Crowley's fatal flaw here is a fear of painting the old folk's home as too grim, even as he strives at every turn to milk sentiment from death and dying.

| Jan 27, 2020

IS ANYBODY THERE? -- They certainly are. This is pure Oscar gold in the shape of a heart.

| Nov 8, 2019

The film belongs, of course, to the masterful Mr. Caine. He brings a lifetime of experience moving us to do so once again as a regretful man who feels crushed under the weight of a lifetime of experience.

| Original Score: 3/4 | Dec 8, 2018

All in all, too many flaws converge to make this other than a predictable and maudlin disappointment, and that's about it, really.

| Aug 29, 2018

| Original Score: B | Feb 18, 2012

Full Review | Original Score: 2/5 | Nov 17, 2011

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.

| Original Score: 2.5/4 | Nov 16, 2009

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.

Full Review | Sep 1, 2009

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.

| Aug 8, 2009

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.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/4 | Jun 15, 2009

Even when dealing with the supernatural, Caine is never less than a realist. Yet you can still see the boy in him. And in Milner, you can certainly see the man Edward will become.

| Original Score: 4/5 | Jun 12, 2009

It's a film that serves as a poignant reminder of how quickly time passes.

| Original Score: 3/5 | Jun 12, 2009

Weighed down by a surrounding air of quirkiness.

| Original Score: 2.5/5 | Jun 12, 2009

Michael Caine is always good company, but he's been saddled with the role of a slightly pitiful man whose life has been wasted... despite generally good performances the narrative arc is pretty obvious from the start.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Jun 10, 2009

Like a good number of films, 'Is Anybody There?' is saved from being a routine offering by the presence of Sir Michael Caine.

| Original Score: 3.5/5 | Jun 7, 2009

Strings together a series of sitcom situations, goes for easy laughs, and wastes some very fine actors as other residents in the home.

| Jun 5, 2009

This well crafted film is given resonance and purpose with layers and layers of detail that make the bittersweet climax all the more heartwarming.

| Jun 5, 2009

Caine and Milner go together like peas in a pod. Or, better yet, like bangers and mash. They're an odd couple, but they face life as one and it's a rewarding journey.

| Original Score: 3/5 | Jun 1, 2009

With two direct and developed lead performances from Michael Caine and young Bill Milner, it seems unfair to watch their efforts wasted on an uneven, unsatisfying picture like the tear-jerker Is Anybody There?

| Jun 1, 2009

a quirky, sometimes schmaltzy British dramedy that mixes meaningful ruminations about growing old with broad black comedy

| Original Score: 3/4 | May 29, 2009