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Hello I Must Be Going Review

Other Critics provided by Metacritic.com

Critics scores range from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating more favorable reviews.

  • 4.0
    62

    out of 100

    Metascore®
    Generally favorable reviews
    based on a weighted average of all
    critic review scores.

  • 40

    out of 100

    Variety

    As a director, Louiso operates within a narrow emotional range; while not as bleak as "Love Liza," the film feels similarly monotonous and desperately needs more dramatic fluctuation.

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  • 50

    out of 100

    Los Angeles Times Kenneth Turan

    Even though as a whole Hello I Must Be Going lets us down in the second half, the pleasure of watching Lynskey and Abbott never diminishes.

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  • 50

    out of 100

    The Hollywood Reporter Todd McCarthy

    A credibly drawn central character is trapped inside a half-cooked dramatic stew in Hello I Must Be Going.

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  • 60

    out of 100

    The New York Times A.O. Scott

    This is ultimately a tale of affirmation, self-acceptance and second chances, and its lessons, while not unwelcome, are a bit too forced and neatly packaged to make it fully satisfying.

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  • 60

    out of 100

    Village Voice

    With a digital sheen exacerbating the aura of slightness, Hello vamps along in its low indie-rom-com key toward a climactic mother-daughter moment not nearly as harrowing as the one in Lynskey's 1994 debut, but moving nonetheless.

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  • 63

    out of 100

    Chicago Tribune Michael Phillips

    There are times when the facile flimsiness of Hello I Must Be Going threatens to float right off the screen. But Lynskey has her ways of surprising us, even when nothing in the script itself is doing so.

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  • 75

    out of 100

    Chicago Sun-Times Roger Ebert

    I can imagine a broader comedy in which the situation might work. Remember Mrs. Robinson or Stifler's mom? But here there's a fugitive undercurrent of sincerity. Hello, I Must Be Going raises questions it doesn't have the answers for.

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  • 75

    out of 100

    USA Today Claudia Puig

    While it's too hastily and neatly resolved, Hello I Must Be Going is a funny, well-written, involving and emotionally honest tale.

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  • 83

    out of 100

    Entertainment Weekly Lisa Schwarzbaum

    Working from a script by his wife, Sarah Koskoff, "High Fidelity" actor-turned-director Todd Louiso shapes the movie to Lynskey's rhythms.

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  • See all Hello I Must Be Going reviews at Metacritic.com

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For Families provided by Common Sense Media

Iffy for 16+

Unlikely post-divorce romance anchors mature dramedy.

What Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that Hello I Must Be Going is a mature dramedy with several weighty themes: post-divorce angst, a May-December (or, rather, May September) romance, and depression. There are plenty of sexually charged scenes of a couple making out and more (complete with requisite heavy breathing), though there isn't a ton of nudity. The same couple goes skinny-dipping in the dark, but viewers won't really be able to make out any of their body parts there, either. There's also a fair bit of swearing ("s--t" and "f-ck") and some pot-smoking and drinking, too, with some characters ending up throwing-up drunk.

  • Families can talk about how Hello I Must Be Going depicts love and relationships. Does it seem realistic? Is the main characters' attraction believable?
  • How are the effects of divorce dealt with? Does the movie portray Amy in ways that divorcees aren't typically shown on screen?
  • These days, many adults need to lean heavily on their parents, sometimes living with them. What do you think of this arrangement?

The good stuff
  • message true2

    Messages: Love knows no boundaries, including age or timing. And families can support each other, no matter the circumstances or the dynamics. Themes include coping with post-divorce angst and depression.

  • rolemodels true2

    Role models: Jeremy and Amy are completely honest with each other and, despite their age difference, are open to learning from each other. Amy and her parents' relationship is being re-negotiated, and though the process is sometimes painful, it's an interesting and valuable one.

What to watch for
  • violence false1

    Violence: A mother and daughter scream and yell at each other.

  • sex false3

    Sex: Shadowy sex scenes in cars and rooms are filmed so that viewers don't see very much (a bare shoulder, people in their underwear, etc). The sounds of a couple having sex are heard, and they talk about making each other feel good. They also go skinny-dipping (but again, viewers don't see a lot of body parts).

  • language false4

    Language: Fairly frequent use of words including "s--t" and "f--k."

  • consumerism false1

    Consumerism: Brands/labels shown include Infiniti cars.

  • drugsalcoholtobacco false3

    Drinking, drugs and smoking: Adult characters smoke pot and talk about the effects of getting high. They also drink, and one character gets so inebriated that she throws up in a car.

An independent nonprofit dedicated to providing families the information they need to help kids thrive in a world of media and technology.

© Common Sense Media Inc. 2010. All rights reserved.

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Fan Reviews provided by

Average Rating: 4.545
Read all reviews Write a review at Fandango
3

hello i must be going by russellbertram
The fire alarm kept going off in the building, so we got our money back. We won't return to finish the movie. It's not all that bad, just not worth a second trip.

5

Hello Is Great by mkoskoff
It's hard to think of a more satisfying movie. The acting is uniformly superb. The characters are fully realized. It is funny, sad, and totally engrossing. The glow lasts and lasts.

5

Gr8 Indie Drama
when I saw Hello I Must Be going @ the Century theatre @ the S.F. Mall,I thought it was A Gr8 Movie that Got Melanie Lynskey playin a Depressing Divorcee & things have changed 4 her when She Started an affair with a 19-year-old Actor(Christopher Abbott,Girls),Blythe Danner Was Superb When She Played Amy's Mom

4

Terrifically Acted! by pedsarq
A depressed divorcee moves in with her parents to sort out her thoughts. She ends up becoming romantically involved with the 19-year old son of a man her father needs to make a deal with. The passion takes over and their attraction for one another is sweet and full of romance, which lends credence to the relationship. I was intrigued throughout and found it to be uplifting at the end.

5

Excellent Movie by DocEv
Deserved to be opening night at Sundance. Funny, sad, poignant and engaging all at once. Something for people in all stages of life.

Read all Hello I Must Be Going reviews at Fandango
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