Metacritic-Rezensionen

In terms of narrative, writing, and performance, the flick is hardly lousy to watch and will leave an impression, though it may not be everlasting.

Carter may remain quite lousy, but with Krumholtz at the helm, this film is anything but.

Between the hammering misanthropy, the herky-jerky editing and almost defiantly crummy sound mix, this exasperating film keeps you enjoyably off-balance.

That the plot points are familiar and conventional is less the issue than a nagging unevenness along the way.

Everybody strikes what seems to be the perfect tone for the material.

Lousy Carter, at its best, feels like a cruel joke on its own protagonist, the kind of guy so convinced of his own genius he doesn’t want to mess it up by actually putting himself out there.

We’ve all seen movies like “Lousy Carter” before, and this one’s adequate, without being particularly insightful or memorable.

The film would have benefitted from either committing to Carter’s growth or taking the comedy in a much darker direction, but the middle path it trods is ultimately unsatisfying. Lousy Carter might be a reminder that middle age is filled with monotony and unsolvable problems, but that doesn’t mean our movies have to be.

Even by Byington’s lo-fi standards, Lousy Carter feels ramshackle. It’s got traces of the familiar warm bathos of his sardonic best work. However, like Lousy’s cardigan, it’s all a little threadbare.