Is Anybody There?: Critic Reviews

Humorous and touching, the first great movie of 2009.

What balances the movie is Mr. Caine's exceptional portrayal of old age as the accumulation of a lifetime's experience. In his performance the child, the youthful rogue and the forgetful codger all live at once.

This sweet-natured movie can nonetheless provide laughs and sharp insights, as well as a lump in the throat.

Caine is magnificent, and the film is worth a look for his contribution alone.

To answer the question put forth by the title of Is Anybody There?: Michael Caine is there, single-handedly lifting a soggy bit of coming-of-age whimsy into the category of the watchable.

Even Crowley, who seems to have a knack with overloaded material, can't quite bring the thing in for a safe landing in all the slush.

I can't really recommend the film, unless you admire Caine as much as I do.

[A] funny and moving drama about the mysteries of the grave.

Caine moves through the less-than-surprising story line, shaking things up not with an actorly flamboyance but with a heartbreaking sense of quiet tragedy and regret.

The story flirts with sticky sentimentality but never quite falls into the trap, thanks to Caine's masterful presence.

The result is a film that's funny, sad and oddly brave.

At the risk of sounding churlish, I have to admit the alleged charm of this comic misadventure eluded me totally.

Profoundly (and some would say pleasurably) formulaic, the film possesses scant cinematic energy, relying wholly on the familiar transformation of a grumpy old man into an infectiously weepy humanist.

While Caine is highly watchable, Is Anybody There? limns all-too-familiar and schmaltzy territory for both coming-of-age films and movies with elderly actors.

Occasionally wistful, often melancholy but always charming.

There's a touch of magic at play here but it is of the understated variety, delivering a finale that is unexpectedly hopeful, moving and emotionally satisfying.

The talent and craftsmanship of "Is Anybody There?" is ample, but it remains uncertain whether there's anybody here still interested in this all-too-familiar story.

The bravura acting is unsupported by a script that's content to settle for the dramatic equivalent of English comfort food, with moments of pathos and whimsy doled out like spoonfuls of dough and treacle.

Michael Caine raises this odd-couple comedy to highly agreeable levels.

Blending humor and heartbreak in a performance that makes a small movie a richly satisfying one, Caine truly is magic.

A finely drawn and gentle British drama propelled by another of the star's unforgettable screen portraits.

Is Anybody There? devolves into a predictable yarn about a boy and a grandfatherly figure - but adding Michael Caine to the mix means it's still worth your while.

Warmly lit and beautifully acted, but cynical enough %u2013 and chock-full of enough dark humor %u2013 to avoid what might have been unbearably schmaltzy.

Weighed down by a surrounding air of quirkiness.