Illuminata

R

1998

2 hr. 0 min.

Comedy

Drama

List

46%

28 Reviews

Tomatometer

67%

1,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

Tuccio (John Turturro) is having problems staging his latest play, "Illuminata." In fact, the production is a melodrama in its own right. The lead actress, Rachel (Katherine Borowitz), is his lover. His cast members are ready to mutiny. And a preview of the piece didn't exactly thrill renowned theater critic Umberto Bevalaqua (Christopher Walken). So it's no wonder Tuccio finds himself susceptible to the seductions of Celimene (Susan Sarandon), a professed admirer.

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William S

This is a genius film. The characters seem to be unable to bare the thrill of life, so they imitate life to the comic and tragic conclusions that attend lives well lived. Hilarious, tragic, seductive....I loved it. I'm a mental health professional, maybe that explains my love for this film.......Regardless, this is in my top 20 of all times along with: The Usual Suspects, To Kill a Mockingbird, Dark City, Dangerous Beauty, Blade Runner, Spirited Away, Cannery Row, The Shipping News, Moonrise Kingdom, Best in Show, Hero, Kubo and the Two Strings, Isle of Dogs, and Lady in the Water. (to name a few).

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/17/24

Full Review

Ari V

Doesn't come together particularly well, but plenty of wonderful one-liners.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

12/02/23

Full Review

Audience Member

This is on my top 15 list (along with To Kill a Mockingbird, The Usual Suspects, The Shipping News, Spirited Away, Avatar, Dangerous Beauty, Dark City, Blade Runner, Magnolia, The Green Mile, The Matrix, Lady in the Water, GroundHog Day, etc) The only way I can effectively describe this movie is: Felini's 81/2 meets A Mid-Summer Night's Dream. There are absolutely stunning moments in this movie that are hilarious and heart-breaking. This film is a champion of the heart, soul, and funny bone, and I really do NOT understand the reviews of the critics. It is truly a film for people who love theater, that is for sure. Comedic genius.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

01/31/23

Full Review

Frances H

This is a film that anyone who has ever been in a play will just lov, as I did! The play is certainly the thing in this film, a tribute to the stage and acting as a craft. The cast is excellent and the screenplay outstanding, with deft direction from Turturro. This film is witty, funny, and a serious statement about unidealized love as it is in reality. Don't miss this one!

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

05/07/18

Full Review

Audience Member

A little messy in the beginning but it clears up.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

01/14/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Interesting, but ultimately unsatisfying.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

01/16/23

Full Review

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John Turturro

Director

John Turturro

Tuccio

Katherine Borowitz

Rachel

Christopher Walken

Bevalaqua

Susan Sarandon

Celimene

Beverly D'Angelo

Astergourd

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42%

42%

Celebrity

29%

25%

Free Money

76%

68%

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Mystery Train

66%

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Lisa Kennedy

Out Magazine

llluminata is as luminous, haunting, and intelligent as its leading lady.

May 25, 2022

Full Review

Joe Morgenstern

Wall Street Journal

Those who share the movie's love of acting will find much to enjoy, though mainly in discrete tableaux.

Apr 4, 2018

Full Review

Lisa Schwarzbaum

Entertainment Weekly

Rated: C+

Sep 7, 2011

Full Review

Eddie Harrison

film-authority.com

…an intensely theatrical experience…a painstaking evocation of the theatre in days gone by…far better than it’s lack of recognition suggests…

Rated: 3/5

Mar 17, 2024

Full Review

Jeremy Kinser

The Advocate

Walken's showy turn as a vitriolic theater critic is a good reason to catch Turturro's visually sumptuous but otherwise plodding valentine to the creative process.

Apr 19, 2022

Full Review

Film Threat

Rated: 2.5/5

Dec 6, 2005

Full Review

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Synopsis

Tuccio (John Turturro) is having problems staging his latest play, "Illuminata." In fact, the production is a melodrama in its own right. The lead actress, Rachel (Katherine Borowitz), is his lover. His cast members are ready to mutiny. And a preview of the piece didn't exactly thrill renowned theater critic Umberto Bevalaqua (Christopher Walken). So it's no wonder Tuccio finds himself susceptible to the seductions of Celimene (Susan Sarandon), a professed admirer.

Director: John Turturro
Screenwriter: Brandon Cole, Brandon Cole
Production Co: CDI, JVC Entertainment, Overseas Film Group, GreeneStreet Films Inc., Sogepaq
Rating: R
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): Aug 6, 2013
Box Office (Gross USA): $836.6K
Sound Mix: Surround, Dolby Digital

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