To put it plainly, most of Off the Black is simply terrible.
Comment
03/04/08
Off the Black (2006)
67 %
Reviews Counted: 39 Fresh: 26 Rotten:13 Average Rating: 6.2/10
Consensus:
While the story can be dull, Nick Nolte shines.
Runtime: 1 hr 32 mins
Synopsis: Veteran actor Nick Nolte puts his explosive personal life behind him for a while, returning to what he does best with OFF THE BLACK. Nolte stars as Ray, a weathered high-school baseball umpire whose life veered off the rails some time ago and shows no sign of getting back on track. Nolte slips... [More]
Genre: Dramas
Starring: Nick Nolte, Trevor Morgan, Timothy Hutton, Noah Fleiss, Sally Kirkland
Reviews
Ponsoldt's debut is full of quiet heartache, and effectively establishes a consistent melancholy tone. And Nolte is exceptional.
05/25/07
Just a simple little "people drama," nothing more, but a very well-crafted and heartfelt one all the same.
05/02/07
"Off the Black" is writer/director James Ponsoldt's first movie...When I found out how young Ponsoldt is, only twenty-six, I was shocked that someone so young could have such insight into, and such empathy for, the existential disquietude of middle age.
04/23/07
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03/26/07
A modest drama fueled by Nick Nolte's gutsy lead performance as a disheveled 57-year-old junkyard proprietor who's been as flattened by life as the rusty old cars he crushes.
02/01/07
The material is awfully familiar, and first-time director James Ponsoldt paces the entire 90 minutes so slowly that you might think he's talking about chess rather than baseball.
01/19/07
Just 'off the black' is a baseball term for a pitch that's a fraction off from being a really good strike. Same here, this movie is just a fraction off from being a really good film.
01/12/07
OFF THE BLACK is a small picture that might get lost amidall the holiday hoopla and Oscar-bait fare that is clogging the cineplexes. It's worth seeking out; those who do will find a sweet but not saccharine story.
01/11/07
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12/30/06
Off the Black is a small, dry, emotionally loaded short story that has been carried to film like baked fish to a platter.
12/22/06
Writer-director James Ponsoldt's film treats big subjects -- loneliness, coming-of-age and father-son relationships -- with such half-baked conviction, it's a wonder the screen doesn't redden with embarrassment.
12/21/06
...There's nothing too small about Nolte's performance. He's the perfect companion for a rookie feature film director looking to make a good first impression.
12/15/06
The beauty of this film lies in its sense of promise. All the characters are in crisis, yet no one completely falls apart.
12/15/06
Top Critic
Throughout the film, there is a sense that the actors know a lot about these characters and that they believe in them. The result is a movie that we believe in, no matter where it goes.
12/14/06
There's something very right with Off the Black in terms of pure emotion and performance craft.
12/14/06
Tells a familiar story, but does it well enough to merit a passing grade.
12/10/06
Despite some nice touches, this is the sort of too-precious indie film that gives its characters unnecessary quirks (like diabetes) to make them more 'real'.
12/08/06
Related Forums
(2006) OFF THE BLACK, featuring Nick Nolte, re-skedded for December 8, 2006 release!!
by: REEL_REVIEWER 11/9/06
by: REEL_REVIEWER 11/9/06
(2006) OFF THE BLACK, featuring Nick Nolte, re-skedded for December 8, 2006 release!!
by: REEL_REVIEWER 11/9/06
by: REEL_REVIEWER 11/9/06
(2006) OFF THE BLACK, featuring Nick Nolte, re-skedded for December 8, 2006 release!!
by: REEL_REVIEWER 11/9/06
by: REEL_REVIEWER 11/9/06
(2006) OFF THE BLACK, featuring Nick Nolte, re-skedded for December 8, 2006 release!!
by: REEL_REVIEWER 11/9/06
by: REEL_REVIEWER 11/9/06
(2006) OFF THE BLACK, featuring Nick Nolte, skedded for November release by THINKfilm
by: REEL_REVIEWER 9/28/06
by: REEL_REVIEWER 9/28/06
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