61
Metascore
19 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 83The PlaylistJessica KiangThe PlaylistJessica KiangWhile it doesn't reinvent the wheel, or revolutionize the genre, it achieves its modest ambitions affectingly well, in no small part due to a clutch of cherishable performances, especially from leads Emile Hirsch and Stephen Dorff.
- Hirsch gives a finely tuned performance, almost absent of technique or self-consciousness, which dovetails nicely with Dorff's more expressive, method approach.
- 75Miami HeraldRene RodriguezMiami HeraldRene RodriguezUnlike most pictures about people living on the fringe, The Motel Life is never drab or depressing.
- 75Rolling StonePeter TraversRolling StonePeter TraversHirsch opens his heart to the role. And Dorff, matching the depth of feeling he showed in Sofia Coppola's "Somewhere," excels at digging deep into Jerry Lee's pain.
- 75Washington PostStephanie MerryWashington PostStephanie MerryFor all its melancholy and grey, snowy landscape, The Motel Life never feels totally hopeless, thanks in large part to colorful ancillary characters (not to mention occasional trips into Frank’s mind).
- 60The DissolveMike D'AngeloThe DissolveMike D'AngeloWhat is successful, and suggests a promising future for the Polsky brothers as directors, is the film’s central relationship, which never feels less than genuine.
- 60New York Daily NewsNew York Daily NewsWhile this gritty indie is light on plot, the world of bars, casinos, hospitals and gallows humor is real and heartbreaking.
- 50Wall Street JournalJoe MorgensternWall Street JournalJoe MorgensternIt's admirable and even memorable, in its moody fashion, thanks to Roman Vasyanov's richly textured cinematography — he's a shooter to keep our eyes on — and three affecting performances.
- 40Village VoiceZachary WigonVillage VoiceZachary WigonThe Motel Life too often revisits the same emotions and sentiments, leaving us with a portrait that feels frustratingly simple.
- 25San Francisco ChronicleMick LaSalleSan Francisco ChronicleMick LaSalleAs good as The Motel Life is for the actors, that's how bad it is for the viewer.