Popular reviews

• 

  Review by proofrock ★★★ 3

  Interesting ‘70s Canadian kitchen sinker, sitting in the long shadow of Karel Reisz’s Saturday Night and Sunday Morning. Gordon Pinsent is really givin’ ‘er here as Will, the titular Rowdyman, a mid-30s carouser in a small Newfoundland town who never let the party go, and has retained his youth at the expense of his own respectability. For about an hour or so we see him in nearly every scene, drinking, fighting, chasing women or outrunning the local cops on foot, always happy, always laughing. When the house of cards falls, he has no idea what to do, and sadly the film goes flat as well. Pinsent wrote the role for himself, and is the brightest spot in the movie, making…

• 

  Review by Adam Brown ★★★

  So this is basically a working class version of ALFIE set in 70's Corner Brook.

  Wow, mindblowing to watch a movie filmed in Newfoundland in the 70's. A glimpse into a totally different world still populated with familiar images.

  Gordon Pincent's performance was wonderful. He is so charismatic and fun but equally frustrating and irritating. A true legend. RIP.

• 

  Review by Pag Erity ★★★½

  nothing gives me more pleasure than watching an extrovert brought to their knees by hubris

• 

  Review by Ron Kelland ★★★★ 2

  A few days ago the Newfoundland icon Gordon Pinsent passed away. The interwebs of course were immediately filled with accounts memorializing his talent and generosity, stories told by fellow actors and other filmmakers and by average, everyday people who were lucky enough to cross his path at some point. I have a list of celebrities that I would love to meet. Gordon Pinsent was high on that list, but I never did meet him. Nevertheless, I found the news of his passing to be devastating. It is quite something when a person’s passing engenders such strong emotions from so many people. My thoughts on Gordon Pinsent is that this is because he found success outside of Newfoundland and Canada, but…

• 

  Review by gavinsnow ★★★½

  Definitely flawed, but really charming and genuinely impactful for me. Distinctly NL cinema

• 

  Review by George White

  The Rowdyman (1972) - Watching this and kept forgetting it was set in Newfoundland. Parts of it even look like Cork. One of the great Canadian films.Gordon Pinsent really sells it, so it's weird when someone so American like Will Geer pops up.

• 

  Review by Marc Kloszewski ★★★

  Will Cole (Gordon Pinsent) is the man among his friends and acquaintances who won't grow up. He's fine for the foreseeable future getting drunk on the regular, staying put in his dead end job at the paper mill, and staying resolutely single and on the prowl, as his buddies move on to marriage and better opportunities. Ironically, it's some of the people around him that suffer while in his orbit.

  Not a whole lot to say about this. It's a low-key, relaxed drama that goes down easy, but it's about as aimless as its main character. I imagine this resonates more with Newfoundlanders (and Canada at large, those "mainlanders"), pictures and memories from home and from the past. Pinsent is charming in his rough way. How could he pass up good old Ruth? Crazy.

• 

  Review by Jacob Wilson ★½ 2

  Did an extremely bad job at holding my attention

• 

  Review by solh ★★★

  Acting like a teenager, still getting drunk and partying all the time despite being well into his thirties, a Newfoundland man annoys and embarrasses everyone around him in this drama written by and starring Gordon Pinsent long before Away From Her. Memorable moments include Pinsent refusing to leave his best friend alone on his wedding night and outrunning local coppers. Unfortunately, Pinsent is thoroughly dislikeable with his refusal to grow up. Things take a bit of a sharp turn in the final 35 minutes with a workplace accident, but having proved himself so obnoxious until then, it is hard to care about any changes this brings. The film also features too many sentimental songs. Pinsent has some pretty solid moments here and there with Will Geer as a much older wheelchair-bound friend, but this is always a mere subplot.

• 

  Review by Venus Barrington ★★★½

  "The Rowdyman's" direction is undoubtedly rough, but the distinctly 70s view of Newfoundland culture and Gordon Pinsent's performance of it's lead character bring the film to charismatic life.