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Flashbacks of a Fool

Flashbacks of a Fool

Drama · 2008

An aging Hollywood star, Joe Scott, lives a life of narcissistic hedonism, observed by his laconic personal assistant, Ophelia. The death of his childhood best friend, Boots, takes our protagonist, and the movie, into an extended flashback to a sea-side town in 1970s Britain.

Movie details

Flashbacks of a Fool

2008 Drama 1h 50m

Critical arithmetic

One number, for now.

TMDB

6.2 / 10

Community rating

An aging Hollywood star, Joe Scott, lives a life of narcissistic hedonism, observed by his laconic personal assistant, Ophelia. The death of his childhood best friend, Boots, takes our protagonist, and the movie, into an extended flashback to a sea-side town in 1970s Britain.

CriticWise case file

What this film says about your taste.

Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.

The archetype split

Who fights over Flashbacks of a Fool?

The split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.

Taste neighbourhood

Nearby on the taste map.

TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.

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Names above the title

The people responsible.

Directed by

Baillie Walsh

Written by

Baillie Walsh

Daniel Craig

Daniel Craig

Joe Scott

Harry Eden

Harry Eden

Young Joe Scott

Miriam Karlin

Miriam Karlin

Mrs. Rogers

Jodhi May

Jodhi May

Evelyn Adams

Helen McCrory

Helen McCrory

Peggy Tickell

Olivia Williams

Olivia Williams

Grace Scott

Felicity Jones

Felicity Jones

Young Ruth Davies

Court is in session

Put Flashbacks of a Fool on trial.

Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.

The defence The Prestige Tourist

“Sincerity is not manipulation.”

The film risks embarrassment to make emotion communal, and that openness is harder than fashionable detachment.

The prosecution The Adrenaline Seeker

“The strings are showing.”

Every cue tells you exactly what to feel and when, leaving sentiment to do the work character should have done.