20
There's no pleasure in watching the repeated sexual exploitation of the eponymous heroine in Dan Ireland's adaptation of E.L. Doctorow's short story; that there's little purpose to this abuse, however, is absolutely unforgivable.
What are people saying?
What are critics saying?
40
New York Daily News by Elizabeth Weitzman
The tone veers wildly, from wacky indie to melodramatic soap opera. Like the other men in her life, Ireland adores Jolene without entirely understanding her.
40
The Hollywood Reporter by Frank Scheck
They don't make movies like Jolene anymore, and that's a good thing.
70
Los Angeles Times by Gary Goldstein
More epic than it needs to be and less profound than it should be, Jolene remains a watchable excursion into human frailty and foibles.
30
The New York Times by Jeannette Catsoulis
Jolene's skin may smell like warm milk to Brad, but to the rest of us it has curdled long before she leaves his bed.
0
So bad it's almost (but not quite) good, Dan Ireland's Jolene is an unusually elaborate and excruciatingly long vanity production based on a short story by E.L. Doctorow ("Ragtime").
60
Chastain, an incandescent redhead with a heart-shaped face and round, shining eyes, does more justice to the part than it deserves.
75
You go away exhilarated. The movie has been through as many hurdles getting here as dear, sweet Jolene, but sometimes the most engaging movies are the ones worth waiting for.
30
Though stretched to a two-hour run time, Doctorow's socially critical tale is reduced to queasy spectacle.