Welcome To The Riley's Reviews

Nun With a Gun Posts : 519 Join date : 2010-04-06

Our goal is to compile as exhaustive a list of positive Welcome To The Riley's reviews as we can.

If you notice we've missed a review or come across a new one, please post it in Welcome To The Riley's forum and we'll be sure to add it.

This thread is locked and for reference only.

-Team Kristen

Nun With a Gun Posts : 519 Join date : 2010-04-06

Quote :: Kristen Stewart is utterly fearless in "Welcome to the Rileys." That's the takeaway from the film's world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival on Saturday afternoon. You can quibble all you want with her portrayal of a 16-year-old runaway turned stripper and prostitute. But you cannot walk away from a viewing and say the actress doesn't fearlessly expose herself physically and emotionally, and doesn't do so with astonishing maturity and believability.

In 'Rileys,' Twilighters will find nothing so much to be shocked by, rather than the fulfillment of a promise Stewart has been hinting at since 2002's "Panic Room": the woman is a fine, fine actress.

MTV movie blog

Nun With a Gun Posts : 519 Join date : 2010-04-06

Quote :: ...after tragedy strikes in his world, Doug (Gandolfini) travels to New Orleans for a trade show and lands himself in the life of a very young, runaway girl named Mallory (Kristen Stewart) who spends time stripping and turning tricks to maintain her meager, dirty existence.
Instead of doing what most men would do when faced with Kristen Stewart as a stripper and laying pipe (he owns a plumbing supply company), Doug takes Mallory under his wing.

Kristen Stewart is at her bravest. When we first meet Mallory, she’s surrounded by quick-cuts and music video sex appeal, but there’s clearly something else going on. She’s broken, tired and as we learn later, just a frightened little girl. Stewart plays through all of these layers incredibly well. She’s sexy, tortured and frightened. At some points, all at once. This isn’t her character from Twilight. It is a far more mature role, and one that is a polar opposite to Bella. Unless Bella starts showing her bare ass in the third movie…

If there’s one thing to be gleaned from Welcome to the Rileys, its that a movie can be plodding and uneven, but can still be saved by performance. In the end, Gandolfini, Leo and Stewart carry the film across the finish line and make it not just watchable, but intriguing in its own special way. It isn’t a very heartwarming story, but one of resilience and survival. And one worth watching, either way.

Film School Rejects

Nun With a Gun Posts : 519 Join date : 2010-04-06

Quote :: Where the "Twilight" movies try to hide Stewart's pimples, here, those natural imperfections (plus a few bruises and suicide-attempt scars painted in for good measure) suit the character just fine. Hiding behind raccoon-eye mascara and electrical-tape pasties, Stewart is the perfect wretch, utterly convincing as a lost girl leveraging her sexuality to compensate for her complete powerlessness.

Variety

Nun With a Gun Posts : 519 Join date : 2010-04-06

Quote :: ...On the acting front, Stewart is a live wire throughout the near two-hour running time presented here. She comes off like a rabid dog, completely unpredictable; it's easy to see why directors see so much potential in her work. She's great here.

...My only knock on Welcome to the Rileys? It's probably too subtle a work to really stick with viewers. The dialogue and settings are so natural that they don't lodge in your memory for long afterward. But you could do far worse. See it for Stewart's electric performance, Galdolfini's papa bear strength, or to scout an up-and-coming director in Jake Scott. If it makes it to a theater near you, give Welcome to the Rileys a few hours of your life. We'll meet back here to discuss.

Film.com

Nun With a Gun Posts : 519 Join date : 2010-04-06

Quote :: Most of all, Welcome to the Rileys is character-driven, with Leo, Gandolfini, and Stewart each owning their roles with an intensity that never wanes.

.... Stewart takes risks which would be daunting to actors twice her age. Brash and offensive, her Mallory is like a wild tigress in heat that's escaped from the zoo and evades capture at every turn. This could be her most shocking and memorable performance yet.

Director Jake Scott, in his second feature, doesn't shy away from his pedigree -- he's the son of Ridley and nephew of Tony Scott, who serve as producers -- but leaves no doubt that he comes from his own school of filmmaking. On the face of it, this film seems to be a variation on classic dramatic themes. But Welcome to the Rileys retains a unique quality to it that sets it apart from the rest. If you look closely enough, the message is clear. Life-changing experiences aren't planned. They hit you when you least expect it.

PROnetworks

Nun With a Gun Posts : 519 Join date : 2010-04-06

Quote :: The film is very raw and doesn't always go where you expect it to. The performances are really incredible and only help you get immersed in the universe of these three individuals.

...As for Kristen Stewart, she proves without a doubt that she can hold her own in any movie, and is not tied in any way to her character of Bella in the Twilight Saga, which not every actor would be able to do with such a franchise. If you're a fan of hers, you'll find her pretty unrecognizable in Welcome to the Rileys. Mallory is also a very interesting character because of not only the relationship she has with Doug, but also the journey she goes on after she meets him.

Overall, I found the film really great. The story is so beautiful and well played out, you won't always know what's coming next. It has humor and heartbreaking moments. The performances are impeccable and give you a realistic look at the lives of these characters. The movie will take you on a trip with these broken people and it's an amazing trip to take.

Daemons Movies

Nun With a Gun Posts : 519 Join date : 2010-04-06

Quote :: I will tell you that the three main actors in the film, James Gandolfini, Melissa Leo and Kristen Stewart all turn in amazing performances. It would have been very easy for things to go south in each of the roles but Jake Scott pulled out what could be one of the best performances of Stewart’s career and definitely my favorite of Gandolfini and Leo.

WELCOME TO THE RILEYS is a touching, emotional journey that you aren’t really sure where it will go, but leaves you happy with where it ends. Jake Scott does an amazing job of getting what he wants for each character and makes every scene raw and real. There is a lot of grittiness in the story and it fits in perfectly with the storyline. You shouldn’t be disappointed after this film.

wearemoviegeeks.com

Nun With a Gun Posts : 519 Join date : 2010-04-06

Quote :: The relationship between Doug and Mallory is heart-warming. The connection between the two is strangely enduring and acceptable, almost letting us forget the circumstances surrounding the bizarre situation. The two have undeniable on-screen chemistry that sparks in each scene.

The movie takes some unexpected turns, but for the most part is predictable. The subject matter of the movie is dark, but presented in an easy-to-digest manner. The script has potential, but the actors make the film a living, breathing story – complete with a beating heart.

...And I better give credit where it’s due: this movie wouldn't be half as good without Stewart. She injects an attitude into a young girl with a dark history, hiding the pain behind f-bombs and a lack of clothing. Not a stitch of Kristen or Bella in the role, she is 100 percent Mallory. Stewart gave everything and it shows.

Altogether, the film was so-so, but it was the perfect opportunity for Stewart to throw away her Twilight image, and she pulled it off.

Salt Lake Magazine

Nun With a Gun Posts : 519 Join date : 2010-04-06

Quote :: Gandolfini and Stewart bring energy and some fine nuances to the would-be father-daughter odd couple, even though Gandolfini’s mission to lift Stewart out of squalor and sin is a dramatic stretch. Spitting out curses, Stewart takes to the explosive role of a hooker who shows no interest in being tamed.

Screen Daily

Posts : 18 Join date : 2010-05-01 Location : Cali

Oh I am SO happy for this review compilation!! Thank you so much! Between this movie and OTR, I think Kristen will have completely ARRIVED. I am beyond thrilled for the reviews she is receiving, and I am eager to see WTTR. GO KRISTEN!!! W00t!!

StealthyStew Posts : 77 Join date : 2010-05-19

Great collection of reviews . Thanks. There is one more , please, a comment fromJuneELLE magazine, page 187.
It explains how kristen prepared herself for the role . It was shoking to me.
It decodes those pimples on her face. They are NOT " natural imparfactions" , they were induced by Kristen on her body for the benefit of the movie.

Posts : 18 Join date : 2010-05-01 Location : Cali

One more glowing indication of Kristen's immense dedication to her craft. She is truly phenomenal.

StealthyStew Posts : 77 Join date : 2010-05-19

This is from ELLE US JUNE 2010 mag.

"But Stewart is looking not so far beyond this month to the fall release of “the coolest movie ever,” Welcome to the Rileys, directed by Jake Scott. She plays a 16-year-old stripper-prostitute, “an open wound” of a girl, as she says, befriended by a middle-aged couple (Melissa Leo and James Gandolfini) grieving the death of their daughter. The premise sounds like indie sap, but it works, and the sparely written script showcases the actors’ talents. Stewart renders her wild, damaged character with a complexity and control not evident in her previous performances. To prepare, she lived on junk food, learned to pole dance, chain-smoked, and stayed up all night. The rough living took its toll: Her legs bloom with bruises and her sallow skin with blemishes, all of them real. It’s difficult to imagine another young actress subordinating her looks so completely to her performance. This may well be the role that loosens the association between Kristen Stewart and Bella Swan, poster child for teenage angst. "

Kristen's Ninja Posts : 23 Join date : 2010-04-25

WTTR Review

Oh my god. Seriously. I don't have the words to describe this film.

Let me just say, first off that the film is worth the wait.

OK, to the guts. The performances in this film are heart-wrenching. Literally. My breath caught so many times during the film. And it's not the big things at all. It's the little things that each of the characters does that are so moving. Each of the tiny little movements, gestures, looks, etc. So much happens when no one says a thing.

I really can not say enough about the performances in this movie. I was never a huge fan of The Sopranos, so I was a little unsure about James Gandolfini as Doug. But he was so, so good. He was so... lost at times. Melissa Leo was superb as Lois. Her performance was so nuanced. Her character's transformation is amazing in the film. She's so frozen in her grief, and walled off from everyone around her. Kristen Stewart was amazing. Her Mallory is crass, ignorant and lonely, with zero sense of her own self-worth. The only value she sees in herself is what she can squeeze out of her body. And there are times that she will break your heart and times that you will just want to shake her until her teeth rattle. But there was one part of the film that made me want to sob. I won't give it away, but it was gut-wrenching to see.

I will say that some of the things in the script that I thought were funny... when I saw them on screen, I didn't think they were funny anymore. When you see what's behind them, really see it, it's sad. These are 3 very broken people, and when you look beyond the basic funniness of what they're doing or saying and see the brokenness behind it, you don't laugh.

Congrats to everyone involved with the film. It was really great to see another character-driven film propelled by 3 amazing actors. This gives me really high hopes for the kind of films Gio will (hopefully) help get to public in the future.

Source : sunbug1 via imdb

StealthyStew Posts : 77 Join date : 2010-05-19

@ Nhess
Thanks for sharing! I am ready to see the movie.

StealthyStew Posts : 77 Join date : 2010-05-19

After hitting the A-list playing Bella, the lovestruck heroine of "Twilight", Kristen Stewart could have easily developed a nice cushy career starring in Nicholas Sparks weepies. Instead she went for something dark and daring. "Welcome to the Rileys" -- which also stars James Gandolfini of "Sopranos" fame and Oscar-winner Melissa Leo -- was the talk of this year's Sundance Film Fest. In the flick, she plays a troubled teenaged stripper who finds herself adopted by a grieving couple. Critics have praised her performance, where she bares her soul, and a lot else, for the part. She's even getting some early Oscar buzz. The flick opens in October.

Full link:
http://movies.yahoo.com/feature/movie-talk-whats-next-for-the-stars-of-eclipse.html

From:

What's Next for the Stars of 'Eclipse'
by Bethany Powers & Jonathan Crow · July 8, 2010

StealthyStew Posts : 77 Join date : 2010-05-19

Wow! Kirsten really scores with this one….after a huge fan following and an Oscar worthy performance Kristen is surely one great actor in the making

Oscar guru Sasha Stone at awardsdaily.com declares that “if Stewart is (in the) supporting (actress category) it seems all but certain she will be nominated for this.” [see our post on that HERE]

source | via: @welcome2rileys

[b][i][u]

StealthyStew Posts : 77 Join date : 2010-05-19

Oscar guru Sasha Stone at awardsdaily.com declares that “if Stewart is (in the) supporting (actress category) it seems all but certain she will be nominated for this.” [see our post on that HERE]

source | via: @welcome2rileys

Kristen's Ninja Posts : 23 Join date : 2010-04-25

As Mallory Stewart plays a major role in Welcome to the Rileys since it is her character that generated much of the drama in the movie. She comes with an electrifying performance that shows her true potential and this will be a landmark in her career.

Source: http://www.onlinemovieshut.com/online-movies/welcome-to-the-rileys-movie-2010

Nun With a Gun Posts : 519 Join date : 2010-04-06

Source: kstewartnews.com

Nun With a Gun Posts : 519 Join date : 2010-04-06

Quote :: Kristen Mallory encamped there, a stripper-prostitute-runaway 17 years languishing in New Orleans. It crosses his path a good guy who survives with difficulty since the death of his daughter and will take under his wing.

More than life, Kristen swears and smokes like an old road, and with her mascara running and torn fishnet stockings, it is expected difficulty in finding good in old jeans and t-shirt. Not only is there life after Twilight, but the best seems to come for the actress barely twenty years.

Source: metrofrance.com

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