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AGORAMovie Reviews
Period drama about Hypatia, the 4th century AD philosopher, mathematician and astronomer who lived under Roman rule in Alexandria during the rise of Christianity. Cast:Rachel Weisz, Max Minghella, Oscar Isaac, Ashraf Barhom, Michel LonsdaleDirector:Alejandro AmenábarRelease Date:May 28, 2010DVD Release:October 19, 2010From:Newmarket FilmsLength:2 hr. 7 min.
Agora played in key cities to good not great reviews. • Rene Rodriguez wrote in the Miami Herald, "...takes a hearty swing at the historical epic, but the result is a balk.... feels stagebound and claustrophobic, and the artificiality adds to the underlying dullness." • And Tom Long wrote in the Detroit News, "...manages to mix philosophy, history, hysteria and a love triangle and still be something of a bore." More Reviews Below...
Roger Ebert, RogerEbert.com: VERY GOOD(cg) "...re-creates the Alexandria of Hypatia's time... shows it at the tipping point between Greek and Roman paganism and the new religion of Christianity."(See all of Roger Ebert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 805 words, 07/22/10
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NEW YORK/LOS ANGELES/CHICAGO/TORONTO (12 Reviews)
A.O. Scott, New York Times: VERY GOOD "...a rousing, finger-pointing drama... a bit of a puzzle. This is a good thing, since most movies plop down in easily recognizable categories and stay there..."(See all of A.O. Scott's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 868 words, 05/28/10
Elizabeth Weitzman, New York Daily News: WEAK(cg) "Amenabar vividly captures the eternal madness of religious fervor. But he's so intimidated by his project's epic scope that he neglects individual characters..."(See all of Elizabeth Weitzman's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 170 words, 05/28/10
Michael Ordoña, Los Angeles Times: GOOD "...misses some emotional connections... but covers a fascinating, overlooked period while depicting the eternal struggle between science and ideology."(See all of Michael Ordoña's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 318 words, 06/04/10
V.A. Musetto, New York Post: POOR(cg) "There are a few exciting battle sequences and the sets are lavish, but mostly the film meanders aimlessly for more than two hours."(See all of V.A. Musetto's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 120 words, 05/28/10
Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune: MODERATE(cg) "...has everything except real drama.... Weisz struggles in fleshing out a historical character well worth a movie, though frustratingly sketchy as written here."(See all of Michael Phillips's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 401 words, 07/23/10
David Edelstein, New York Magazine: VERY GOOD "...has remarkably few bad laughs, and the CGI re-creations of ancient Alexandria are so detailed I wanted to freeze the frame and linger on the city's layout."(See all of David Edelstein's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 725 words, 05/24/10
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: VERY GOOD(cg) "...re-creates the Alexandria of Hypatia's time... shows it at the tipping point between Greek and Roman paganism and the new religion of Christianity."(See all of Roger Ebert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 805 words, 07/22/10
Eric Hynes, Village Voice/LA Weekly: FAIR "Alejandro Amenábar ('The Others,' 'Open Your Eyes') has the ambition but not yet the skill of a Kubrick or Spielberg to make visual flourishes function emotionally."(See all of Eric Hynes's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 251 words, 05/26/10
Jennie Punter, Toronto Globe & Mail: MODERATE(cg) "While its second half gets bogged down by repetitive pacing, 'Agora' is genuinely engaged with ideas and creating an authentic portrait of ancient life..."(See all of Jennie Punter's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 681 words, 06/11/10
Glenn Sumi, Toronto Now: WEAK(cg) "Weisz is one of the few film actors who could make her character's intellectual struggles convincing, but she gets little support from the others."(See all of Glenn Sumi's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 138 words, 06/10/10
KEY CITIES (8 Reviews)
Ann Hornaday, Washington Post: VERY GOOD(cg) "Like the finest historical epics of cinema's lavishly costumed Golden Age, 'Agora' transports viewers to another world, the better to comprehend the one they're living in."(See all of Ann Hornaday's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 437 words, 07/23/10
Steven Rea, Philadelphia Inquirer: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...entertaining, and even at times illuminating.... It's a vivid way to contextualize Hypatia's astronomical musings, but it's kind of out there, too."(See all of Steven Rea's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 516 words, 07/23/10
Ty Burr, Boston Globe: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...represents a genre of movie so increasingly rare -- the historical epic of ideas, like 'Spartacus' or 'A Man for All Seasons' -- that you wish this one were better..."(See all of Ty Burr's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 723 words, 07/23/10
Peter Hartlaub, San Francisco Chronicle: MODERATE(cg) "...a movie without a template or genre, taking an epic filmmaking approach toward the little-covered ground of astronomy in fourth century Egypt..."(See all of Peter Hartlaub's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 396 words, 07/23/10
Tom Keogh, Seattle Times: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...a riveting drama starring Rachel Weisz as Hypatia, a fourth-century philosopher and mathematician trying to navigate religious conflict in Alexandria, Egypt."(See all of Tom Keogh's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 676 words, 07/23/10
Rene Rodriguez, Miami Herald: MODERATE(cg) "...takes a hearty swing at the historical epic, but the result is a balk.... feels stagebound and claustrophobic, and the artificiality adds to the underlying dullness."(See all of Rene Rodriguez's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 479 words, 08/06/10
ALTERNATIVE/INDIE PRESS (6 Reviews)
Eric Hynes, Village Voice/LA Weekly: FAIR "Alejandro Amenábar ('The Others,' 'Open Your Eyes') has the ambition but not yet the skill of a Kubrick or Spielberg to make visual flourishes function emotionally."(See all of Eric Hynes's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 251 words, 05/26/10
Brett Michel, Boston Phoenix: VERY GOOD(cg) "We're but tiny specks in the cosmos, a point Alejandro Amenábar ('The Sea Inside') drives home via nigh-omnipresent powers-of-10 shots..."(See all of Brett Michel's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 149 words, 07/22/10
Glenn Sumi, Toronto Now: WEAK(cg) "Weisz is one of the few film actors who could make her character's intellectual struggles convincing, but she gets little support from the others."(See all of Glenn Sumi's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 138 words, 06/10/10
Amrita Khalid, Washington City Paper: GOOD "Despite its flaws, 'Agora' is an involving historical drama that mixes some of the dazzle of summer blockbuster with some arthouse attention to story and detail."(See all of Amrita Khalid's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 505 words, 07/29/10
HIGHBROW PRESS (2 Reviews)
A.O. Scott, New York Times: VERY GOOD "...a rousing, finger-pointing drama... a bit of a puzzle. This is a good thing, since most movies plop down in easily recognizable categories and stay there..."(See all of A.O. Scott's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 868 words, 05/28/10
Michael Ordoña, Los Angeles Times: GOOD "...misses some emotional connections... but covers a fascinating, overlooked period while depicting the eternal struggle between science and ideology."(See all of Michael Ordoña's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 318 words, 06/04/10
MOVIE INDUSTRY (5 Reviews)
Todd McCarthy, Daily Variety: GOOD "...there is much in the picture to sustain sympathetic interest, including its dedicated historical perspective, intellectual seriousness and credible presentation..."(See all of Todd McCarthy's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,084 words, 05/18/09
Natasha Senjanovic, Hollywood Reporter: GOOD "...a timely parable on religious intolerance, inexorable fundamentalist violence and the powerlessness of reason and personal freedom in the face of both."(See all of Natasha Senjanovic's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 523 words, 05/17/09
Michael Ordoña, Los Angeles Times: GOOD "...misses some emotional connections... but covers a fascinating, overlooked period while depicting the eternal struggle between science and ideology."(See all of Michael Ordoña's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 318 words, 06/04/10
Emanuel Levy, Cinema 24/7: VERY GOOD(cg) "...benefits from an astoundingly intelligent turn by Rachel Weisz, who has shown depth and gravitas before... she delivers yet another compelling performance."(See all of Emanuel Levy's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 754 words, 05/30/10
A.O. Scott, New York Times: VERY GOOD "...a rousing, finger-pointing drama... a bit of a puzzle. This is a good thing, since most movies plop down in easily recognizable categories and stay there..."(See all of A.O. Scott's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 868 words, 05/28/10
17.8 Percentage Points Average Difference Between Reviews (Norm is 18.4pp; <18.4pp = More Consistent; >18.4pp = More Mixed)
Agora's reviews are separated by an average 17.8 percentage points. The norm for this measure is 18.4 percentage points. Less than 18.4 indicates more consistent reviews; greater than 18.4 indicates more mixed reviews. In the chart below, each dot represents a review, with the dots at the top more positive than the dots at the bottom. From left to right, the dots represent reviews in big, bigger and biggest publications. Roll over each dot for more detail.
Coverage:Agora's reviews cover 29.1% of potential readers (average is 67.9%). Volume:The film's reviews total 13,411 words involume (average is 20,172 words). Length:The film's reviews average 497 words in length (the norm is 517 words).
Reviews Broke 12 Days After Release (Norm is 1.2 Release)
Agora's reviews on average broke 12 days after opening. Norm for this measure is 1.2 hours before. The chart below shows reviews on opening day and the days before and after opening; the left side is earlier and the right side is later. The red bars extending above the horizontal mid-line represent more positive reviews, and the red bars extending below represent more negative reviews. The white space/red bar in the middle is Agora's opening day. Click on any bar for a list of the reviews for that day.
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