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A Master Builder

Play trailer Poster for A Master Builder 2013 2h 7m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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82% Tomatometer 33 Reviews 56% Popcornmeter 250+ Ratings
A young woman (Lisa Joyce) confronts a gravely ill architect (Wallace Shawn), claiming that he seduced her when she was just an adolescent, but he has no recollection of the encounter.

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A Master Builder

Critics Reviews

View All (33) Critics Reviews
Anthony Lane New Yorker There is muscle and volume in the performances; but had Demme hung back, and kept things cooler and quieter, the mastery of what Ibsen built, and the agon of his extraordinary hero, would have cast a more looming shadow. Sep 22, 2014 Full Review Stephanie Merry Washington Post For a movie that lasts longer than two hours and is made up solely of talking, it's impressive that the story never seems to drag. Rated: 2.5/4 Sep 18, 2014 Full Review Jonathan Romney Film Comment Magazine Filmed theater? Absolutely, but also, to my complete surprise, something else again. Sep 15, 2014 Full Review Nicholas Bell IONCINEMA.com Though not as celebrated as the previous efforts of Shawn and Gregory, it's a notable title, at last made worthy of reconsideration following its paltry release. Rated: 3/5 Oct 27, 2020 Full Review C.J. Prince Way Too Indie The film's themes of guilt shine through, but the flawed final product makes A Master Builder frustrating to watch. Rated: 5.7/10 Jun 18, 2019 Full Review Nathanael Hood The Retro Set Hagerty and Joyce are revelations; the beating hearts of the film. Rated: 7/10 Dec 28, 2018 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View All (5) audience reviews
Audience Member Great work from Gregory and Shawn but Demme, God rest his soul, doesn't bring any of his genius to the material here. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 01/14/23 Full Review Audience Member There's nothing to the direction, but the acting and the play itself do more than enough to carry this movie. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 01/13/23 Full Review Audience Member Perhaps this works better for a true lover of theater, but for me it was mostly dull despite great performances from Wallace Shawn and Lisa Joyce. Interesting, literary dialogue, but too theatrical and stagey for me. Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 02/16/23 Full Review Audience Member Incredible performances. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/04/23 Full Review Audience Member Demme doesn't add many visual flourishes, outside of his generous use of close-ups, but rather allows Ibsen's sharp-tongued dialogue to take center stage in a film that rewards patience. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 01/25/23 Full Review Read all reviews
A Master Builder

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Cast & Crew

Electrick Children 88% 72% Electrick Children Watchlist Nymphomaniac: Volume I 76% 69% Nymphomaniac: Volume I Watchlist Lily 100% % Lily Watchlist Ain't Them Bodies Saints 77% 61% Ain't Them Bodies Saints Watchlist The Wait 73% 55% The Wait Watchlist TRAILER for The Wait Discover more movies and TV shows. View More

Movie Info

Synopsis A young woman (Lisa Joyce) confronts a gravely ill architect (Wallace Shawn), claiming that he seduced her when she was just an adolescent, but he has no recollection of the encounter.
Director
Jonathan Demme
Producer
Rocco Caruso, Andre Gregory, Wallace Shawn
Screenwriter
Wallace Shawn
Production Co
Westward Productions
Genre
Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Streaming)
Mar 17, 2017
Box Office (Gross USA)
$46.9K
Runtime
2h 7m
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