Critic Reviews
Little Voice (1998) Rank 5 Reviews
Expert Review Summary
based on (90) reviews
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Reviews by Score:
Film Quips Online (John R. McEwen)
Rochester Democrat and Chronicle (Jack Garner)
The UK Critic (Ian Waldron-Mantgani)
Washington Post (Stephen Hunter)
The trick of this movie is that it's so changeable: You think you've got it nailed and it slithers away to become some other new, fabulous thing. ...read the complete Little Voice movie review at Washington Post (Stephen Hunter)
New Times (L.A.) (Jean Oppenheimer)
This terrific movie manages to invest kitchen-sink realism with the soul of a fairy tale. ...read the complete Little Voice movie review at New Times (L.A.) (Jean Oppenheimer)
ReelViews (James Berardinelli)
By offering opportunities to laugh, cry, and cheer, Little Voice satisfies in a big way. ...read the complete Little Voice movie review at ReelViews (James Berardinelli)
SPLICEDwire (Rob Blackwelder)
filmcritic.com (Christopher Null)
Surprisingly powerful despite its cute premise, Horrocks shines as a timid young woman (known as Little Voice) who has the uncanny ability to unerringly reproduce the voice of dozens of great female vocalists (eg. Garland, Bassey, even Marilyn Monroe). Sm ...read the complete Little Voice movie review at filmcritic.com (Christopher Null)
Palo Alto Online (Leonard Schwarz)
ReelViews (James Berardinelli)
Little Voice is incontrovertible evidence of how superior acting can turn a solid movie into a tremendous cinematic experience. Adapted from Jim Cartwright's play, "The Rise and Fall of Little Voice," Mark Herman's film is a rich motion picture, combining ...read the complete Little Voice movie review at ReelViews (James Berardinelli)
filmcritic.com hears that Little Voice
San Francisco Examiner (G. Allen Johnson)
New York Times (Janet Maslin)
New York Times (Janet Maslin)
Rolling Stone (Arthur Borman)
Taking it's framework from classic fairly-tale characters like Cinderella, the British story of Little Voice is one of compassion, humor and music. ...read the complete Little Voice movie review at Rolling Stone (Arthur Borman)
Variety (Derek Elley)
A small picture with a big heart. ...read the complete Little Voice movie review at Variety (Derek Elley)
The New York Times (Janet Maslin)
Horrocks's phenomenal mimicry of musical grande dames...makes a splendid centerpiece for the otherwise more ordinary film built around it. ...read the complete Little Voice movie review at The New York Times (Janet Maslin)
Los Angeles Times (Kenneth Turan)
British actress Jane Horrocks plays Little Voice, and it is a transfixing, tour de force performance. ...read the complete Little Voice movie review at Los Angeles Times (Kenneth Turan)
Chicago Reader (Lisa Alspector)
Many of the elements in this story about a woman who's nearly eclipsed by her overbearing mother are all too familiar, yet the combination is utterly charming. ...read the complete Little Voice movie review at Chicago Reader (Lisa Alspector)
Washington Post (Michael O'Sullivan)
Little Voice may be more of a confection than a square meal, but it's proof of how good a dish can be when the ingredients are of the highest order. ...read the complete Little Voice movie review at Washington Post (Michael O'Sullivan)
A Guide to Current DVD (Aaron Beierle)
Palo Alto Weekly (Leonard Schwarz)
watchingmovies.com (Rob McKinnon)
Movie Parables (Michael Elliott)
Soundwaves Cinema (Steven Kirk)
It turned out to be a perfect analogy for this "little film that could". It, too, had Golden Globe wins and Oscar nominations, but seeing as it was not set during WWII, or starred Geoffrey Rush and Joseph Finnes (both in "Shakespeare In Love" & ...read the complete Little Voice movie review at Soundwaves Cinema (Steven Kirk)
San Francisco Examiner (G. Allen Johnson)
The drawbacks to Little Voice might sink a lesser movie, but not this one. ...read the complete Little Voice movie review at San Francisco Examiner (G. Allen Johnson)
San Francisco Chronicle (Edward Guthmann)
They're great, every one of them, but the real joy of Little Voice is Horrocks: her impeccable evocation of a timid soul and that eerie voice that sounds so surprising coming out of her. ...read the complete Little Voice movie review at San Francisco Chronicle (Edward Guthmann)
Chicago Sun-Times (Roger Ebert)
Little Voice is unthinkable without the special and unexpected talent of its star. ...read the complete Little Voice movie review at Chicago Sun-Times (Roger Ebert)
Detroit News (Susan Stark)
Goatdog's Movies (Michael W. Phillips, Jr.)
Film Threat, Hollywood's Indie Voice
Chicago Sun-Times (Roger Ebert)
"Little Voice" is unthinkable without the special and unexpected talent of its star. She is Jane Horrocks, from TV's "Absolutely Fabulous" and the Mike Leigh movie "Life Is Sweet," and nothing I've seen her do prepared me in any way for the revelation tha ...read the complete Little Voice movie review at Chicago Sun-Times (Roger Ebert)
Review of Film:Little Voice
Teen Movie Critic (Vivian Rose)
Los Angeles Times (Kenneth Turan)
The Cranky Critic (Chuck Schwartz)
Deseret News, Salt Lake City
Screen It! Entertainment Reviews for Parents
Wolf Entertainment Guide (William Wolf)
digitallyOBSESSED.com (Bob Mandel)
Matt's Movie Reviews (Matt Easterbrook)
Salon (Charles Taylor)
Jane Horrocks saves the annoyingly noisy Little Voice. ...read the complete Little Voice movie review at Salon (Charles Taylor)
Sun Newspapers of Cleveland
Salt Lake City Weekly (Mary Dickson)
Salon.com (Charles Taylor)
Film Scouts (Jason Gorber)
Spirituality & Health (Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat)
Reeling Reviews (Robin and Laura Clifford)
[safe] (Terry Brogan)
Anchorage Press (Brenda Sokolowski)
Movie Magazine International
Combustible Celluloid (Jeffrey M. Anderson)
Philadelphia City Paper (Cindy Fuchs)
La Movie Boeuf (David N. Butterworth)
The Boston Phoenix
The Globe and Mail (Toronto) (Rick Groen)
Ultimately, Little Voice comes to us from an indeterminate place that is no longer the theatre but not quite the movies. Let's call it music videoland -- best just to sit back and enjoy golden-oldie tunes belted out by a quicksilver mimic. ...read the complete Little Voice movie review at The Globe and Mail (Toronto) (Rick Groen)
Time Out
A waif comes out of her shell only when she sings in the style of her late Dad's beloved Garland, Monroe, Bassey, et al. Her domineering Mum and a small-time agent try to turn her into a star. That's about it for plot, which hangs on two questions: is ...read the complete Little Voice movie review at Time Out
Nick's Flick Picks (Nick Davis)
Film Threat (--)
UK Press Association (--)
Film Threat (Ilana Lindsey)
The screenplay has a strong sense of fun but after establishing its concept and characters it doesn't know where to take them. ...read the complete Little Voice movie review at Film Threat (Ilana Lindsey)
TV Guide (Ken Fox)
Actress Jane Horrocks is so good in this drama that you'll hardly notice -- or care -- that the rest of the film isn't quite up to snuff. ...read the complete Little Voice movie review at TV Guide (Ken Fox)
Entertainment Weekly (Staff(Not credited))
The movie adaptation suffers the symptoms of so many stage-to-screen transplants: What seemed thrillingly big and bold in live performance comes across shrunken and hemmed in when "opened up" to fill a feature film. ...read the complete Little Voice movie review at Entertainment Weekly (Staff(Not credited))
Box Office Magazine
Boxoffice Magazine
Megaklik - no nonsense movie reviews in Slovenian
Snack Bar (Adam J. Hakari)
Movie Hell (Michael J. Legeros)
Austin Chronicle (Steve Davis)
Globe and Mail (--)
The Onion (A.V. Club) (Joshua Klein)
Though it's got some funny one-liners, sight gags, and Blethyn's over-the-top histrionics, Little Voice is often painfully dramatic, right down to its final mother-daughter confrontation. ...read the complete Little Voice movie review at The Onion (A.V. Club) (Joshua Klein)
Austin Chronicle (Steve Davis)
The decibel level in Little Voice ranges from a delicate whisper to seismic bellowing; aurally speaking, it traverses the spectrum of human sounds. ...read the complete Little Voice movie review at Austin Chronicle (Steve Davis)
LA Weekly (Manohla Dargis)
As mean-spirited toward its working-class characters, especially its women, as it is profoundly unfunny. ...read the complete Little Voice movie review at LA Weekly (Manohla Dargis)
User Reviews
by M. Bechyne "free_... on September 23, 2007
Horrocks is a wonder! Why isn't she famous here in America? I hope her amazing talent is appreciated in the UK. ...
by Donald Killen on January 12, 2007
Jane Horrocks gives an incomprable performance and gives most of us a glimpes of her amazing vocal and acting ...
by Jonathan Applesee... on January 09, 2007
4.5 stars, rounded up to 5.
Jane Horrocks, who played numerous characters in the cult English sitcom "Absolutely Fabulous", shines here as a sorrowfully shy girl with a talent beyond belief.
After her father died, many years ago, she resigned herself ...
by T. Tribble on January 03, 2007
There's never been a film quite like this. Brenda Blethyn is at her boozy best as the screaming mother of "Little Voice." Ewan McGregor delivers a very subtle, warm performance as a guy who finds comfort only with his homing pigeons until he meets ...
by Anne Thierfelder ... on July 01, 2006
I saw this in the theater and am on my way to add the DVD to my wish list because it's a GREAT film. Brenda Blethyn, Michael Caine, Jane Horrocks and Jim Broadbent are all amazing in it, and I agree with an earlier review which mentions Michael Caine's ...
by Marley Mom on March 01, 2006
This is a movie NOT to be missed. Jane Horrocks is absolutely amazing (as she is in Life is Sweet). Perfect casting all around. ...
by Lavenderbyrd "lav... on November 10, 2005
There are so many wonderful reviews regarding this spectacular movie that there really isn't anything else to add.... other than... to recommend getting the Absolutely Fabulous dvd boxsets just so you can see Jane shine as "Bubble" the air-head assistant ...
by Mark Twain on October 04, 2005
A stormingly brilliant film that blends the best of Billy Elliot with Amelie whilst coming close to the fringes of an Autism flick. The main character, LV, is agoraphobic, socially phobic, more or less echolalic in her capacity to mimic brilliantly any ...
by Sheila Chilcote-C... on September 16, 2004
Judy Garland, Marlena Deitrich, Shirley Bassey, and Marilyn Monroe are L.V.'s (short for Little Voice) best friends in the world! On 33 1/3 LP's, that is!
L.V. Hoff, played specactularly by Absolutely Fabulous' Miss Jane Horrocks, is a timid, shy, ...
by Michael Meredith ... on June 02, 2003
Astounding performances lift this movie and make it soar! Michael Caine portrays perhaps the most vile character of his career with a range of nuance and expression that would challenge even the most adept actors. It might well be his best work ever! ...
User Comments
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