Norman: The Moderate Rise and Tragic Fall of a New York Fixer

We Got This Covered by

Delving into the intricacies of friendships, the way a lie can spiral out of control and the dangers of mixing politics and business, Norman: The Moderate Rise And Tragic Fall Of A New York Fixer is a compellingly complex and playful take on the political thriller.

The A.V. Club by A.A. Dowd

In a sense, what we’re watching is a classic con-artist movie, built around someone who plies his shady trade not for money but esteem—the feeling that he matters, that his name carries weight.

The Guardian by Benjamin Lee

Gere’s commitment to the role almost makes up for the film’s flaws.

IndieWire by David Ehrlich

The film arrives at its last shot with a sense of purpose, but Cedar’s clumsy plotting and uncharacteristically sterile compositions suggest that he’s charted the least enjoyable route to the film’s satisfying finale.

The Playlist by Gregory Ellwood

Cedar’s smart dialogue and direction lift Norman: The Moderate Rise and Tragic Fall of a New York Fixer (hereby just referred to as ‘Norman’) above expectations.

Slant Magazine by Kenji Fujishima

Writer-director Joseph Cedar charts Norman's rise-and-fall arc with the attention to detail of a procedural.

Variety by Peter Debruge

It can take a TV series an entire season to establish a political intrigue as elaborate as the one Cedar devises here — and even longer to flesh out such a fascinating protagonist, when all Cedar had to do was give this archetype a name.

Rolling Stone by Peter Travers

A spellbinder that features Richard Gere in one of his best performances ever.

Screen International by Tim Grierson

What’s best about the film is how Cedar and Gere have dreamed up a character who’s equally desperate and preternaturally ingratiating.

The Hollywood Reporter by Todd McCarthy

Cedar impressively creates a complex and intricately detailed portrait of the web of political, financial, social and religious affiliations that has everything to do with how the world works.