By skyforbes 
Cast: Emma Mackey, Jamie Lee Curtis, Jack Lowden, Woody Harrelson, Rebecca Hall
Rotten Tomatoes: 21%
Metacritic: 41
Some reviews:
Jocelyn Noveck, Associated Press 1/4 – It’s hard to understand how “Ella McCay,” the first original feature from writer-director Brooks in 15 years, goes so utterly haywire. Is this really the same mind that wrote the memorable “Broadcast News”? “Terms of Endearment”? “As Good As It Gets”?
Johnny Oleksinski, New York Post 1/4 – This sloppy slog is terrible; short, but interminable.
Moira MacDonald, Seattle Times 2.5/4 – It’s not at all unpleasant spending two hours with Ella and her family and colleagues, but it leaves you feeling a little nostalgic for what it could have been.
Radheyan Simonpillai, Globe and Mail – Ella McCay, the movie, feels like we’re being bear hugged by a lovable, slightly boozy old grand-uncle who genuinely hopes to find common ground with a new generation, but also can’t help being a little patronizing.
Nick Schager, The Daily Beast – Its phoniness epitomized by Emma Mackey’s lead turn, it’s the biggest dud of the artist’s career, and the holiday season’s most egregious misfire.
Odie Henderson, Boston Globe 2/4 – Ella McCay never registers as a real person; she’s a collection of tics that Mackey desperately tries to play.
Vikram Murthi, IndieWire B – Watching “Ella McCay” can sometimes feel like time travel, particularly for those vested in bygone eras of American filmmaking, but if you’re capable of tuning into its wavelength, an old but worthwhile spirit can be found.
Tim Robey, Daily Telegraph (UK) 1/5 – There’s not a great deal more to be said about the experience, except that it is best politely avoided, like a Christmas invitation from neighbours you find chirpy, well-meaning and off-puttingly strange on every collision.
Tara Brady, Irish Times 3/5 – At 85, Brooks retains an instinct for human foibles and complex characters, even if on this occasion the material doesn’t always live up to his cast.
Tim Grierson, Screen International – This comedy-drama contains some of the crackling dialogue and disarming candour of Brooks’ best work. Ultimately, however, this disjointed character study ultimately feels as messy as its heroine’s life.
Adrian Horton, Guardian 2/5 – Ella McCay is, first and foremost, a mess — a clunky collection of incoherent characters and confounding plot that seem to defy basic story logic at every turn, and not in a surprising or intriguing way.
William Bibbiani, TheWrap – 'Ella McCay' is a film about American politics in the same way that Pixar’s 'Cars' is a movie about cars. As in yes, these are definitely films about politics and cars. But no, politics and cars don't work like that.
David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter – Almost everyone here is trying way too hard, with the exception of Mackey, who’s appealing and natural even when stuck in a phony world full of phony characters.
Taylor Williams, Slant Magazine 2/4 – As it follows its main character navigating political and personal waters, James L. Brook’s film finds itself poised between sincerity and artificiality
Rotten Tomatoes page:
https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/ella_mccay
Metacritic page:
https://www.metacritic.com/movie/ella-mccay/