character piece has a lovely asset in Robert Carlyle - often a careless chooser of parts, but a gentle, sensitive actor in his element here.
12/05/08
Top CriticCarlyle’s central turn is one of the year's most poignant and tear-jerking acting displays, easily erasing the misstep of Eragon.
12/05/08
Carlyle is exemplary. As the grown-up dyslexic tending a dying boyhood friend (Evets) he mints extra “dialogue” – the kind not written down – with each facial response.
12/05/08
Some decent performances but not enough that's distinctive to earn a recommendation.
12/05/08
Sharply written with an award-winning performance from Robert Carlyle, this is an engaging drama that packs a powerful emotional punch.
12/05/08
1 - 9 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
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|---|---|---|
| 100% | The Red Shoes | 11/12 |
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| 67% | Carriers | 11/12 |
| 40% | The Limits of Control | 11/12 |
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