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The Tender Bar

The Tender Bar

2021

George Clooney

Tye Sheridan, Ben Affleck, Lily Rabe, Daniel Ranieri ...

6.1

4,099

Drama Adaptation of the memoir by J.R. Moehringer that recounted the writer’s adolescent years growing up on Long Island in search of a father figure among the patrons at his uncle’s bar.

	Author	Review
United Kingdom	Tim Grierson Screendaily	"Clooney embraces the material with what might best be described as a bland, feel-good pleasantness"	NEU
United States	Peter Debruge Variety	"A better-than-ever Ben Affleck plays the uncle any 9-year-old wants (...) A broadly appealing, only slightly sentimental personal history"	POS
United States	Pete Hammond Deadline	"The only special effect used in this exceptional and universally recognizable story is simply family. It is what they call in the trade a “feel good” movie, and boy, do we need it now2	POS
United States	Nicholas Barber IndieWire	"A pleasantly anecdotal amble down memory lane (...) But the fact is: nothing much happens."	NEU
United States	Sheri Linden The Hollywood Reporter	"A movie that prioritizes feeling over structure. If it struggles to find a rhythm, especially in the early going, there's no question that it sends you off on a gentle high"	POS
United Kingdom	Peter Bradshaw The Guardian	"Strikingly empty of plausible emotion (...) A bafflingly bland, indulgent, gritless oyster film (...) This doesn't feel like real memory at all: just a collection of flavourless picturesque scenes (…) Rating: ★★ (out of 5)"	NEG
United States	Rafaela Sales Ross The Playlist	"Despite the earnestness of this all-American coming of age story, it is hard to escape the sense that “The Tender Bar” lies somewhere between a Nicholas Sparks adaptation and a middling Saturday Night Live sketch."	NEU
United States	Alistair Ryder The Film Stage	"The film suffering from the same problems that plague most of [Clooney's] work as director: the overbearing feeling he’s trying to self-consciously chase prestige respectability intead of telling a story directly from the heart."	NEU
United States	M.N. Miller Ready Steady Cut	"Funny, touching, and self-effacing (...) 'The Tender Bar' is a feel-good, coming-of-age film with one of Ben Affleck's best performances (…) Rating: ★★★½ (out of 5)"	POS
United States	Jesse Hassenger AV Club	"Ben Affleck is the only thing remotely intoxicating (...) 'The Tender Bar' keeps any tricky details of the creative process confined to a haze of vague barroom philosophizing"	NEG
United Kingdom	Ian Freer Empire	"The film benefits from Clooney's obvious affection for his characters (...) What [it] lacks in dramatic heft and originality, it makes up for in warmth, geniality and a clutch of great performances (…) Rating: ★★★ (out of 5)"	POS
United States	Chris Evangelista SlashFilm	"Affleck is the film's only real draw. His funny, uncouth, working-class schlub performance breathes much-needed oxygen into the film's lungs, but at the end of the day, this isn't his story, and it really should've been"	NEU
United States	Robert Abele The Wrap	"Ben Affleck shines in mediocre coming-of-age tale from director George Clooney (...) The movie is like drinking the watery remains of a scotch on the rocks: you can guess what it was, but it definitely isn’t that anymore"	NEG
United States	Joshua Rothkopf Entertainment Weekly	"Director George Clooney's drama is conventional but Ben Affleck shines on the sidelines"	NEU
United States	Richard Roeper Chicago Sun-Times	"Clooney's sure-handed direction and pitch-perfect attention to the 1970s and 1980s period-piece material, combined with the warm and relatable performances, make for classic comfort-movie formula (…) Rating: ★★★ (out of 4)"	POS
United States	Tara Bennett IGN	"A comfort food, coming-of-age story that works as well as it does because of George Clooney's warm direction and a great ensemble cast. J.D. isn't especially dynamic or memorable as a protagonist, but that's part of the appeal"	POS
United States	Gary Goldstein Los Angeles Times	"Ben Affleck excels at serving life lessons in 'The Tender Bar' (...) Clooney should be commended for bringing his estimable filmmaking chops and clout to such a humane, intimate and —yes— tender project"	POS
United States	Peter Travers ABC News	"The affection Clooney feels for these characters can be felt in every frame as he steers 'The Tender Bar' home in a mellow mood that, at its best, has the power to sneak up and bring you to tears"	POS
United States	Odie Henderson rogerebert.com	"The same 'young man's coming-of-age story' you've seen over and over (...) At least Affleck is very, very good here, turning a thankless role into something more memorable than the material suggests (…) Rating: ★½ (out of 4)"	NEU
United States	Trace Sauveur Austin Chronicle	"Whatever slight wisdoms or truths are to be found here are squandered in a big nothing of a story trying to render them meaningful (…) Rating: ★★ (out of 5)"	NEG
United States	Jen Chaney Vulture	"George Clooney made a nice movie. But given his intellect and insightful nature, it's obvious he could have made something more (...) This passable but forgettable drama is the result"	NEU
Canada	Mae Abdulbaki Screen Rant	"Held together by the cast's chemistry and strong character dynamics, 'The Tender Bar' is a touching film about growing up and the people who shape you (…) Rating: ★★★ (out of 5)"	POS
Canada	Chris Bumbray JoBlo	"Clooney has a lot of empathy as a director, and he seems to adore the characters here (...) There's a genuine kindness that shines through here, and, rarely, you can call a modern film 'kind', but that’s what this is"	POS
United States	John Serba Decider	"It's tempting to recommend 'The Tender Bar' on the basis of Affleck's performance, but beyond that, it's a dud"	NEU
United States	Andy Crump Paste Magazine	"There's meager pleasure to be had in watching loveable actors ham it up for an hour and a half. But that pleasure is easily forgotten because there's little reason for us to care about anything Clooney shows"	NEG
Canada	Jim Tudor Screen Anarchy	"Like a visit to the neighborhood tavern, 'The Tender Bar' is kinda cozy, a little loud, a little reserved, and entirely familiar (...) Watch it or don't; tip your bartender on the way out"	POS

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