Fresh
Fresh Manhattan locations prove as photogenic as the leads, and the supporting actors -- especially Tina Benko as a glacial, impeccably dressed amazon -- don't miss a beat of Maggenti's snappy dialogue.
Andrea Gronvall, Chicago Reader
Puccini for Beginners
A love triangle of operatic proportions.
2006 · 1h 22m · N/A
Comedy, Drama, Romance
Directed by
Maria Maggenti
Overview
When her inability to commit leads to a breakup with her girlfriend, opera-loving writer Allegra winds up in the bed of amiable professor Philip. He is so smitten with Allegra that he dumps his lover, Grace, and convinces Allegra to continue their affair. When Allegra meets Grace, sparks fly, and she begins a parallel romance, unaware that her new lover is the woman Philip left to be with her.
Director and cast
Critics on Rotten Tomatoes
Top critics, in their words
50%
Tomatometer
Rotten
Reaser really doesn't stand a chance. She's plucky as heck, and you like her despite the script, but she can't save the movie.
Tom Long, Detroit News
Rotten
There is pleasure and even insight to be had in Puccini but it all feels second-hand, and therefore, of questionable provenance.
Terry Lawson, Detroit Free Press
Fresh
Puccini for Beginners doesn't quite make it as romantic comedy. Most of the elements are in place, but the characters seem too narcissistic to fall in love and too broad-brush to be authentic.
Amy Biancolli, Houston Chronicle
Fresh
Has a likable smartness to it; like a good Woody Allen film with a gay twist.
Moira MacDonald, Seattle Times
More films
Desert Flower (2009)
Drama · R
The autobiography of a Somalian nomad who was sold in marriage at 13, fled from Africa a while later to become finally an American supermodel and is now at the age of 38, the UN spokeswoman against female genital mutilation.
- Runtime
- 2h
- Director
- Sherry Hormann
- Cast
- Liya Kebede, Sally Hawkins, Craig Parkinson
IMDb
7.4
Rotten Tomatoes
50%
Metacritic
54
Nanny McPhee and the Big Bang (2010)
Comedy · Family · Fantasy · PG
Nanny McPhee appears at the door of a harried young mother who is trying to run the family farm while her husband is away at war. But once she’s arrived, Nanny discovers that the children are fighting a war of their own against two spoiled city cousins who have just moved in. Relying on everything from a flying motorcycle and a statue ...
- Runtime
- 1h 49m
- Director
- Susanna White
- Cast
- Emma Thompson, Asa Butterfield, Maggie Gyllenhaal
IMDb
6.1
Rotten Tomatoes
76%
Metacritic
52
Cracks (2009)
Drama · Mystery · Thriller · R
Jealousy flares after the headmistress of an elite boarding school for girls becomes obsessed with a new student.
- Runtime
- 1h 44m
- Director
- Jordan Scott
- Cast
- Eva Green, Juno Temple, María Valverde
IMDb
6.7
Rotten Tomatoes
43%
Metacritic
54
Ramona and Beezus (2010)
Comedy · Family · G
Ramona is a little girl with a very big imagination and a nose for mischief. Her playful antics keep everyone in her loving family on their toes, including her older sister Beezus, who's just trying to survive her first year of high school. Through all the ups and downs of childhood, Ramona and Beezus learn that anything's possible whe...
- Runtime
- 1h 43m
- Director
- Elizabeth Allen
- Cast
- Selena Gomez, Joey King, John Corbett
IMDb
6.7
Rotten Tomatoes
70%
Metacritic
56
The Good Guy (2009)
Comedy · Romance · R
Ambitious young Manhattanite and urban conservationist Beth wants it all: a good job, good friends, and a good guy to share the city with. Of course that last one is often the trickiest of all. Beth falls hard for Tommy, a sexy, young Wall Street hot-shot. But just as everything seems to be falling into place, complications arise in th...
- Runtime
- 1h 30m
- Director
- Julio DePietro
- Cast
- Alexis Bledel, Colin Egglesfield, Anna Chlumsky
IMDb
5.9
Rotten Tomatoes
35%
Metacritic
47
The Lorax (2012)
Animation · Family · PG
A 12-year-old boy searches for the one thing that will enable him to win the affection of the girl of his dreams. To find it he must discover the story of the Lorax, the grumpy yet charming creature who fights to protect his world.
- Runtime
- 1h 26m
- Director
- Kyle Balda, Chris Renaud
- Cast
- Danny DeVito, Zac Efron, Ed Helms
IMDb
6.4
Metacritic
46
Banana (2010)
Animation · Comedy · Family · N/A
The Minions fight over a delicious banana... but is that all they want?!
- Runtime
- 4m
- Director
- Kyle Balda, Samuel Tourneux
- Cast
- Pierre Coffin
IMDb
7.6
Home Makeover (2010)
Animation · Comedy · Family · N/A
When a social worker visits Gru’s house to assess its suitability for children, chaos ensues. Margo, Edith, and Agnes, along with the ever-mischievous Minions, scramble to give the home a makeover in record time. Their attempts to create a warm and inviting environment quickly spiral into hilarity as the Minions’ unorthodox methods lea...
- Runtime
- 5m
- Director
- Kyle Balda, Samuel Tourneux
- Cast
- Miranda Cosgrove, Dana Gaier, Elsie Kate Fisher
IMDb
7.1
Orientation Day (2010)
Animation · Comedy · Family · N/A
The Minions embark on their first day of work, eager to prove themselves in their new roles. After watching a hilariously outdated 'Initiation Video,' three rookie Minions take on bomb-carrying duty. Predictably, their enthusiasm quickly spirals into chaos as they bungle the simplest of tasks. Packed with slapstick comedy and the Minio...
- Runtime
- 4m
- Director
- Kyle Balda, Samuel Tourneux
- Cast
- Pierre Coffin, Rob Huebel
IMDb
6.8
Gru, mi villano favorito presenta: La locura de los minions (2010)
Animation · Comedy
Comments
Talk about the film with other members