Big Words

Name: Big Words
Director: Neil Drumming
Released: 2013

Synopsis

Members of a once-promising hip-hop group, now in their late 30s, struggle with regret, disappointment, and change on Election Night 2008.

90
The New York Times
Big Words is an engrossing, coming-of-middle-age drama that shows how disappointment can fester and derail a life. By the end, hope and change seem possible but far from guaranteed.
90
Variety
The dialogue — natural, vibrant and totally embedded in the moment, never sententious or showoff-y — is delivered with consummate believability by an excellent cast.
83
IndieWire
Big Words at times seems like it's heading towards a microbudget version of "Hustle and Flow," but Drumming aims for a much smarter and subdued look at the various regrets and hang-ups haunting men of a certain age. Their blackness is only one piece of the puzzle.
80
Los Angeles Times
Drumming is able to swing from lighter comedic moments to dramatic insights while making it seem effortless.
70
Village Voice
Drumming doesn't quite have the skills to finesse the varying tones demanded by his textured script...and he could have taken one more pass on smoothing out character arcs, which are too truncated to be believable in a few cases. Still, the ensemble cast is fantastic, and Drumming is a talent to watch.
70
The Hollywood Reporter
Marked by incisive characterizations and fine performances, Big Words is aptly titled, referring not only to the name of one of its lead characters but also to the torrent of dialogue driving its skimpy but evocative narrative.