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05/22/04
Down to the Bone (2004)
93 %
Reviews Counted: 30 Fresh: 28 Rotten:2 Average Rating: 7.6/10
Consensus:
A vivid portrayal of the effects of drug abuse that avoids cinematic clichés, Down to the Bone is a winning effort by first-time director Debra Granik and features a breakout performance by Vera Farmiga.
Runtime: 1 hr 44 mins
Synopsis: Last year's Sundance Film Festival honored DOWN TO THE BONE with two high-profile, prestigious and extremely competitive awards: Best Director and A Special Jury Prize for acting. A stellar entry in the Dramatic Competition, writer/director Debra Granik, in her feature film debut, and... [More]
Genre: Dramas
Starring: Vera Farmiga, Hugh Dillon, Clint Jordan, Caridad De La Luz
Reviews
Top Critic
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10/28/06
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05/26/06
The movie seems to be about drug addiction and recovery, but it gradually shifts, becoming a look from an unusual angle at what a big job it is to be a parent and the priorities it requires.
03/16/06
This downbeat story of blue-collar drug abuse becomes a moving portrait of people battling their inner demons, thanks to an outstanding acting ensemble.
03/16/06
Farmiga effectively shows the fear, need and hope at war within Irene, how the false high of being clean for a week can fade when she realizes the second week isn't going to be any easier.
03/09/06
Strong performances from Vera Farmiga and Hugh Dillon keep things from becoming overdramatic.
01/09/06
If there were an ounce of taste left in Hollywood, the magnificent Vera Farmiga would be a front-runner for the Best Actress Oscar.
01/06/06
The film is so pitch perfect and realistic, it seems you are there with these people, watching their lives unfold before you as it happens.
12/16/05
if you've ever wondered why people in 12-step programs aren't supposed to sleep together right off the bat, well, this movie is about to show you, in detail.
12/15/05
Complex and full of paradoxes, the drug addicts go through rehab and yearn for redemption, but their experiences are not tidy and there's no sweeping resolution or neat conclusion.
12/02/05
This marks [Farmiga's] arrival as One to Watch. See her here, and you can say you remember the early days.
12/02/05
Down to the Bone achieves what only the best independent films have: making life, at its most unvarnished, a journey.
11/30/05
Conventional movies, even independent ones, tend to get histrionic and judgmental about such drug-related setbacks. But Granik's film, though hardly a clinical case study, keeps a measured distance from the heavy-handed or simplistic.
11/28/05
Top Critic
... a stark, realistic portrait of a working-class mother in New York's depressed Ulster County as she tries to battle a drug habit.
11/28/05
Down to the Bone emerges with an aura of authenticity so strong as to be mesmerizing, thanks to a superior script brought to life with infallibly natural performances ...
11/28/05
Top CriticRelated Forums
DOWN TO THE BONE is one of the top 15 UN-distributed films in the USA - why?
by: REEL_REVIEWER 11/3/06
by: REEL_REVIEWER 11/3/06
DOWN TO THE BONE is one of the top 15 UN-distributed films in the USA - why?
by: REEL_REVIEWER 11/3/06
by: REEL_REVIEWER 11/3/06
DOWN TO THE BONE is one of the top 15 UN-distributed films in the USA - why?
by: REEL_REVIEWER 11/3/06
by: REEL_REVIEWER 11/3/06
DOWN TO THE BONE is one of the top 15 UN-distributed films in the USA - why?
by: REEL_REVIEWER 11/3/06
by: REEL_REVIEWER 11/3/06
Vera Farmiga Great
by: Mouseox374 9/28/06
by: Mouseox374 9/28/06
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