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Reviews Counted:155
Fresh:112
Rotten:43
Average Rating:6.7/10
Consensus: Kinnear and Dafoe help make this downward spiral of one man's life a compelling watch.
Runtime: 1 hr 46 mins
Genre: Dramas
Synopsis: AUTO FOCUS is the story of Bob Crane (Greg Kinnear), who was the star of the television series HOGAN'S HEROES in the 1960s. Before he achieved that particular fame, Crane was a popular radio talk... [More]
Starring: Greg Kinnear, Willem Dafoe, Rita Wilson, Maria Bello
Director: Paul Schrader
Despite excellent performances, this sordid story of the rise and decline of a modestly talented actor elicits little sympathy. It's a tawdry, turgid saga of self-destruction that leaves an aftertaste of profound sadness.
Auto focus does for sex what Trainspotting did for Heroine.
All told, it's worth a peek for Kinnear's bravery, but let's be honest, that Anna Nicole show is just as unsettling.
While the disconcerting visual style and the long, dull stretches that cover the same ground over and over again did not work for me, I will say that the acting is tremendously good.
This sexaholic Lost Weekend is way too punitive -- the celebrity version of Looking For Mr. Goodbar.
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A compelling motion picture that illustrates an American tragedy.
Combines the least appealing aspects of the biopic (episodic narrative, lack of imagination) with the least appealing aspects of the junkie's-downward-spiral genre (wearying repetition, lofty condescension).
Kinnear and Defoe have real chemistry, and it's a tribute to their talent that they manage to make these two pervs genuinely sympathetic.
A potent and provocative look at how the male ego is affected by sex and self-image, especially when magnified by celebrity.
If [it] fails to be the truly great statement that it obviously yearns to be, it can't be faulted much for trying, since most of its failures on that account arise from its desire to remain honest about its subject's limitations.
It would be a mistake to write this movie off as yet another Star Is Born-type biopic about the rise and fall of a latter%u2011day celebrity. Schrader is after something deeper here and even when he misses the mark, the film remains involving.
Has no real plot, composed of a mishmash of scenes thematically concerned with Crane's moral downfall. There is no build up or suspense.
Gets to you like a low-grade fever, a malaise with no known antidote.
Top CriticMayonnaise-bland biopic, with a woefully miscast Greg Kinnear in a performance that is so dull that the kitschy sets and costumes constantly upstage him.
Auto Focus is very well done all around, from the direction to the acting, but it never quite becomes the superb piece of work it wants to be.
[Crane] is played with a touching, eager-to-please obliviousness by Greg Kinnear.
Greg Kinnear gives a mesmerizing performance as a full-fledged sex addict who is in complete denial about his obsessive behavior.
Effective but too-tepid biopic
The film delivers a compelling character study, but its shortcomings reside in the nature of each frame, which presents itself one-dimensionally, without a peripheral realm.
November 17, 2005:
Critical Consensus: "Harry Potter," "Walk the Line" Both Certified Fre
This week's wide releases find us within both a goblet and a burnin' ring of fire. We've got legends, both fantastic ("Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire") and... More...
May 17, 2005:
Trailer Bulletin: "A History of Violence"
Thanks to the official Cannes Film Festival website for posting the all-new trailer for David Cronenberg's "A History of Violence." The New Line Cinema release, which... More...
December 09, 2004:
Schrader's Shelved Exorcist Sequel to See Limited Release in '05
Moviehole chimes in with an exclusive scoop update on Paul Schrader's version of "Exorcist: The Beginning": "Why isn't Paul Schrader's cut of "The Exorcist:... More...
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