Flaws aside, Messina should be proud of his debut film.

| Nov 9, 2018

[Chris] Messina may be an actor's director, but he still has a long way to go before that translates into being able to produce a visually satisfying piece of work.

| Aug 15, 2017

Alex of Venice might not break any new bounds in storytelling but it's a confident exploration of a traumatic life change.

| Original Score: B- | Jun 6, 2016

Alex Of Venice closes with a bit of a whimper, though it's a pleasant ride, nevertheless.

| Jul 23, 2015

Passable at best, but doesn't quite have enough charm or humour to flavour the storytelling tofu.

| Original Score: 2/5 | Jun 25, 2015

The problem with Chris Messina's directorial debut isn't so much badness as it is superfluousness -- that it is less its own discrete thing than a redundant genre study in This Type of Movie.

| Original Score: 5.5/10 | Apr 23, 2015

Chris Messina's directorial debut is a strong one, mainly because of a beautifully wounded leading performance by Marty Elizabeth Winstead that's full of strength, growth, and heartwarming soul.

| Original Score: 7/10 | Apr 23, 2015

Mary Elizabeth Winstead is eminently relatable in a compassionate, human-scaled movie of the sort that movies have almost forgotten of late.

| Apr 20, 2015

Paints a plausible picture of a just-dumped divorcee doing her best to pick up the pieces of her shattered dreams.

| Original Score: 3.5/4 | Apr 19, 2015

Pleasant and occasionally touching, without ever being really compelling.

| Apr 18, 2015

Despite the film's best efforts in amplifying this emotional connection with audience with generic narrative devices, Winstead makes a mark that is virtually the only memorable element of Alex of Venice after the curtain closes.

| Original Score: 2/4 | Apr 17, 2015

Chris Messina's rookie directorial effort is small, smart and affecting.

| Apr 17, 2015

The movie's quirky setting pays off dividends where you least expect them. At such moments, the movie's humanism finally seems unforced, and everything is the better for that.

| Original Score: 2.5/4 | Apr 17, 2015

Chris Messina's "Alex of Venice" is as much a love letter to the Los Angeles neighborhood as it is a well-observed drama.

| Apr 16, 2015

An appealing portrait miniature of a woman who loses and finds her bearings ...

| Apr 16, 2015

Alex of Venice is a very human story, told with insight and meaning. It also establishes beyond a doubt that Mary Elizabeth Winstead is one of the most important young actresses on the screen today.

| Original Score: 3/4 | Apr 16, 2015

The film is so uneven, the characters and relationships so undeveloped, it's hard to work up much sympathy.

| Original Score: 2/5 | Apr 16, 2015

As she flails through a few dubious choices, the character may be on the kind of self-discovery path we've seen in countless other films; but Winstead makes the outcome seem far from preordained.

| Apr 16, 2015

Although it's enjoyable, actor Chris Messina's directorial debut is somehow less than the sum of its parts, wading only through the shallow end of familiar human conflicts resolved too conveniently to satisfy.

| Original Score: 3/5 | Apr 16, 2015

Messina channels a history of performance into his direction, showing patience with timing and respect for intimate discoveries. It's promising work from the actor, leaving hope that he'll continue his journey behind the camera.

| Original Score: B+ | Apr 16, 2015