The Newton Boys

Not to be hyperbolic, but Richard Linklater's first big-budget movie may be the Jules and Jim of bank-robber movies, thanks to its astonishing handling of period detail and its gentleness of spirit, both buoyed by a gliding lightness of touch. more

What The Newton Boys lacks in dramatic definition, it more than compensates for with its underlying intelligence and visual luster. more

A fast-paced, entertaining motion picture that replaces gritty tension with a lightly-dramatic character interaction that occasionally borders on straight comedy. more

Linklater reaches for the sky with this film, but the result is mixed. more

The Newton Boys is Linklater's most conventional film and, despite its numerous flaws, it's not bad. more

If Mr. Linklater is not entirely at ease with action sequences (or with the obligatory having-fun montage once the brothers become successful), he still makes this (after ''Before Sunrise'' and ''Suburbia'') another admirable directorial stretch. more

Inoffensive and designed to cater to some sort of middle-of-the-road constituency (it's not entirely clear who wants period gangster Westerns to be jolly instead of dark), this film is a huge leap forward for director and cowriter Richard Linklater, and he tackles the genre conventions and period set pieces with eminent grace. more

Some directors can profit from the strictures of a strong narrative, but, for Linklater, the conventionality of The Newton Boys works against the glide of his free-floating style. more

An extremely handsome production that meticulously evokes the 1920s, and a likable male-dominated cast, headed by Matthew McConaughey in his best screen performance to date, only partially compensate for a story that's too diffuse and lacks a discernible point of view that would make it dramatically engaging. more

There are no dramatic peaks and valleys in this story line, just a uniform, dramatic flatness. more

What is wrong with you people? This movie is hysterical. Vincent D'Onofrio (the great under-appreciated character vet) and Ethan Hawke are the best, you have to see the ad-libs and particularly the scene where they rob the moneybags in Toronto. D'Onofrio gets tackled and Hawke ends up dragging around a man on his ankle like a little kid on hanging on their mother. Ok, I'll watch anything with Vincent D'Onofrio, but the movie is still great besides the fact that he, my favorite actor, is in it. The movie is telling the true story, like it says in the opening ...DUH..., so why are you... more

I saw this in the theater and thought it was great, but no one else I knew had seen it. Then I saw it on DVD and bought it quickly. It was just as good as I remembered. This is a "gangster" movie without gangsters. No one gets killed or tortured graphically. It's a real life story of depression era brothers trying to get some cash and having some adventures along the way. I think Hawke puts in one of his best performances ever. Dwight Yoakam also contributes some good acting, especially when compared to his fabulous "Sling Blade" villan. The only flaw is the length. The movie drags a... more