Albatross

Released Jan 13, 2012

1 hr. 30 min.

Drama

List

54%

26 Reviews

Tomatometer

39%

1,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

Beth (Felicity Jones), a bookish teenager, becomes friends with Emilia (Jessica Brown Findlay) and has an affair with the latter's father.

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John B

Are you kidding me? Such low scores from the masses as well as the critics? People, what's up with that? This is a wonderful, charming movie... a great vehicle for both Felicity Jones and Jessica Brown Findlay.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

09/25/22

Full Review

Audience Member

Albatross has some good moments, but in general it's like its subject - an awkward teenager who is trying to hard to impress you with their uniqueness. In fact the whole film bludgeons you over the head with its "meaning". If you don't get why it's called Albatross, by the end of the film you're just stupid, because it tells you at least three times. I'm not sure if it's intentional, but I found the film very misogynistic. I mean it is about a middle-aged man's affair with a 17 year old, but the women in the film are never actually supportive of each other and the men are the wise sages. The only thing I actually enjoyed was Emilia's grandparents (a vastly underappreciated demographic's performance) and Felicity Jones.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

01/30/23

Full Review

richard c

Quality acting by the three female leads. Does a nice job representing teenager struggles.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

03/30/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Not the worst step along my quest to see everything that Felicity Jones has been in.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/13/23

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Audience Member

This is the only film (on my mind) that I actively hate. To me, it seemed like an attempt to make something people would consider 'important' and it failed terribly. I found each character irritating, especially Emilia who was clearly meant to be 'rebellious' but came off as whiny, self absorbed, cruel and unlikable. I found myself rooting against her. Honestly, I find that this film lacks so much in every department. This wasn't bad in an entertaining way, it was just bad.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

02/26/23

Full Review

Audience Member

This drama was one of those that you feel the characters. The two leading ladies did a great job at acting this movie out. This is particularly a story that some people can relate to. This movie kept me moving until the end and it did not disappoint at all. Why do people don't pay attention to this kind of movies????? As that being said and for this movie being one hidden gem, I give "Albatross" a C.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

01/31/23

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Niall MacCormick

Director

Felicity Jones

Beth

Jessica Brown Findlay

Emelia

Sebastian Koch

Jonathan

Julia Ormond

Joa

Peter Vaughan

Grandpa

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Jeannette Catsoulis

New York Times

Charmingly low-key, the British coming-of-age drama "Albatross" offsets slack plotting with creative casting and sensitive performances.

Rated: 3/5

Jan 12, 2012

Full Review

Ian Buckwalter

NPR

The lack of subtlety makes the story's familiar beats only more obvious.

Rated: 4.5/10

Jan 12, 2012

Full Review

Mary F. Pols

TIME Magazine

The performances are compelling (although Jones is underused) but the thin narrative is less instructive of the strange way female friendships operate than of the way stories get recycled.

Jan 12, 2012

Full Review

Jason Best

Movie Talk

Brown Findlay's feisty livewire gives the film the spark lacking in the routine plot.

Dec 6, 2020

Full Review

Mattie Lucas

From the Front Row

A bland, half-hearted attempt at humor and teenage angst that ultimately never gets off the ground.

Rated: 1/4

Aug 6, 2019

Full Review

Amy Wadsworth

CineVue

Although it may lack the rawness or intensity of an engagingly slick drama, Albatross is charming and peppered with good humour.

Rated: 3/5

Dec 1, 2018

Full Review

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Synopsis

Beth (Felicity Jones), a bookish teenager, becomes friends with Emilia (Jessica Brown Findlay) and has an affair with the latter's father.

Director: Niall MacCormick
Executive Producer: Steve Christian, Marc Samuelson
Screenwriter: Tamzin Rafn
Distributor: IFC Films
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jan 13, 2012, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Apr 28, 2016

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