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The Phantom of the Open

2021

Craig Roberts

Mark Rylance, Sally Hawkins, Rhys Ifans, Mark Lewis Jones ...

6.3

877

Comedy. Drama The story of golfer Maurice Flitcroft whose performance at the 1976 British Open Golf Championship made him a legend.

	Author	Review
United Kingdom	Wendy Ide Screendaily	"[It] is an amiable little picture which might be dramatically flat but still packs a considerable helping of crowd-pleasing charm (...) [It] works best when it focuses on the relationship between husband and long-suffering wife"	NEU
United States	Guy Lodge Variety	"A shaggy, Amiable Sports Comedy (...) If Maurice Flitcroft hadn’t really existed, a British comedy would surely have invented him"	POS
United Kingdom	Ian Freer Empire	"There is a sharper film to be made here about the media's fascination with failure, but Roberts plays it safe (...) What [it] lacks in ambition or dramatic oomph, it makes up for in easy-going appeal (…) Rating: ★★★ (out of 5)"	NEU
United Kingdom	Peter Bradshaw The Guardian	"Here’s a film about a guy who likes six sugars in his tea – and the viewer might also need a bit of a sweet tooth. It is an amiably daft and sentimental Britfilm (...) Rating: ★★★ (out of 5)"	POS
United Kingdom	Olly Richards Time Out	"It has a bit of the mood of 'The Full Monty' or 'Brassed Off' about it, and if its not as good as either of those it has a gentle upbeat cheeriness thats hard to resist (…) Rating: ★★★ (out of 5)"	NEU
United Kingdom	Charlotte O'Sullivan London Evening Standard	"Rylance’s Maurice is truly adorable. When he’s in the frame, everyone’s a winner (...) Rating: ★★★★ (out of 5)"	POS
United States	Christy Lemire rogerebert.com	"'The Phantom of the Open' does exactly what you expect it will in the most familiar, comforting manner imaginable. It earns the politest of golf claps (…) Rating: ★★ (out of 4)"	NEU
United Kingdom	Robbie Collin Telegraph	"A wise and witty reminder that that the pleasure of doing something spectacularly badly can outstrip the satisfaction of a job well done (...) Rating: ★★★★ (out of 5)"	POS
United States	Sheri Linden The Hollywood Reporter	"A mostly winning charmer (...) 'Phantom of the Open' wears its crowd-pleasing movie heart on its sleeve. Roberts' approach is not quite heavy-handed, but it can be obvious"	NEU
United States	Alistair Ryder The Film Stage	""The most impressive thing about The Phantom of the Open', is that this approach never borders on the ridiculous (...) In theory, the story should make your eyes roll, but Roberts’ film is far more likely to make them water."	POS
United States	David Ehrlich IndieWire	"An affable movie that, like its affable subject, doesn't have any measurable ambition beyond getting the ball in the hole. And yet it could still make hardened souls cry a few tears"	NEU
United States	Gary M. Kramer Salon	"'The Phantom of the Open' is as appealing as Maurice Flitcroft. It is impossible not to be inspired by his incredible story"	POS
United States	Wes Greene Slant	"Maurice Flitcroft was certainly a quirky, unorthodox real-life sports figure, and yet by simply revering him for that, the film reduces itself to something that he never was: utterly conventional (…) Rating: ★★ (out of 4)"	NEU
United States	Emily Zemler The New York Observer	"Flitcroft is incredibly satisfying, and he's especially heartwarming in Rylance's capable hands (...) A good reminder that you don't have to be the best to achieve your dreams (…) Rating: ★★★ (out of 4)"	POS
United States	Elizabeth Weitzman The Wrap	"If we learn anything from Maurice, it's that everyone deserves points for effort. And a few good swings are worth cheering, even if you do, ultimately, settle into the middle of the pack"	NEU
United States	Robert Abele Los Angeles Times	"Mark Rylance makes golf irresistible in inspiring true story 'The Phantom of the Open'"	POS
United States	Jesse Hassenger Paste Magazine	"It's stuck, charmingly and a little wanly, in another era. 'Love your mistakes', says Maurice. It's good advice, though from a movie less bold or inspiring than its strange, affable hero"	NEU
Ireland	Donald Clarke Irish Times	"The inventive performances –Rylance's in particular– keep the film aloft throughout (…) Rating: ★★★★ (out of 5)"	POS
	David Katz Cineuropa	"Although Roberts’ direction gets many easy yet effective gags (...) the character’s arc isn’t powerful or even realistic enough"	NEU

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