Film

What's on at the cinema plus reviews of the latest movie and DVD releases

The Sitter (2011)

Director: David Gordon Green

Time Out rating

Average user rating

4 reviews

Movie review

From Time Out London

You may have marvelled at ‘George Washington’, swooned at ‘All the Real Girls’, guffawed at ‘Pineapple Express’ and chuckled guiltily at ‘Your Highness’, but only the most ardent of David Gordon Green apologists will find much to love in ‘The Sitter’. This is the moment where the once-promising American filmmaker finally ditches any pretence at being an indie outsider and clamps his lips firmly around the Hollywood teat.

Jonah Hill (also slumming it) plays Noah, a still-at-home mummy’s boy who takes a job as a babysitter to three eccentric, overprivileged pre-teens. What follows is a screwball romp in the time honoured, mid-’80s ‘Adventures in Babysitting’ mould: the brats run wild, Hill freaks out, crooks get involved and everyone runs around yelling.

‘The Sitter’ isn’t awful – there are a few decent one-liners and a predictable but sweet subplot involving confused eldest kid Slater (Max Records) – but it’s more bad than good: a noisy, unfocused, frequently annoying and intermittently offensive slapstick misfire.

Author: Tom Huddleston

Time Out London Issue 2161: January 19-25, 2012

Email Tweet Share

User reviews of this film

bowen gregg lattice said...

Posted on Jan 30 2012 10:30 Appalling film and about as convincing as the lead drug dealer villain. Jonah Hill was superb in Moneyball, so why he's slumming it here??

Report as inappropriate
Ian said...

Posted on Jan 27 2012 23:22 The film is dull and cliched and not at all funny. Even worse it is very very lazy as if they "writers" and the director sat round and stole a few ideas from films that had worked in the past.
Every character is a cliche and I agree with Scrumpyjack in the hands of a master like John Hughes and with an endearing lead and less profanity it could have worked.
Think Uncle Buck without the humour, with more swearing and throw in loads of racial and sexual stereotypes.
Not the worst film so far this year but not good. Just worth 2 stars.

Report as inappropriate
long cat said...

Posted on Jan 22 2012 16:25 A forced laugh comedy that could'be worked with someone other than Jonah Hill.

Report as inappropriate
scrumpyjack said...

Posted on Jan 20 2012 18:48 Flimsy, rushed comedy JUST about worth catching for Hill. Needed the "at his peak" touch of John Hughes. Part with £5 or less and you won't gnash your teeth. 6/10...but only just.

Report as inappropriate