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Movies / Upcoming / Limbo
Limbo

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Limbo (1999)

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71 %
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Reviews Counted:38

Fresh:27

Rotten:11

Average Rating:7/10

Runtime: 2 hrs 7 mins

Genre: Dramas

US Box Office: $0

Synopsis: Set in Alaska, where the rugged lifestyle of fishermen and cannery workers is gradually giving way to tourism and museums, LIMBO features a colorful cast of characters--a fisherman who has lost his... Set in Alaska, where the rugged lifestyle of fishermen and cannery workers is gradually giving way to tourism and museums, LIMBO features a colorful cast of characters--a fisherman who has lost his boat, lesbians who own a profitable Alaskan lodge, bar patrons reflecting on the transformation of the state into one huge theme park. The narrative soon focuses on an itinerant lounge singer (Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio) who begins a romance with a local handyman (David Strathairn), much to the chagrin of her moody teenage daughter (Vanessa Martinez). Continuing the narrative experiments of director John Sayles's previous films (LONE STAR, MEN WITH GUNS), LIMBO eventually takes a surprising turn, leading to a risky and controversial conclusion that critics either applaud or loathe. LIMBO is a story about telling stories, whether it be in the form of bar rants, Mastrantonio's surprisingly good singing, or the vivid diary found in an abandoned house. This unique film also looks at how people cope with tragedy and learn to take risks again. [More]

Starring: Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, David Strathairn, Vanessa Martinez, Casey Siemaszko

Starring: Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, David Strathairn, Vanessa Martinez, Casey Siemaszko, Kris Kristofferson

Director: John Sayles

Director: John Sayles
Screenwriter: John Sayles

[See More Credits]

Reviews for Limbo

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1 - 20 (sorted by date; Australian critics are listed first)
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N/R

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Full Review Source: Urban Cinefile | comment Comment
01/01/00
Urban Cinefile Critics
Urban Cinefile Critics
Urban Cinefile
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Sharply uneven and way overlong, John Sayles' 12th feature contains many of his thematic motifs but you feel cheated by the open-ended last reel.

Full Review Source: EmanuelLevy.Com | comment Comment
07/02/09
Emanuel Levy
Emanuel Levy
EmanuelLevy.Com
N/R

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Full Review Source: Cinema Crazed | comment Comment
04/29/09
Felix Vasquez Jr.
Felix Vasquez Jr.
Cinema Crazed

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Full Review Source: Sacramento News & Review | comment Comment
08/07/08
Jim Lane
Jim Lane
Sacramento News & Review
N/R

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Full Review Source: Variety | comment Comment
06/24/08
Todd McCarthy
Todd McCarthy
Variety
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
N/R

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Full Review Source: New York Observer | comment Comment
04/27/07
Andrew Sarris
Andrew Sarris
New York Observer
N/R

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Full Review Source: Time Out | comment Comment
06/24/06
Geoff Andrew
Geoff Andrew
Time Out
N/R

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Full Review Source: Combustible Celluloid | comment Comment
05/26/06
Jeffrey M. Anderson
Jeffrey M. Anderson
Combustible Celluloid

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Full Review Source: Film Threat | comment Comment
12/06/05
Film Threat
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
N/R

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Full Review Source: Reeling Reviews | comment Comment
04/09/05
Robin Clifford
Robin Clifford
Reeling Reviews

Like so much of his work, Limbo feels like two films – one agitprop, the other melodrama – but these two strains are unified in the film’s title and (as always) setting.

Full Review Source: Not Coming to a Theater Near You | comment Comment
09/17/04
Leo Goldsmith
Leo Goldsmith
Not Coming to a Theater Near You
N/R

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Full Review Source: Roanoke Times (Virginia) | comment Comment
05/28/03
Beth Jones
Beth Jones
Roanoke Times (Virginia)

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Full Review Source: Palo Alto Weekly | comment Comment
05/14/03
Jeanne Aufmuth
Jeanne Aufmuth
Palo Alto Weekly

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Full Review Source: Film Threat | comment Comment
12/08/02
Film Threat
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

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Full Review Source: Netflix | comment Comment
11/07/02
James Rocchi
James Rocchi
Netflix
N/R

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Full Review Source: Minneapolis Star Tribune | comment Comment
11/06/02
Jeff Strickler
Jeff Strickler
Minneapolis Star Tribune
N/R

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Full Review Source: Cincinnati Enquirer | comment Comment
10/15/02
Margaret A. McGurk
Margaret A. McGurk
Cincinnati Enquirer
N/R

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Full Review Source: Slate | comment Comment
07/27/02
David Edelstein
David Edelstein
Slate

Proximate politics replaced by archetype and what Wordsworth would have called "the story of place."

Full Review Source: Film Freak Central | comment Comment
07/06/02
Walter Chaw
Walter Chaw
Film Freak Central
N/R

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Full Review Source: Boxoffice Magazine | comment Comment
06/05/02
Boxoffice Magazine
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
 
 
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Latest News for Limbo

July 24, 2006: Kid Stars Sign Up for "Spiderwick"
Young actors Freddie Highmore ("Charlie and the Chocolate Factory") and Sarah Bolger ("In America") have signed to star in Paramount's big-screen rendition... More...

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