85
Metascore
15 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 100Chicago Sun-TimesRoger EbertChicago Sun-TimesRoger EbertWhat makes Atlantic City sweet -- and that's the word for it -- is the gentleness with which Lou handles his last chance at amounting to something, and the wisdom with which Sally handles Lou.
- 100EmpireKim NewmanEmpireKim NewmanA well observed and deeply tender tale.
- 83The A.V. ClubNoel MurrayThe A.V. ClubNoel MurrayThis is a gentle, warm, well-acted movie, and easy to like.
- 80Chicago ReaderDave KehrChicago ReaderDave KehrMalle's slow, deliberate direction tends to flatten out the script's emotional rhythms—he's stern and arty where a lighter sensibility might have been more appropriate—but the film is still a shimmering success.
- 80Los Angeles TimesKevin ThomasLos Angeles TimesKevin ThomasAtlantic City is a sophisticated fairy tale, beautifully acted and beautiful to behold; it is as funny as it is touching.
- 80The New York TimesVincent CanbyThe New York TimesVincent CanbyA rich, gaudy cinema trip.
- 80Time OutTime OutWitty, warm, but never sentimental, it also benefits from being set in the fading glories of the resort town of the title: grand seaside facades behind which lie more mundane realities, surrounded by decay and demolition.
- 75TV Guide MagazineTV Guide MagazineAided by a superb script from playwright John Guare, director Louis Malle pulls off a minor coup here, celebrating his wounded characters even as he mercilessly reveals their dreams for the hopeless illusions they really are.
- 75The Associated PressBob ThomasThe Associated PressBob ThomasFrenchman Louis Malle is an accomplished interpreter of the dreams and dilusions of American smalltimers. He draws first-rate performances from the cast, especially Lancaster as the burned-out hood and Sarandon as the single-minded survivor. [13 Apr 1981]