The story itself is self-regarding, and the ending, with its muddled vengefulness, strains both sympathy and credibility.
Comment
08/31/07
Mister Foe (2008)
72
%
Tomatometer
How does the Tomatometer work 
Reviews Counted:60
Fresh:43
Rotten:17
Average Rating:6.5/10
Consensus: Carefully balanced between the dark and the dreamy, Mister Foe is a charged coming-of-age story with whimsy and bite.
Theatrical Release:31-08-2007
Synopsis: MISTER FOE is director David MacKenzie's offbeat film adaptation of Peter Jinks's coming-of-age story centered on the unlikely protagonist of Hallam Foe, excellently portrayed by Jamie Bell (BILLY... [More]
Starring: Jamie Bell, Ciaran Hinds, Sophia Myles, Jamie Sives
Director: David Mackenzie
Reviews for Mister Foe
Top CriticAs a study of grief, this is silly and nonsensical. Taken less seriously, Mackenzie delivers a light dance over heavy issues, and the romance works – but how flippantly can we take death, grief and suicide?
07/21/07
Top CriticAffirms the raw talents of both David Mackenzie (Young Adam) and Jamie Bell (who's come a long way since Billy Elliot).
05/17/07
A stylish, original romance whose dark leanings are leavened by a current of optimism running through its darting narrative.
08/31/07
Perched on a razor's edge between the sinister and the whimsical, it's erotic, well acted, beautifully photographed.
09/08/07
Even in the earthiest moments of the film, there’s a sense of magic that reflects the filter of Hallam’s innocence, eccentricity and otherness.
08/31/07
Top CriticSomehow the whole works surprisingly well, whether or not you end up thinking that it might have been still better left on the page.
08/31/07
David Mackenzie's fourth feature is an immensely enjoyable and incredibly well-judged film, which confirms Jamie Bell as one of Britain's brightest young actors.
08/31/07
Top CriticAccomplished as it is, the film has trouble marrying the separate halves of the story, the mystery of the mother's death and the weird courtship Hallam is pursuing.
08/31/07
Grief, voyeurism and latent necrophilia make a beguiling brew in Hallam Foe, a smart coming-of-age tale from the director of Young Adam.
07/10/07
Top CriticGet past the goofy animated titles and you’ll be captivated by a coming-of-age tale with a subversive edge. The hero may be have a few hang-ups, but Jamie Bell’s an ideal star for such defiantly off-kilter fare.
08/31/07
Top CriticThanks to bold performances, evocative cinematography and a trippy pop soundtrack, this richly entertaining tale of adolescent angst ends up being one of the most striking Brit flicks of 2007.
08/31/07
Top CriticImpressively directed drama from the director of Young Adam, featuring a superb performance from Jamie Bell and a terrific soundtrack.
08/30/07
An intriguing rites-of-passage story with a delirious, skewed perspective and an almost palpable sexual pulse.
08/31/07
Top CriticBell shines as the baleful yet sympathetic Hallam, but there’s little else to get excited about, with the eventual love affair between him and Kate deeply improbable.
08/31/07
Top CriticIt is Jamie’s acting skills, which are even more well honed than his chest, that make Hallam Foe one of the best British movies of the year.
08/31/07
Top CriticDecidedly dark material handled with a pleasing lightness of touch.
08/31/07
Top CriticAlthough it's nice to see Mackenzie find uplift in the erotic, what helps drive Mister Foe is how deftly he turns chasm into intimacy between Bell and Myles, both of whom give sharply observed, charismatic portrayals.
09/05/08
Top CriticIn his attempt to make the audience sympathize with Hallam, [director] Mackenzie uses the cheapest trick in the book: attempting to give the audience a link into his head with a manic soundtrack.
09/03/08
Didn't I review this coming-of-age picture back in the spring when it was called Charlie Bartlett?
09/11/08
Latest News for Mister Foe
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September 03, 2008:
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