In Dubious Battle is the story of the working class during the Great Depression, striking against an increasingly cruel establishment in ways that would lead to the formation of workers' rights, including a minimum wage. Two men form a union of workers after their wages are cut from $3 a day to $1 a day."[4]
In Dubious Battle had its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival on September 3, 2016.[3] The film was released in theaters in the United States on February 17, 2017.[12]
Marketing
A full trailer was released on January 28, 2017.[13]
Reception
Critical response
Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes gives the film a 30% approval rating, based on reviews from 23 critics, with an average score of 5.1/10.[14]Metacritic assigned the film a weighted average score of 43 out of 100, based on 15 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".[15]
The film gained mixed reviews at its world premiere, with Owen Gleiberman of Variety noting that Franco "has acquired skills that are beginning to fuse with the best of his instincts."[16] Gleiberman also says that "In Dubious Battle isn't a totally clear-cut good movie, but it's a scrupulous and watchable one. And it makes me think, for the first time, that James Franco has a good movie in him."[17]
Boyd van Hoeij of The Hollywood Reporter simply called the film and Franco as "uneven" but also states that "if In Dubious Battle remains watchable, it's because Wolff really sells his character's doubts, growth and sobering reality checks".[18]
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