The Limits of Control (2009)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:111
Fresh:44
Rotten:67
Average Rating:5/10
Consensus: A minimalist exercise in not much of anything, The Limits of Control is a tedious viewing experience with little reward.
Australian Theatrical Release:
Jul 23, 2009 Wide
US Box Office: $362,032
Synopsis: In spite of the title, THE LIMITS OF CONTROL constantly reveals the controlling hand of its creator, the indie icon Jim Jarmusch. The film follows Jarmusch regular Isaach de Bankole as he ambles... [More]
Starring: Isaach de Bankolé, Bill Murray, Gael Garcia Bernal, Tilda Swinton
Director: Jim Jarmusch
Reviews for The Limits of Control
| Tomatometer | Critic | Review | Category |
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 3/5 |
This enigmatic journey is beautifully photographed by Christopher Doyle, and for a while it's intriguing and amusing in its very offhand way. But soon you realise that there's really nothing here. Full Review |
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3.5/5 |
The Limits of Control is hard work for the audience yet by degrees rewarding, captivating and fascinating. Full Review |
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 2.5/5 |
Jarmusch has decided to make a film composed of things he likes for a variety of reasons, few of which have anything to do with the art of telling a story. Full Review |
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2/5 |
It just becomes so repetitive and so self-conscious, so self-referential and film referential, and I finally ended up feeling that this film was way too clever for me. Full Review |
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3/5 |
The most minimal film yet from Jim Jarmusch and while it’s fascinating to a degree it becomes somewhat tiresome eventually when you realise it’s not really going anywhere. Full Review |
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3/5 |
Cooler than you'll ever be, and more irritating, Jarmusch's star-infused indie overload strives to divide audiences. Mission accomplished. Full Review |
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A filmmaker who is always cerebral and occasionally very soulful, Jarmusch -- fascinating even at his most tepid -- could do better to have a lot more red blood flowing through his recent work and a little less ice water. Full Review |
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You could say it's a movie version of a su-do-ku puzzle, which contains a series of small puzzles that make up one larger puzzle Full Review |
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There's a wonderful sense of intrigue throughout as we jump into the skin of Isaach De Bankolé's Lone Man protagonist as he follows obtuse clues that point him towards his unknown quest Full Review |
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4/5 |
While some will find Jarmusch's tale (if one can call the dialogue-poor film a tale) pretentious, others will adore its artistic sensibilities. Full Review |
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3/5 |
Cool, handsome, self-assured... but, as the existentialists might say, what’s the bloody point? Full Review |
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4/5 |
A work of dazzling formal discipline that riffs on the simple notion of repetition and variation. Full Review |
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2.5/5 |
It's a film, Jim, but not as we know it: a meandering bad trip through a gorgeously shot Spain that's really only accessible to tenacious Jarmusch enthusiasts. Full Review |
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3/5 |
It’s bold, confrontational cinema that will, as its author intended, have you questioning at every turn just what it is you expect from a modern movie, and more importantly, why. Full Review |
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1/5 |
This shallow conundrum is at once a dull thriller and a humourless comedy, the sort of colossally self-indulgent and boring film that only a successful and revered director could make – or be allowed to make. Full Review |
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2/5 |
If you need a working definition for bad Jarmusch, look no further than The Limits of Control, which functions more as a wilful act of self-pleasuring than worthwhile experiment. Full Review |
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This is a demanding film that will no doubt fuel the art-house naysayers, yet set against a vivid Spanish canvas Jarmusch’s poetic pretensions become not only explicable but palatable as well. Full Review |
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2/5 |
The showdown has the feel of Mission: Impossible remade for the ICA crowd and what might have been a cheeky distraction for 90 minutes is just plain tedious approaching the two-hour mark. Full Review |
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3/5 |
Jarmusch’s film captivates stylistically, and at least some credit’s due to his less-is-more plotting. But extensive introversion leaves it gasping for air, almost vanishing up itself. Full Review |
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4/5 |
Plot isn’t in it. This is an essay in style, in which a great American director is transplanted to Southern Spain. Full Review |
CommentLatest News for The Limits of Control
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February 26, 2008:
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