in overwrought style and overwritten melodrama, and proof that a great cast cannot save a film from self-destruction." Todd McCarthy of Variety also had praise for the central cast, but called the film a "heavy dose of ultra-violent neo-noir" whose "far-fetched plotting eventually goes so far over the top that [the] pic flirts with inventing a new genre of film noir camp." New York Times journalist Janet Maslin lauded Oldman as a "master craftsman" who gives an "uncanny performance as a slang-spouting American", but concluded, "For all its promise, and for all the brittle beauty of Dariusz Wolski's cinematography, Romeo Is Bleeding eventually collapses under the weight of its violent affectations." A favorable Peter Travers in Rolling Stone called the film a "scorcher of a thriller" with a "knockout performance" by Olin. He added, "It will be a shame if audiences don't get the joke". In a retrospective review, Dennis Schwartz referred to the film as a "senseless, tasteless and demented postmodern noir", but commended Olin's "menacing" turn as well as the initial interaction between Oldman and Scheider. Randy Miller of DVD Talk wrote, "It's a wild and entertaining ride, to be sure... but not one without its fair share of bumps along the way, and one you probably won't revisit on a regular basis. Still, there's enough here to warrant another look." MSN Movies noted, "While not a great movie – or even a good movie, according to most critics – Gary Oldman's performance as corrupt cop Jack Grimaldi is still highly regarded". Romeo Is Bleeding holds a 27% approval rating on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes based on 41 reviews, with an average score of 4.7/10. Year-end lists 6th – John Hurley, Staten Island Advance Awards Nominee: Best Supporting Actress - Chicago Film Critics Association Awards (Lena Olin) Nominee: Best Action Sequence - MTV Awards (Lena Olin) Box office The film debuted poorly and grossed $3.3 million in the US on a $10 million budget. References External links 1993 films 1993 crime thriller films 1990s American films 1990s British films 1990s English-language films 1990s erotic thriller films American crime thriller films American erotic thriller films American neo-noir films British crime thriller films British erotic thriller films British neo-noir films Films about the American Mafia Films directed by Peter Medak Films scored by Mark Isham Films set in New York City Films shot in New York City Working Title Films