SpunkySelfTwitter It’s an especially fun movie from a director and cast who are clearly having a good time allowing themselves to let loose.

Izzy Adkins The movie is surprisingly subdued in its pacing, its characterizations, and its go-for-broke sensibilities.

Paynbob It’s fine. It's literally the definition of a fine movie. You’ve seen it before, you know every beat and outcome before the characters even do. Only question is how much escapism you’re looking for.

Zandra The movie turns out to be a little better than the average. Starting from a romantic formula often seen in the cinema, it ends in the most predictable (and somewhat bland) way.

kosmasp Fiction and reality are sometimes very near each other. So close that you might not be able to tell them apart. Add to that mix a life in theater and a wild imagination ... well you kind of got what this movie is about. The beginning makes it obvious, that Al Pacinos character has some issues staying focused to say the least.He also has some other issues (some in bed, some artistic and some with his sanity). And that's almost just scratching the surface. The movie wants a lot and is interesting enough (especially with Pacino being "game" if you'll excuse the pun). We also get a muse, that shouldn't be involved with him (age wise, sexual orientation wise and much more) ... but they kind of pull it off. So while this is as strange as it gets, it might be able to float your boat

Bryan Kluger It's a wonder this film was ever made. The iconic and prolific author Philip Roth wrote the novel of the same name, 'The Humbling' this movie is based on. It was his 30th book and was met with a lot of negative reviews, most of which said that it was a lazy and terrible piece of work from a writer who goes for quantity over quality. But the film has its merits and becomes quite a good, if not funny film in the second half. It just takes a little bit to get there.'The Humbling' is eerily similar to the recent 'Birdman' film that starred Michael Keaton. Both movies center around an aging beloved actor who is trying to make their comeback on stage at the theatre. Each central character may or may not be going crazy. There are even similar scenes where the central character from both films are locked out of the theatre while their play is going on, and a few scenes where they are having conversations with versions of themselves in front of mirrors.But what 'The Humbling' has that 'Birdman' does not have, is a heavy emphasis on the sexual comedy of an older man (Al Pacino) and a twenty-something lesbian woman (Greta Gerwig). It plays out like some sort of Woody Allen film from the early 90s in with each of these wacky characters trying to interact with each other. And director Barry Levinson ('Good Morning Vietnam', 'Rain Man') proves at age 72 that he still has a stylistic eye and hasn't lost his step. Pacino plays Simon Axler, an award winning and wealthy actor who has been in numerous film, but is mostly known for his work with Shakespeare on the big stage. The first scene shows that he is completely drunk before he is supposed to go perform, where he hurls himself off stage in to the orchestra pit.After that unfortunate business and a mismanaged suicide attempt, Simon ends up in a nice rehab center, where he discusses his career and acting with the other patients. Soon enough, Simon is released from rehab, but on the condition that he interacts via Skype with his psychiatrist (Dylan Baker), which plays to a hilarious effect. Simon moves back into his luxurious estate by himself and is visited by a young woman named Pegeen (Greta Gerwig), whom he last saw when she was only 10 years old. Pegeen's mother (Dianne Wiest) and Simon were old theatre buddies and actors in their younger days. Pegeen is a fun girl-next-door type of beautiful, and let's everyone know she is a lesbian, but for some reason throws herself at Simon, saying the lesbian thing was a 16-year long mistake.This new relationship with many years in between the two now lovers have angered a few of Pegeen's previous lovers including her boss (Kyra Sedgwick) and former post-op ex-girlfriend who goes by Prince (Billy Porter). From here, the film becomes increasingly better as more kooky characters show up at Simon's doorstep, as he talks incessantly to anyone who will listen about his new relationship and acting abilities. It's quite funny with probably the best and funniest scene involving Simon and Pegeen's parents at a veterinary clinic where Simon is under the heavy influence of heavy duty tranquilizers. You've never seen Al Pacino this funny.Gerwig is wonderful in this role. She pulls you in with her charm and wit and still root for her when she makes bad choices. And of course, Pacino is brilliant in each scene. There is no over-the-top yelling from him, but rather an inconsistent, rambling of narration about his life. His struggle to figure out what his new relationship means with a possible onset of some rather debilitating diseases that effect the elderly is perfectly crafted by Pacino. And again, despite his age, he is still on top of his game. 'The Humbling' is the budget 'Birdman', but without all of the symbolism, imagery, and magical realism. It's a slow burn film that works best when Pacino is around his co-stars.

leonblackwood Review: I really got frustrated and annoyed with this film because Al Pacino is chatting complete crap from the beginning to the end. I understand that the man is going through a mid-life crisis and he's finding hard to separate his stage acting to real life but the script is a right mess and I personally found it quite confusing. Al Pacino puts in a top performance, as usual, and he shows some deep emotion throughout the film but the film seemed pointless and I struggled to stay interested. The relationship with his best friends lesbian daughter was strange and sketchy, along with the weird girl who wanted him to kill her husband. This isn't as bad as Al Pacino's embarrassing moment in Jack and Jill when he's attempting to rap but it has to go down as one of his worse films. I don't know what the director was trying to attempt with the movie and the whole feel and flow of the film was awful. After waiting so long for Pacino to release a film, I am really disappointed with this bad attempt at an in depth look into a struggling actors career. I just hope that he comes out with something decent next time. Disappointing!Round-Up: What the hell has happened to Pacino? Since Scarface and the Godfather days, he has been one of my favourite actors but he has really made some crap lately. From the terrible Jack & Jill to the average Stand Up Guys and The Son Of No One, he isn't guaranteed to pull in a big audiences in the cinemas anymore. Part of it is due to the terrible movies that he has picked to star in and another part is that he actually over acts in some of his roles. Greata Gerwig put in a good performance, which must have been hard next to the Hollywood legend but she also seemed to be chatting rubbish most of the time. It was good to see Charles Grodin back on the big screen, who I loved in Midnight Run and Dave but the director didn't make the most out of the cast. I recommend this movie to people who are into their comedy/dramas about an actor whose going through a mid-life crisis and struggles to separate his stage acting to real life. 3/10

Larry Silverstein This film can be quite funny but also quite weird, as it had a certain appeal to me and I ended up liking it. Not everything works here, and I would venture to say it's not for everyone, but I felt the parts of the movie that do work, work well and make it worthwhile.Al Pacino and Greta Gerwig are exceptional here, in the lead roles, and play off each other quite well. Pacino portrays Simon, an aging actor who sees his mental capabilities diminishing before his eyes, thus markedly affecting his ability to perform. Following an intentional leap from a stage into an empty orchestra pit, landing face first, followed by a botched suicide attempt, He ends up in a rest and rehab home for 30 days, before being released into the outpatient care of his therapist (Dylan Baker), whom he has sessions with on Skype.Gerwig plays Pegeen, who shows up at Simon's front door, one day, and is the daughter of former friends and co-performers of his, many years before. She tells Simon, whom she hasn't seen in many years, that as a child she used to have an enormous crush on him when he would visit their home. Despite declaring she's an avowed lesbian, she begins to boldly seduce Simon and they soon begin a May-December relationship.All kinds of quirky characters will come and go throughout the film, such as Sybil (Nina Arianda) who met Simon in rehab and now is stalking him to kill her vile husband. Also, Prince (Billy Porter), who used to be Priscilla and in a relationship with Pegeen before the operation. It's fun to see some veteran screen notables make varying screen time appearances, including Charles Grodin, Dianne Wiest, Dan Hedaya, Kyra Sedgwick, and Mary Louis Wilson.It's nice to see the acclaimed filmmaker Barry Levinson (Rain Man, The Natural) back with a movie on screen, with a screenplay from the great Buck Henry (The Graduate), and Mechal Zebede.All in all, this film offers something different but, as mentioned it will not appeal to everyone. With the performances of Pacino and Gerwig, as well as solid support, plus some quirky humor, I felt there was enough here for me to enjoy.