59
Metascore
Mixed or Average
positive
11(61%)
mixed
6(33%)
negative
1(6%)
Showing 18 Critic Reviews
83
The most pure of Mamet's works to come to the screen.
80
Mr. Mantegna, who as an actor is one of the leading interpreters of Mr. Mamet's work, gives generous room to the movie's first-rate ensemble.
75
A must-see for Mamet fans.
75
It works for the most part, though some scenes come off contrived or directed without flavor. But thanks to the likable, rough-hewn crew and Forster, the film flows along gruffly and with eloquence.
75
Mantegna gives us just enough detail, enough exterior shots, so that we feel we're on a ship. All the rest is conversation and idleness. The lake boat is a lot like life.
70
Mamet's fixation on language is, nonetheless, more effective onstage than onscreen, where the technical and visual requirements distract from the sounds of the words -- the heart of Mamet's work.
70
Beautiful moments of performance such as Forster's subtly spellbinding monologues -- make for compelling cinema.
70
Forster is the reason that even non-Mamet-heads might consider giving Lakeboat a shot. It's worth it just to see him in his long one-take exchange with Johnston about booze, but he's remarkable throughout.
63
Feels a bit flat and underdeveloped.
63
Though Mantegna can't quite lick the essential staginess of Mamet's adaptation of his play, even with lots of scenic shots of Lake Ontario, the performances are what one would expect with such a consummate actor in charge.
