The House of Tomorrow

Punk coming-of-age tale is a little too sweet for its own good.

"...If that sounds cloyingly twee to you, it’s not the fault of the cast,..."

May 18, 2018 Movie Review by Marc Savlov

Trumbo

Blacklisted screenwriter Dalton Trumbo is essayed by Bryan Cranston

"...modifier must apply to the more sober-minded Trumbo, Roach’s too-twee and terribly theatrical rendering of the battle that blacklisted..."

Nov. 20, 2015 Movie Review by Kimberley Jones

Hysteria

Good vibrations flow from this fictional story about the invention of the vibrator in Victorian England; Maggie Gyllenhaal stars.

"...manually massage a woman to orgasm. The so very Victorian-twee Hysteria tells the (fictionalized) story of one such doctor..."

June 15, 2012 Movie Review by Kimberley Jones

Restless

Gus Van Sant hits a rare discordant note with this story about two death-obsessed teens that is twee and precious instead of genuine and candid.

"...with Restless. This story about two death-obsessed teens is twee and precious instead of genuine and candid, and anyone..."

Oct. 7, 2011 Movie Review by Marjorie Baumgarten

Tokyo!

This triptych of short films by directors Michel Gondry, Leos Carax, and Bong Joon-ho is a gorgeous, sprawling mess.

"...Ayumi Ito, Nao Omori and Teruyuki Kagawa. Falling somewhere between the horrors of Three … Extremes and the beauties..."

April 10, 2009 Movie Review by Marc Savlov

Juno

This indie comedy is funny, smart, cool, and heartfelt, and features breakout showcases for star Ellen Page and screenwriter Diablo Cody.

"...and her irony, and you learn how to read between the lines, to the scared, confused, and royally pissed..."

Dec. 21, 2007 Movie Review by Kimberley Jones

August Rush

August Rush is a rather prosaic, oddly anxious, contemporary take on Oliver Twist, with Robin Williams – in nasty-man twee mode – thrown in for bad measure.

"...on Dickens' Oliver Twist, with Williams – in nasty-man twee mode, a newish one for him – thrown in..."

Nov. 23, 2007 Movie Review by Marc Savlov

Mutual Appreciation

Writer/director/actor Bujalski has been branded the “emo Cassavetes”: His movies have an astoundingly lifelike rhythm full of small moments that only add up to something bigger later on.

"...discussion of vegetarian iron deficiency and moves on as twee popster Alan (Rice) finds a drummer (Micka) to gig..."

Oct. 27, 2006 Movie Review by Marrit Ingman

Thumbsucker

The plot realistically mimics a teenager’s adriftness and tendency toward hairpin-turn mood shifts as it bounds from the wonderfully affecting to the decidedly idiosyncratic to the occasionally absurd.

"...by Tim DeLaughter’s Polyphonic Spree, is dangerously close to twee. Mills’ debut is imperfect, all right, and yet: There’s..."

Oct. 7, 2005 Movie Review by Kimberley Jones

9 Songs

Michael Winterbottom creates scenester porn in which he records the evolution of a man and a woman's relationship through sex and music – exclusively.

"...other and getting it on, the characters are awfully twee – their banter is too cute, they play car..."

Sept. 2, 2005 Movie Review by Marrit Ingman

Cleopatra's Second Husband

"...Neil LaBute and Todd Solondz, filmgoers commonly associate tastefully twee urban lifestyles with emotional terrorism. Though this psychodrama by..."

Dec. 8, 2000 Movie Review by Marrit Ingman

Time Regained

"...to overwhelm the film. And even in its most twee and overwrought moments Time Regained has at its core..."

Oct. 6, 2000 Movie Review by Russell Smith

SXSW Showcases

All the SXSW showcases that fit

"...on your face possible while also casually sidestepping the twee label and moving straight on to "Wow, that's cool,..."

March 19, 2010 Music Feature

Voxtrot: The (Re)start of Something

12 years after disbanding, the forerunners of modern indie-pop call on the "mystical, inexplicable force" that flowed through their Early Music

"...explaining his band's trajectory: "instantaneous decay." That's the difference between 39 and 27, I suppose. You've learned that nobody..."

Sept. 23, 2022 Music Feature by Julian Towers

Dispatches From a New Decade of SXSW

Our favorite musical moments from the fest

"...parts, emphasizing the leading force of Teasdale's vocal charisma between the fuzz. A synth player/third guitarist in the quintet..."

March 25, 2022 Music Feature by Kevin Curtin

The Best Music We Saw at SXSW on Wednesday

The buzzy, the brave, the thrash-able twee-pop

"...oboe), a saenghwang (a droning, keyed mouth organ somewhere between the oboe and a chromatic harmonica), and a xylophone..."

March 17, 2022 Music Post by Michael Toland

Wild Mountain Thyme

Twee Irish romance takes forever to end happily ever after

"...The soggy romance between lifelong pastoral neighbors Rosemary Muldoon (Blunt) and Anthony Reilly..."

Dec. 11, 2020 Movie Review by Steve Davis

Thursday SXSW Picks

"...Playskool toy, Denver's Dressy Bessy became heralded exemplars of twee-pop. Bandleader Tammy Ealom and Apples in Stereo guitarist John..."

March 18, 2016 Music Feature

Me and Earl and the Dying Girl

This indie hit is sweet and funny

"...or, more to the point, irritants, such as the twee chapter headings and college-essay framing device – are carryovers..."

June 26, 2015 Movie Review by Kimberley Jones

Frank

Arthouse comedy amuses yet disappoints.

"...to drown themselves.) But director Lenny Abrahamson establishes a twee tone early that renders tinny the transition into melancholy,..."

Sept. 5, 2014 Movie Review by Kimberley Jones

Wish I Was Here

Zach Braff explores life in one's late 30s: troubles with unruly kids, ailing parents, and creative aspirations complicated by financial realities.

"...the most; it’s Chekhov’s gun maxim retooled for maximum twee effect. And while we’re talking verisimilitude: Those of us..."

July 25, 2014 Movie Review by Kimberley Jones

Gay Place

LoveBomb! (the fundraiser for QueerBomb), a coupla gay plays, a rainbow cutting, balls on fire, and more

"...in a gay bar? This workshopped bit of original twee theatre should set the record (not) straight. Thu.-Sat., April..."

April 12, 2013 Column by Kate X Messer

'Swim Little Fish Swim'

Creative spirits run free in this sensitive exploration of relationship dynamics

"...sorts might want to smash main character Leeward's (Defa) twee ukulele to bits. That may not be the intention..."

March 15, 2013 Screens Feature by Kimberley Jones

Submarine

This British film is a bracingly deadpan coming-of-age story that proudly wears its Wes Anderson influences on its sleeve.

"...organic portrait of semideluded youth in pseudo-revolt. The relationship between the initially straitlaced and refreshingly vainglorious Oliver and his..."

June 17, 2011 Movie Review by Marc Savlov

Wednesday Showcases

Wednesday SXSW showcases at a glance

"...on us. Sweet and tender songwriter Soko is Parisian twee heartache served au jus, all lush, love-struck sweetness and..."

March 19, 2010 Music Feature

Adam

Hugh Dancy and Rose Byrne co-star in this love story about a guy with Asperger's Syndrome and the girl who lives next door.

"...thing, the points of interest are few and far between, despite the obvious prep work and resultant authenticity of..."

Aug. 14, 2009 Movie Review by Kimberley Jones

Mister Foe

Equal parts sweet and perverse, this Scottish coming-of-age story about a teenage voyeur is unpredictable and compelling and premieres exclusively in Austin.

"...film is unpredictable in places where it might be twee, and subversively fanciful in others where it might be..."

Aug. 22, 2008 Movie Review by Marjorie Baumgarten

Stuart Little 2

"...real clincher, though, is the endearingly earnest (but never twee) Stuart, just as remarkably lifelike as he was in..."

July 19, 2002 Movie Review by Kimberley Jones

Enlightenment Guaranteed

"...milieu. (In one charming scene, the brothers battle a twee animated Sanrio character dispensing incomprehensible advice -- but not..."

Sept. 28, 2001 Movie Review by Marrit Ingman

Zoé Tong Is Making Dinner Fun

Modern Chinese restaurant brings to Zilker big flavors, sincere hospitality, and a ballsy refusal to be boxed in

"...Soundsystem. The overall effect is charming, if a little twee and more than a little millennial...."

April 5, 2024 Food Feature by Taylor Tobin

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