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Robert De Niro, Edward Norton, Milla Jovovich, Frances Conroy, Enver Gjokaj ... see more see more... , Pepper Binkley , Sandra Love Aldridge , Greg Trzaskoma , Rachel Loiselle , Kylie Tarnopol , Bailey Tarnopol , Madison Tarnopol , Peter Barent Lewis , Sarab Kamoo , Richard Murphy , Rich Goteri , Ron Lyons , Dave Hendricks , Wayne David Parker , Madeline Loiselle , Linda Boston , Jan Cartwright , Wallace Bridges , James Oscar Lee , Marcus Sailor , Brian Peters , David Strohschein , Jason Waugh , Lamonte Bell , John Bostic , Jordyn Thomas , Rory Mallon , Trudy Mason , Sammy Publes , Tevis R. Marcum , Mark Jonathan Stanley , Rod McIntosh , Jane Burkey , Connie Cowper , Bonnie Clevering , John Lewis , Chris Nolte , Tobiasz Daszkiewicz , Troy Coulon , Mike Shreeman , Thomas Mahard , Kitty Joy Schur , Tom Lowell , Banzai Vitale

A convicted arsonist schemes to get out of prison by convincing his debauched wife to seduce his retirement-ready parole officer in director John J. Curran's adaptation of a play by Angus MacLachlan (... read more read more...who also authored the screenplay). His career as a parole officer winding down after years of service, Jack Mabry (Robert De Niro) reluctantly accepts an assignment to reassess inmate Gerald "Stone" Creeson's (Edward Norton) case for an upcoming parole hearing. Convicted of setting a fire to make the murder of his grandparents look like an accidental death, Stone will do anything to get out from behind bars, and his wife, Lucetta (Milla Jovovich), is willing to do whatever it takes to help secure her husband's freedom -- including seducing Jack. Meanwhile, Jack's devoted wife, Madylyn (Frances Conroy), has suffered with the emotional weight of her husband's demanding job for far too long. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Flixster Users

21% liked it

14,559 ratings

Critics

50% liked it

92 critics

R, 1 hr. 45 min.

Directed by: John Curran

Release Date: October 8, 2010

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DVD Release Date: January 18, 2011

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Flixster Reviews (1,504)

  • bbcfloridabound
    November 2, 2011
    bbcfloridabound
    A film that just didn't go anywhere or do anything for me. Sad to see Robert De Niro star in such a terrible film. Glad I didn't pay movie ticket prices. Left a lot to be desired. 2 1/2 stars.
  • TheGame90
    September 26, 2011
    TheGame90
    It was a good movie. The main 3 characters does a good job...And it's a little interesting...but not much. It was...I don't know...It was good but nothing more.
  • paulsandberg
    August 1, 2011
    paulsandberg
    Stone shows DiNiro and Edward Norton at their finest; a psychological character study that asks big questions, held within a tight script wrapped around what may or may not be a case of manipulation.

    The direction of ... is spot on, using the full palate of sight and especiall... read morey sound to convey an underlining sense of mysticism. We are introduced to DiNiro as a parole officer, working at a state prison where one of his final cases before retirement is to rule on Norton, who has put in 10 years for being a party to an arson murder. Norton is all angles, both inside and out, a compelling performance full of street jive, yet still a soul searching for that elusive "something". In his interviews with DiNiro he flips from anger to an earnest attempt to connect with another human being, while DiNiro, appearing world weary, at first doesn't want anything more than to disperse his judgment. But as their conversations move into the realm of religion and the soul, DiNiro begins to actually listen. Whether or not this is a overt manipulation by Norton is for you to decide, and I'm not going to ruin things by ruminating on the repercussions of taking that step back and questioning all you are and all you've done in life.

    I mentioned how sound plays an important part. There is a mystical bent to it, but the film does a wonderful job of overlaying Jesus radio while DiNiro is driving to and from the prison, and even more inspiring is the way in which near silence is juxtaposed with the constant clamor of the prison yard and cafeteria. Norton has gotten a hold of some offbeat religious pamphlet that says that the way to enlightenment is by being able to shut out all extemporaneous noise so you can hear the distant buzz of god's voice. Try doing that amidst the babble of the prison yard. The film runs back on itself in so many nice ways - from the opening scene where a fly is buzzing against a window screen, to the last shot where DiNiro, haven been taken on a journey he was unprepared to take, exits his office for the last time and hears a fly.

    There is another wonderful scene where an inmate gets shanked and Norton witnesses the man's death. He looks into the inmate's eyes and watches the life leave - the film then shows Norton's eyes, full of dread, but also curiosity and life - to be followed by a close up of DiNiro ruling his roost at home - eyes dead.

    There are two women in the film, Frances Conroy as DiNiro's long suffering and repressed wife - conveying her torment while saying very little - and Milla Javovich as the force of nature who is married to Norton. Both give fabulous and finely nuanced performances, as do the male leads.

    I compare this to the French film I recently viewed, Inspector Bellamy - both character studies, but a million miles apart in depth.
  • blkbomb
    July 31, 2011
    blkbomb
    Stone: They say, when you experience a spiritual truth, that it comes to you as a sound that goes through you, changes your vibration, gets you back in the harmony. Like God's tuning fork or something... And then, if you let that happen to you, then you get the light, you get an ... read moreillumination. 

    "Some people tell lies. Some people live them."

    Thank God this movie had two of my favorite actors of all-time in it because without them I may have never watched this movie. And that would have been a real shame. From the reviews here, I thought I was getting myself into a terrible movie. However, I wad just getting myself into an overlooked and misunderstood film. This movie is about the way we view living a good life, religion, morals and about anything else that you would consider "deep."

    Now, everyone seems to be saying the exact same thing, "Norton and De Niro were good, but they weren't good enough to hold up a movie with no point." What's the point of this movie? Are you fucking kidding me? What was the point of Inception(loved Inception and in no way am I making fun of the movie at all, I'm just making a point)? To fuck with our minds and to entertain us. Other then that, Inception had no point. Now, with movies like Inception, I'm fine with that. Now, the point of Stone.

    Stone wasn't made to merely entertain(although I was entertained, but I seem to be in the minority on that too). It looks at the way we view people's lives. We look at someone who is highly respected like De Niro's character and we instantly think that's a good person. We look at what are defined as the bad people like Norton's character and we instantly think that's a bad person. Stone has something to say about that. People aren't always what they appear. In the end, people change. People succumb to temptations. People break laws. Who are we to say who is good and bad? Maybe only "God" or whatever is looking over everything, knows who is actually good or bad. Now, I'm not saying I believe everything this movie is saying, but I can't say I don't believe anything it's saying.  It's an interesting movie, that most people will never give a chance because of what other people are saying about it. It may not be the most coherent or entertaining movie around, but people like fucking David Lynch's movies. The guy who just throughs bizarre scene after bizarre scene together. We call it deep, but how the he'll do we know? He could just be fucking with everyone, "I'm just going to throw a lesbian scene in here, a scene that means absolutely nothing in here and people will call it a masterpiece." But my opinion of David Lynch movies are probably better suited for another review.

    I know no one is reading this because they see I gave the film 4 stars. It's got a 20% like rating and this guy gave it 4 stars? He must be high or something. But anyway if you are still reading this review, Thank You. All I'm saying is give the movie a chance. Don't let people who may not have looked deep enough into the movie effect your views on it without watching. You may hate it, you may love it. I loved it and I will defend this movie forever. 
  • sergioogarcia
    July 23, 2011
    sergioogarcia
    As usual Norton and de Niro perform a very good acting. There is something in the story that keep you waiting for one of those very good twists, that unfortunately never arrives. If you have nothing else to do, go for it.
  • cosmo313
    July 13, 2011
    cosmo313
    This has to be one of the more, I think, underrated films of the past couple of years.

    The film is a prison drama centered around a parole officer nearing retirement who gets locked into a psychological duel with a convicted arsonist and the man's alluring wife-both of whom wil... read morel do what it takes to convince the officer to help make early release possible.

    The film is all about control, manipulation, psychological games, and the motifs of religious belief, guilt, and temptation. Much of it is quite well done, but the rest is a little iffy, and could have been handled better, particularly how the narrative is executed.

    I do like the performances though, because those are definitely the highlight. Robert De Niro and Edward Norton reteam for the first time since The Score, and they are very impressive to watch, mostly because they are both acting somewhat against type. The really impressive person here though, is Milla Jovovich. She gives a very compelling and convincing performance without ever getting to over the top. It's a real treat to see her in action.

    Give this one a chance. It's flawed, but decent and compelling enough to warrant a viewing.
  • ythelastman89
    June 3, 2011
    ythelastman89
    Stone is a lot better than people give it credit for, but I do see why people have such a hard time enjoying it. When you mix existentialism with a prison plot, it just doesn't make all that much sense and comes off as bizarre. Also, when you have your protagonist act like an ant... read moreagonist the whole time, it causes further viewer distancing. That being said, the performances are so good from Edward Norton and a slightly psychotic Millla Jovovich that you can easily forget the storytelling flaws. Edward Norton's utter devotion to his larger than life character is so much fun to watch and definitely worth the entire movie. Robert De Niro doesn't really do anything amazing, but that was basically the point of the character he plays. Overall, Stone is a performance piece and should be seen as such.
  • puffchunk
    March 27, 2011
    puffchunk
    Boy. This movie felt a little close to home. Super depressing.
  • fb100000145236770
    February 15, 2011
    fb100000145236770
    You see the names Di Niro and Norton and you assume, great movie! Well I do,and I assumed wrong. This movie moves very slow,and the story is weak. The premise is good,but the execution makes for a mess of a movie. You want to see these 2 great actors in a movie together,watch"... read more the Score." That's a movie worth their talents.
  • Tomassgringo
    February 15, 2011
    Tomassgringo
    Great acting cannot even save this train-wreck of a movie! I have no idea what the point or purpose of a movie like this is! I hope others get something from it I missed.

View All Stone Reviews

Critic Reviews

Tom Long
October 22, 2010
Tom Long, Detroit News

A disconcerting and challenging film. It leaves you wondering. How cool is that? Full Review

J. R. Jones
October 22, 2010
J. R. Jones, Chicago Reader

You can feel the movie's gears grinding throughout, first in the rote suspense mechanics and later in the ham-fisted religiosity (conveyed through an endless soundtrack of evangelistic talk radio). Full Review

Tom Maurstad
October 22, 2010
Tom Maurstad, Dallas Morning News

Stone is that rare film that refuses to be easy. Full Review

Colin Covert
October 21, 2010
Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star Tribune

As in every good dialogue-driven film, talk equals action. The excitement here is sparked by the verbal and gestural give-and-take between the actors. Full Review

Carrie Rickey
October 21, 2010
Carrie Rickey, Philadelphia Inquirer

An ambiguous film boasting a quartet of mesmerizing performances... Full Review

James Berardinelli
October 21, 2010
James Berardinelli, ReelViews

The craftsmanship is impeccable as is the acting, but the storytelling is where the movie falls down. And with such a poorly realized narrative, it's hard to be enthusiastic about the many things Ston... Full Review

Roger Moore
October 20, 2010
Roger Moore, Orlando Sentinel

It's a tour de force for Norton, who fills the air with an intense and yet thoughtful patter about why Stone is in the joint, what he did, what he doesn't want to think about/talk about any more and w... Full Review

Bill Goodykoontz
October 15, 2010
Bill Goodykoontz, Arizona Republic

If you're of a mind that actors as talented as Robert De Niro and Edward Norton could make even pedestrian material watchable, Stone puts your theory to the test. And surprise! They can. Full Review

Ann Hornaday
October 15, 2010
Ann Hornaday, Washington Post

Ultimately Stone sags under its own overblown philosophical weight, with a strained and painfully obvious spiritual subtext finally smothering what could have been a simple, effective psychological th... Full Review

Mick LaSalle
October 14, 2010
Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle

It presents us with four characters who are fascinating, specific and yet in some way unknowable, not like the usual characters in fiction but rather like people we might meet in life. Full Review

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    • Stone: They say the sound part comes first. They say, when you experience a spiritual truth, that it comes to you as a sound that goes through you, changes your vibration, gets you back in the harmony. Like God's tuning fork or something... And then, if you let that happen to you, then you get the light, you get an illumination.
    • Stone: Things they say go on forever - like... what's that mean, you know? The sky, like, they say the sky goes on forever. But what is that really? That's - I mean, you can't see nothing you can't see, so... it's like a big bowl of blue above you. You can see clouds during the day or you can see stars at night maybe, but even with a telescope you can't see forever. So how do they know?
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