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Movies / On DVD / The Caveman's Valentine
The Caveman's Valentine

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The Caveman's Valentine (2001)

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Reviews Counted:80

Fresh:35

Rotten:45

Average Rating:5.1/10

Consensus: The Caveman's Valentine has an intriguing premise, but the film falls flat under the weight of its ambition.

Runtime: 1 hr 46 mins

Genre: Dramas

Synopsis: Romulus Ledbetter (Samuel L. Jackson) is a schizophrenic homeless man who lives in a cave in a New York City park and believes that his nemesis is trying to control the world by projecting... Romulus Ledbetter (Samuel L. Jackson) is a schizophrenic homeless man who lives in a cave in a New York City park and believes that his nemesis is trying to control the world by projecting mind-control beams from the Chrysler Building. Romulus is also a Juilliard-trained pianist who retreated into a world of fantasy and paranoia when the stress of his professional and family lives became too much. When Romulus finds a young homeless man frozen to death outside his cave, the police write it off as an accident but Romulus investigates and discovers evidence of murder. While trying to reconcile with his policewoman daughter, Romulus sneakily investigates a trendy artist and his models for evidence of murder, blackmail, and more. Based on the novel by George Dawes Green, THE CAVEMAN'S VALENTINE is a unique trip into the disturbed but still highly intelligent mind of a character only Samuel L. Jackson could pull off. Director Kasi Lemmons, who previously directed Jackson in EVE'S BAYOU, takes us inside Romulus's mind using spectacular and jarring special effects, yet never letting the viewer forget the simple, human drama at the heart of the film. Offbeat and unique, THE CAVEMAN'S VALENTINE is a truly independent creation. [More]

Starring: Samuel L. Jackson, Tamara Tunie, Aunjanue Ellis, Colm Feore

Starring: Samuel L. Jackson, Tamara Tunie, Aunjanue Ellis, Colm Feore, Anthony Michael Hall, Ann Magnuson, Jay Rodan, Damir Andrei, Rodney Eastman, Peter MacNeill, Kate McNeil

Director: Kasi Lemmons

Director: Kasi Lemmons
Screenwriter: George Dawes Green
Producer: Danny DeVito, Michael Shamberg, Stacey Sher, Elie Samaha, Andrew Stevens
Composer: Terence Blanchard
Studio: Universal Pictures

[See More Credits]

Reviews for The Caveman's Valentine

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1 - 20 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
Text View | 1 2 3 4 5 >> >|
Arrange By:Fresh | Rotten | Comments | Name | Source | Date
 
 

A sophomore jinx for Lemmons, an overstuffed drama that fails to satisfy as a murder mystery or as a spiritual redemption saga of a homeless man, disappointingly played by Samuel Jackson (who was misdirected).

Full Review Source: EmanuelLevy.Com | comment Comment
05/31/06
Emanuel Levy
Emanuel Levy
EmanuelLevy.Com
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Combustible Celluloid | comment Comment
05/26/06
Jeffrey M. Anderson
Jeffrey M. Anderson
Combustible Celluloid

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Film Threat | comment Comment
12/06/05
Film Threat

Remember David Helfgott, the concert pianist who goes mad in Shine? Imagine him in dreadlocks and as the star of a detective thriller, and you have a better understanding of The Caveman’s Valentine than the people who made it.

Full Review Source: Northwest Herald (Crystal Lake, IL) | comment Comment
06/11/03
Jeffrey Westhoff
Jeffrey Westhoff
Northwest Herald (Crystal Lake, IL)
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Film Blather | comment Comment
05/22/03
Eugene Novikov
Eugene Novikov
Film Blather

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Palo Alto Weekly | comment Comment
05/20/03
Jose Antonio Vargas
Jose Antonio Vargas
Palo Alto Weekly
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: BlackFilm.com | comment Comment
05/13/03
Wilson Morales
Wilson Morales
BlackFilm.com
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Austin Chronicle | comment Comment
03/10/03
Kimberly Jones
Kimberly Jones
Austin Chronicle

Really not much more than an urban Scooby Doo episode, only Shaggy is black and with far more facial hair.

Full Review Source: Film Threat | comment Comment
12/08/02
Anthony Miele
Anthony Miele
Film Threat

Jackson struggles mightily with a thankless role which has him doing and saying way too many absurd things.

Full Review Source: San Diego Metropolitan | comment Comment
10/21/02
Jean Lowerison
Jean Lowerison
San Diego Metropolitan

Lemmons creates mesmerizing passages, but she can't bring this one to a fulfilling crescendo.

Full Review Source: Denver Rocky Mountain News | comment Comment
08/09/02
Robert Denerstein
Robert Denerstein
Denver Rocky Mountain News

Samuel L. Jackson is awesome…this movie isn't.

Full Review Source: Supercala.com | comment Comment
07/09/02
Paul Salfen
Paul Salfen
Supercala.com

A few great and original developments.

Full Review Source: Goatdog's Movies | comment Comment
03/31/02
Michael W. Phillips, Jr.
Michael W. Phillips, Jr.
Goatdog's Movies

This is a commercial film with limited ambitions.

Full Review Source: Globe and Mail | comment Comment
03/22/02
Ray Conlogue
Ray Conlogue
Globe and Mail

It’s unfortunate that all this talent is misplaced on what is, essentially, a contrived mystery.

Full Review Source: Mark Reviews Movies | comment Comment
02/26/02
Mark Dujsik
Mark Dujsik
Mark Reviews Movies
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: San Francisco Examiner | comment Comment
10/30/01
Joe Leydon
Joe Leydon
San Francisco Examiner

Though not as brilliant as Eve's Bayou, The Caveman's Valentine represents an admirable sophomore effort, and a terrific showcase for Samuel L. Jackson.

Full Review Source: Flipside Movie Emporium | comment Comment
10/24/01
Rob Vaux
Rob Vaux
Flipside Movie Emporium
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Premiere Magazine | comment Comment
09/04/01
Glenn Kenny
Glenn Kenny
Premiere Magazine

...not enough sustained mystery or suspense for a good crime thriller and not enough unique insights or perceptions for a good character study.

Full Review Source: DVDTown.com | comment Comment
07/16/01
John J. Puccio
John J. Puccio
DVDTown.com

It's a less-than- compelling drama and a much-less- than-compelling murder mystery, and it squanders a first-rate cast.

Full Review Source: Deseret News, Salt Lake City | comment Comment
04/27/01
Jeff Vice
Jeff Vice
Deseret News, Salt Lake City
 
 
1 - 20 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
Text View | 1 2 3 4 5 >> >|
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