Critic Reviews

Quiet American, The (2002) Rank 4 Reviews

Expert Review Summary
Movie critics combined give Quiet American, The (2002) a score of 3.0631 out of 4
based on (262) reviews
Click on the numbers to the right of the graph to see reviews of that rating
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Reviews by Score:
Quiet American, The (2002) scores a combined 4.00 out of 4 stars for Movie Gurus (David Trier)Movie Gurus (David Trier)
Although the film starts out a little slow, Noyce gives plenty of evenly paced drama and exciting graphic action. ...read the complete Quiet American movie review at Movie Gurus (David Trier)
Quiet American, The (2002) scores a combined 4.00 out of 4 stars for Newsweek (David Ansen)Newsweek (David Ansen)
Far from being a period piece, this love story/murder mystery/political thriller couldn’t seem more timely. ...read the complete Quiet American movie review at Newsweek (David Ansen)
Quiet American, The (2002) scores a combined 4.00 out of 4 stars for Portland Oregonian (Shawn Levy)Portland Oregonian (Shawn Levy)
The film reveals itself to be not so much a historical allegory as an Iliad of the heart. It's sad and smart and beautiful and true. ...read the complete Quiet American movie review at Portland Oregonian (Shawn Levy)
Quiet American, The (2002) scores a combined 4.00 out of 4 stars for Chicago Sun-Times (Roger Ebert)Chicago Sun-Times (Roger Ebert)
It is a film with a political point of view, but often its characters lose sight of that, in their fascination with each other and with the girl. ...read the complete Quiet American movie review at Chicago Sun-Times (Roger Ebert)
Quiet American, The (2002) scores a combined 4.00 out of 4 stars for Baltimore Sun (Michael Sragow)Baltimore Sun (Michael Sragow)
This thoroughly modern movie pulls off a classical feat. It elicits the searing combination of pity and terror that leaves a viewer feeling purged. ...read the complete Quiet American movie review at Baltimore Sun (Michael Sragow)
Quiet American, The (2002) scores a combined 4.00 out of 4 stars for Chicago Tribune (Michael Wilmington)Chicago Tribune (Michael Wilmington)
An instant classic and a dramatic beauty, a film that gets us to the core of Greene's chilly, dark and romantic view of the post-war world. ...read the complete Quiet American movie review at Chicago Tribune (Michael Wilmington)
Quiet American, The (2002) scores a combined 4.00 out of 4 stars for Washington Post (Ann Hornaday)Washington Post (Ann Hornaday)
The narrative is lean, the supporting performances are solid, and, perhaps most crucially, the emotional tone of the piece is spot-on. ...read the complete Quiet American movie review at Washington Post (Ann Hornaday)
Quiet American, The (2002) scores a combined 4.00 out of 4 stars for Los Angeles Times (Kenneth Turan)Los Angeles Times (Kenneth Turan)
Star Michael Caine, who gives one of the great, inescapably moving performances in a career filled with them, based his character on personal impressions of the late author. And Greene's lifelong concern with moral ambiguity gives this film a texture and ...read the complete Quiet American movie review at Los Angeles Times (Kenneth Turan)
Quiet American, The (2002) scores a combined 4.00 out of 4 stars for Christian Science Monitor (David Sterritt)Christian Science Monitor (David Sterritt)
Noyce's movie pares away the novel's meditations on the futility of war and the importance of religion. It retains the book's thoughtful blending of psychological and moral issues. ...read the complete Quiet American movie review at Christian Science Monitor (David Sterritt)
Quiet American, The (2002) scores a combined 4.00 out of 4 stars for Time (Richard Corliss)Time (Richard Corliss)
As thoughtful as it is handsomely acted. Caine's subtle, bold performance should guarantee him an aisle seat on Oscar night. ...read the complete Quiet American movie review at Time (Richard Corliss)
Quiet American, The (2002) scores a combined 4.00 out of 4 stars for Arizona Daily Star (Phil Villarreal)Arizona Daily Star (Phil Villarreal)
Quiet American, The (2002) scores a combined 4.00 out of 4 stars for Dallas Morning News (Jane Sumner)Dallas Morning News (Jane Sumner)
This version incarnates the prophetic book in a way even its exacting author might admire. ...read the complete Quiet American movie review at Dallas Morning News (Jane Sumner)
Quiet American, The (2002) scores a combined 4.00 out of 4 stars for Bangor Daily News (Maine) (Christopher Smith)Bangor Daily News (Maine) (Christopher Smith)
"The Quiet American" begins in Saigon in 1952. That's its first sign of trouble. ...read the complete Quiet American movie review at Bangor Daily News (Maine) (Christopher Smith)
Quiet American, The (2002) scores a combined 4.00 out of 4 stars for Denver Post (Steven Rosen)Denver Post (Steven Rosen)
This story still seems timely and important. And there's an element of heartbreak to watching it now, with older and wiser eyes, because we know what will happen after Greene's story ends. ...read the complete Quiet American movie review at Denver Post (Steven Rosen)
Quiet American, The (2002) scores a combined 4.00 out of 4 stars for San Jose Mercury News (Glenn Lovell)San Jose Mercury News (Glenn Lovell)
Quiet American, The (2002) scores a combined 4.00 out of 4 stars for Detroit Free Press (Terry Lawson)Detroit Free Press (Terry Lawson)
Exceedingly handsome, unapologetically intelligent drama. ...read the complete Quiet American movie review at Detroit Free Press (Terry Lawson)
Quiet American, The (2002) scores a combined 4.00 out of 4 stars for Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC) (Ken Hanke)Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC) (Ken Hanke)
Noyce and the screenwriters have nailed Greene with the kind of accuracy not seen since Carol Reed's two Greene films, The Third Man and Our Man in Havana . ...read the complete Quiet American movie review at Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC) (Ken Hanke)
Quiet American, The (2002) scores a combined 4.00 out of 4 stars for Rochester Democrat and Chronicle (Jack Garner)Rochester Democrat and Chronicle (Jack Garner)
Director Phillip Noyce engineers an ideal pace and mood along with the first-rate performances. ...read the complete Quiet American movie review at Rochester Democrat and Chronicle (Jack Garner)
Quiet American, The (2002) scores a combined 4.00 out of 4 stars for Journal News (Westchester, NY) (Marshall Fine)Journal News (Westchester, NY) (Marshall Fine)
Seductive and smart, a canny examination of that uneasy merger between the personal and the political. ...read the complete Quiet American movie review at Journal News (Westchester, NY) (Marshall Fine)
Quiet American, The (2002) scores a combined 4.00 out of 4 stars for The Massachusetts Daily Collegian (Johnny Donaldson)The Massachusetts Daily Collegian (Johnny Donaldson)
The Quiet American 's texture -- the way the dialogue seeps over you, the way the solky cinematography of Christopher Doyle highlights the Vietnamese scenery -- wraps itself around you. ...read the complete Quiet American movie review at The Massachusetts Daily Collegian (Johnny Donaldson)
Quiet American, The (2002) scores a combined 4.00 out of 4 stars for Sacramento Bee (Joe Baltake)Sacramento Bee (Joe Baltake)
The Quiet American is a most disturbing film -- but disturbing in a good way. ...read the complete Quiet American movie review at Sacramento Bee (Joe Baltake)
Quiet American, The (2002) scores a combined 4.00 out of 4 stars for Beach Reporter (Southern California) (Brian J. Arthurs)Beach Reporter (Southern California) (Brian J. Arthurs)
It works not only as a love triangle drama, but as a political thriller and a murder mystery. ...read the complete Quiet American movie review at Beach Reporter (Southern California) (Brian J. Arthurs)
Quiet American, The (2002) scores a combined 4.00 out of 4 stars for Chicago Sun-Times (Roger Ebert)Chicago Sun-Times (Roger Ebert)
The Englishman is sad and lonely. He suffers from the indignity of growing too old for romance while not yet free of yearning. He is in love for one last time. He doesn't even fully understand it is love until he is about to lose it. He is a newspaper cor ...read the complete Quiet American movie review at Chicago Sun-Times (Roger Ebert)
Quiet American, The (2002) scores a combined 3.75 out of 4 stars for Entertainment Today (Brent Simon)Entertainment Today (Brent Simon)
A film of delicate interpersonal dances. Caine makes us watch as his character awakens to the notion that to be human is eventually to have to choose. It’s a sight to behold. ...read the complete Quiet American movie review at Entertainment Today (Brent Simon)
Quiet American, The (2002) scores a combined 3.75 out of 4 stars for Denver Rocky Mountain News (Robert Denerstein)Denver Rocky Mountain News (Robert Denerstein)
Quiet American, The (2002) scores a combined 3.75 out of 4 stars for lewrockwell.com (H. Arthur Scott Trask)lewrockwell.com (H. Arthur Scott Trask)
If you missed the long-awaited release of The Quiet American last winter, you should rent or purchase a copy at once (picking up a nice French Bordeaux on the way) and reserve an evening this weekend. While I could go on at length praising this film’s ...read the complete Quiet American movie review at lewrockwell.com (H. Arthur Scott Trask)
Quiet American, The (2002) scores a combined 3.75 out of 4 stars for Detroit News (Tom Long)Detroit News (Tom Long)
Caine is the center of this film and he's never been more brilliant and less blinding. ...read the complete Quiet American movie review at Detroit News (Tom Long)
Quiet American, The (2002) scores a combined 3.64 out of 4 stars for Seattle Post-IntelligencerSeattle Post-Intelligencer
The film's real feat may be in its production design, in the sumptuousness and veracity with which it re-creates central Saigon and the Vietnamese countryside of the '50s: an exotic lost world of brothels and opium dens, trishaws and ao-dai dresses, ...read the complete Quiet American movie review at Seattle Post-Intelligencer
Quiet American, The (2002) scores a combined 3.64 out of 4 stars for Entertainment Weekly (Lisa Schwarzbaum)Entertainment Weekly (Lisa Schwarzbaum)
Noyce's movie works because the director -- trusts himself, and his audience, to understand that catastrophe isn't always a matter of loud ideology. Rather, it's the result of age-old human weakness. And sometimes it's quiet. ...read the complete Quiet American movie review at Entertainment Weekly (Lisa Schwarzbaum)
Quiet American, The (2002) scores a combined 3.60 out of 4 stars for The New York Times (Stephen Holden)The New York Times (Stephen Holden)
Fowler may be the richest character of Mr. Caine's screen career. Slipping into his skin with an effortless grace, this great English actor gives a performance of astonishing understatement whose tone wavers delicately between irony and sadness. ...read the complete Quiet American movie review at The New York Times (Stephen Holden)
Quiet American, The (2002) scores a combined 3.60 out of 4 stars for Chicago Reader (Jonathan Rosenbaum)Chicago Reader (Jonathan Rosenbaum)
Caine has already been cited as a likely Oscar nominee for his performance, which is clearly one of the most nuanced to date from this first-rate actor, and Fraser is funny and effective as a foil to the old pro. ...read the complete Quiet American movie review at Chicago Reader (Jonathan Rosenbaum)
Quiet American, The (2002) scores a combined 3.60 out of 4 stars for Salon.com (Stephanie Zacharek)Salon.com (Stephanie Zacharek)
Noyce takes a great deal of care with this adaptation. For one thing, he includes as much of Greene's potent shorthand as he can without weighing the movie down. ...read the complete Quiet American movie review at Salon.com (Stephanie Zacharek)
Quiet American, The (2002) scores a combined 3.60 out of 4 stars for Washington Post (Desson Thomson)Washington Post (Desson Thomson)
Thanks to Caine's subtly nuanced performance, there's a deeper dimension to everything. He's snappily ironic at times, sometimes amazingly delicate, always engaging. ...read the complete Quiet American movie review at Washington Post (Desson Thomson)
Quiet American, The (2002) scores a combined 3.60 out of 4 stars for Slate (David Edelstein)Slate (David Edelstein)
Caine makes Hampton's too-literary narration work by playing it as an inner dialogue: It's the best performance of narration I've ever heard. It makes you want to hear Caine read the whole book--or read anything. ...read the complete Quiet American movie review at Slate (David Edelstein)
Quiet American, The (2002) scores a combined 3.56 out of 4 stars for Austin Chronicle (Marjorie Baumgarten)Austin Chronicle (Marjorie Baumgarten)
Quiet American, The (2002) scores a combined 3.52 out of 4 stars for Boston Globe (Ty Burr)Boston Globe (Ty Burr)
The key to why the new ''American'' is so good and so true, though, is Brendan Fraser as the title character. ...read the complete Quiet American movie review at Boston Globe (Ty Burr)
Quiet American, The (2002) scores a combined 3.52 out of 4 stars for Philadelphia Inquirer (Steven Rea)Philadelphia Inquirer (Steven Rea)
A film full of a sense of impending danger, betrayal, seduction and destruction. Quite simply, it's great stuff. ...read the complete Quiet American movie review at Philadelphia Inquirer (Steven Rea)
Quiet American, The (2002) scores a combined 3.50 out of 4 stars for Qwipster's Movie Reviews (Vince Leo)Qwipster's Movie Reviews (Vince Leo)
The Quiet American is based on Graham Greene's somewhat prophetic politically-tinged novel of 1955 about the French war in Vietnam which preceded the ever-escalating American one which followed shortly thereafter. It was made into a film back in 1958, but ...read the complete Quiet American movie review at Qwipster's Movie Reviews (Vince Leo)
 
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Overall Rating:
3.1077
Quiet American, The (2002) is ranked overall as  out of 4 stars
Avg Critic Score:
3.0631
Quiet American, The (2002) is ranked overall as  out of 4 stars
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