...an unusually literate drama which has a cool take on the war between the sexes...'

| Original Score: 4/5 | Aug 6, 2021

Stage Beauty... has a lot going for it. Richard Eyre's spritely direction helps hide the holes in the plot, creating a vivid, raucous, underworld London of transvestites, whores and pickpockets, some played by a terrific supporting cast.

| Jan 10, 2018

| Original Score: C+ | Sep 7, 2011

It's a marvelous premise, and Crudup's serpentine performance has a venomous grace. But Jeffrey Hatcher's screenplay too often sacrifices psychological insight for bogus theatricality.

| Nov 1, 2007

Danes, as usual, overplays her character's every emotion.

| Original Score: C+ | May 4, 2005

"Stage Beauty" has the grace and charm of a great play. It has its acts, its drama and its comedy.

| Original Score: 4/4 | Apr 17, 2005

A vapid confection.

Full Review | Original Score: 2/4 | Mar 11, 2005

A promisingly playful piece that turns out to be more interested in pleasing the general audience rather than its own heart.

| Mar 11, 2005

It's Crudup's performance that takes the film from being dull and stage-like to exhilarating and entertaining.

| Original Score: 3/4 | Jan 25, 2005

This is one of those roles that actors kill for, and Cruddup hits it out of the park.

| Original Score: B | Jan 21, 2005

...the kind of picture that comes with challenges but is not afraid to meet them - or indeed, overcome them - head on.

| Original Score: 4/4 | Jan 12, 2005

Handles provocative issues of sexuality and gender with intelligence and grace

Full Review | Jan 5, 2005

Stage Beauty pretends to be a celebration of acting, but in fact it's saying you'll be happiest if you go through life playing the most conventional role you can find.

Full Review | Jan 4, 2005

... questions of sexual identity eventually take a subordinate position to a more obvious story about the origins of method acting.

Full Review | Original Score: B- | Dec 27, 2004

| Original Score: 3.5/5 | Nov 29, 2004

It never amounts to more than middlebrow theater fare.

| Original Score: C | Nov 27, 2004

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Full Review | Original Score: C | Nov 14, 2004

A droll, tart-tongued film, brimming with comic and dramatic possibilities.

| Original Score: B | Nov 13, 2004

All too often, this period comedy-drama takes itself far too seriously.

| Original Score: 2/4 | Nov 12, 2004

While the names and places are authentic, the byplay between Kynaston and Maria is not.

| Original Score: 2.5/4 | Nov 12, 2004