Most critics greet A New Leaf warmly, with praise centred on Elaine May and Walter Matthau’s contrasting performances. May’s guileless manner and inventive physical comedy draw particular admiration, while Matthau’s cold restraint and deadpan delivery give the humour its bite. The reviews also value the sharp dialogue and the tenderness beneath the black comedy: several find emotional depth in characters whose behaviour could have remained merely a source of laughs.
The reservations concern pace and construction rather than the central performances, and the available verdicts range from qualified approval to strong enthusiasm. Time Out finds that the studio’s drastic re-editing leaves rough edges, while Empire admires the character study despite the compromised cut. The Skinny considers the pace lackadaisical but still finds May’s comedy distinctive and fully formed. The differences are chiefly about how much these flaws matter, with no substantial negative case emerging from the accessible reviews.