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Genius

PG-13 Released Jun 10, 2016 1h 44m Biography History Drama TRAILER for Genius: Trailer 1 List
52% Tomatometer 112 Reviews 46% Audience Score 500+ Ratings
Renowned editor Maxwell Perkins (Colin Firth) develops a friendship with author Thomas Wolfe (Jude Law) while working on the writer's manuscripts. Read More Read Less
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Genius

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Genius

What to Know

Critics Consensus

Genius seeks to honor worthy subjects, yet never gets close enough to the titular quality to make watching worth the effort.

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Critics Reviews

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Anna Leszkiewicz New Statesman Genius ends up being terrifically boring, while enthusiastically reproducing the creative hierarchies of the time it portrays. Aug 25, 2016 Full Review Roxana Hadadi Chesapeake Family Magazine The biographical Genius is uneven, and that imbalanced focus-the same thing that novelist Thomas Wolfe needed help with all those years ago-is its weakest element. Rated: 2.5/5 Aug 1, 2016 Full Review Leonard Maltin leonardmaltin.com Documenting the inner life of creative artists and their world is challenging at best... 'Genius' manages to capture the grandiose dreams of both infamous writer, Wolfe, and his long-fabled editor... Jul 11, 2016 Full Review Ian Brill Battleship Pretension As Perkins and Wolfe discuss the importance of every choice and omission an artist makes in crafting work, it is sad that Genius doesn't know show much evidence of that same consideration. Apr 13, 2021 Full Review David Walsh World Socialist Web Site A great wall separates the producers, writers and directors at present from the kind of mental effort it takes to represent the world in a serious artistic manner. For the most part, unhappily, they have only clichés and guesswork at their disposal. Feb 11, 2021 Full Review Sarah Knight Adamson Sarah's Backstage Pass Michael Grandage could've used his female stars more powerfully-and the whole film smells of Oscar Bait-but the opposites-attract friendship between Perkins and Wolfe is the stuff of literary lore and is more than enough... Rated: 3/4 Jan 23, 2020 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View All (117) audience reviews
Andrew B I've read both of Thomas Wolfe's books. 'Look Homeward Angel' I would describe as a great American classic to rival Steinbeck. I found 'Of Time and the River' to be a bit of a slog. What i loved about this film was Jude Law's brilliant depiction of the man as a man, a flawed genius, which put me in mind of a prototype Kerouac. It was an Hour and 3 quarters well spent. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 07/20/24 Full Review Michael E I loved it. Tragic tale of a bloke who wrote and drank too much but didn't have enough love for real life. Distracted by writing, success and contempt for those who helped him. The three leads are well played. There is a pleasing pace and tone and a good ending. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 03/12/24 Full Review Melissah M This is a brilliant plot, suited to anyone sick of the usual no-thought rubbish usually coming up. Very good Actors, delving into the intense world of what it takes to succeed as a novelist. Interesting for anyone who likes clever language and who has read the classics, as the Editor (Colin Firth) battles with his famous authors. Based on a true story Rated 4 out of 5 stars 01/15/24 Full Review James P I thought the movie was a delight even though the critics found it fun to denigrate it. Thomas Wolfe was an amazingly talented writer with a very complex character. The script was beautifully written and the actors' performances were straight on. It was for me at least a joy to watch. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 03/22/23 Full Review Audience Member Excellent acting, scenery, story and costumes. It was captivating. A great story. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/05/23 Full Review Grace P Watched this last night and felt it was a spectacular story portrayed by brilliant actors. Why this didn't rate higher is beyond me. Interesting that movie didn't tell us that Thomas Wolfe worked full time as a professor, and that is why he had to do his writing and "cutting" in the evenings, hence the two year rewrite. Firth and Law were over the top. Amazing. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 01/29/23 Full Review Read all reviews
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Genius

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Genius

Genius (2016) (L-R) Jude Law as Thomas Wolfe and Colin Firth as Max Perkins in "Genius." (L-R) Colin Firth as Max Perkins and Laura Linney as Louise Perkins in "Genius." Colin Firth as Max Perkins in "Genius." Vanessa Kirby as Zelda Fitzgerald in "Genius." Laura Linney as Louise Perkins in "Genius." Dominic West as Ernest Hemingway in "Genius." (L-R) Jude Law as Thomas Wolfe and Vanessa Kirby as Zelda Fitzgerald in "Genius." (L-R) Colin Firth as Max Perkins and Jude Law as Thomas Wolfe in "Genius." View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis Renowned editor Maxwell Perkins (Colin Firth) develops a friendship with author Thomas Wolfe (Jude Law) while working on the writer's manuscripts.
Director
Michael Grandage
Producer
Michael Grandage, John Logan
Screenwriter
John Logan
Distributor
Roadside Attractions
Production Co
Desert Wolf Productions, Michael Grandage Company
Rating
PG-13 (Suggestive Content|Some Thematic Elements)
Genre
Biography, History, Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Jun 10, 2016, Limited
Release Date (Streaming)
Aug 23, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA)
$1.4M
Runtime
1h 44m
Sound Mix
Dolby Digital
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