SummaryA stuffy British novelist becomes infatuated with a cinematic teen idol and sets out to meet him.
Directed By:Richard Kwietniowski
Written By:Gilbert Adair, Richard Kwietniowski
Love and Death on Long Island
Metascore
Universal Acclaim
81
User score
Generally Favorable
7.6
My Score
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Top Cast
Metascore
Universal Acclaim
81
95% Positive
18 Reviews
18 Reviews
5% Mixed
1 Review
1 Review
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
100
Hurt gives an astonishingly sensitive and funny performance as the bedazzled intellectual, and first-time filmmaker Kwietniowski unfolds the story with an unfailing blend of humor and compassion.
90
Writer-director Richard Kwietniowski has never made a feature before, but this debut effort is a triumph, a buoyant and elegant achievement -- romantic and ruminative yet always precise, a comedy of longing propelled by a strong current of satirical observation.
88
These opening scenes of Love and Death on Long Island are funny and touching, and Hurt brings a dignity to Giles De'Ath that transcends any snickering amusement at his infatuation.
80
John Hurt is simply wonderful -- acerbic, funny and heartbreaking.
75
Directed with style and wit by London filmmaker Richard Kwietniowski, who makes his feature debut here, Love and Death is an off-kilter romantic comedy.
70
Directed with an original touch by Richard Kwietniowski, the movie is less about the nature of homoerotic longing than about the closeted nature of love itself.
60
The interactions between the raspy-voiced Hurt and various shallowly cheerful Americans are genuinely charming and dynamic.
User score
Generally Favorable
7.6
82% Positive
9 Ratings
9 Ratings
18% Mixed
2 Ratings
2 Ratings
0% Negative
0 Ratings
0 Ratings
Nov 22, 2021
8
This is really quite a surreal watch - its a satirical film of sorts, a quite thought provoking one with good performances from John Hurt and Jason Priestly as the 2 main characters (Charles De'ath and Ronnie Bostock). Its got quite an arty feel to it. I felt the ending was a little sudden but it was certaining a memorably quirky watch which overall I'd recommend, not least as it deals with the important issues of fame and obsession.
Nov 14, 2022
6
I don't get all the high ratings from Metacritic and Ebert, this movie started out with a wacky premise and just kept going. As happens sometimes, the critics gave it high scores, the viewers just so-so.
Production Company:
- Skyline Films
- Imagex
- British Screen Productions
- Téléfilm Canada
- Arts Council of England
- Nova Scotia Film Development Corporation
- BBC Film
- Mikado Film
- The Sales Company
- Alfalfa Entertainment Ltd.
- National Lottery through Arts Council England
- Nova Scotia Film Industry Tax Credit
- European Script Fund
Release Date:Mar 6, 1998
Duration:1 h 34 m
Rating:PG-13
Awards
New York Film Critics Circle Awards
• 1 Win & 1 Nomination
National Board of Review, USA
• 1 Win & 1 Nomination
BAFTA Awards
• 1 Win & 1 Nomination
