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BARBARA (2012)Movie Reviews
German language drama about a talented young doctor who plans to escape from East Germany with her lover, despite the Stasi officers who watch her every move. Cast:Nina Hoss, Ronald Zehrfeld, Jasna Fritzi Bauer, Mark Waschke, Rainer Bock, Christina Hecke, Rosa Enskat, Susanne Bormann, Peter Benedict, Thomas Neumann, Kirsten BlockDirector:Christian PetzoldRelease Date:December 21, 2012DVD Release: TBD From:Adopt FilmsRating:PG-13Length:1 hr 45 min
Barbara (2012) played in key cities to exceptional reviews. • Gerald Peary wrote in the Boston Phoenix, "...brilliant... Somehow, in this stirring narrative, Barbara manages to keep hold of her principles, and her humanity and courage..." • And Linda Barnard wrote in the Toronto Star, "Nina Hoss is mesmerizing..." More Reviews Below...
Barbara (2012) Positive Reviews (26 Reviews, reviews below)
Barbara (2012) has not been reviewed by Broad National Press
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NEW YORK/LOS ANGELES/CHICAGO/TORONTO (10 Reviews)
Manohla Dargis, New York Times: OUTSTANDING "Mr. Petzold refuses movie clichés as strongly as he does political orthodoxy.... a quietly beautiful movie... Petzold puts his pieces into play gradually."(See all of Manohla Dargis's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 867 words, 12/21/12
Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times: OUTSTANDING "...one terrific film... Every situation, every choice, is personal, and reality is always complex.... starring a luminous Nina Hoss..."(See all of Kenneth Turan's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 680 words, 12/21/12
Farran Smith Nehme, New York Post: OUTSTANDING(cg) "Petzold raises questions of honor and builds the romance with an absolutely rigorous lack of sentiment, moving 'Barbara' to a sweeping finish..."(See all of Farran Smith Nehme's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 201 words, 12/21/12
John Anderson, New York Newsday: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...the best screen performance of the year is by Nina Hoss... A sturdy suspense story, rich in moral compromise, individual integrity and general desperation..."(See all of John Anderson's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 309 words, 12/21/12
Sheila Malley, Chicago Sun-Times: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...effective... Petzold is a master at creating the kind of tension that can be felt on a subterranean level, a sort of acute uneasiness that can't be easily diagnosed..."(See all of Sheila Malley's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 945 words, 03/08/13
Melissa Anderson, Village Voice/LA Weekly: OUTSTANDING "A transfixing Cold War thriller... superb... Christian Petzold uses familiar templates to offer fresh perspectives on historical rifts and wounds."(See all of Melissa Anderson's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 746 words, 12/19/12
Rick Groen, Toronto Globe & Mail: VERY GOOD(cg) "...intriguing... not only does Hoss command the screen and demand our attention, but her sub-textual performance neatly excavates the sub-textual theme."(See all of Rick Groen's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 674 words, 12/28/12
Norman Wilner, Toronto Now: EXCELLENT(cg) "This isn't a thriller. It's a character study of a woman trying desperately not to give herself away, and it's packed with fascinating power."(See all of Norman Wilner's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 194 words, 12/20/12
KEY CITIES (8 Reviews)
Ann Hornaday, Washington Post: VERY GOOD(cg) "...evocative, finely detailed... an exceptionally vivid portrait... a sophisticated, superbly crafted portrayal of grass-roots realpolitik..."(See all of Ann Hornaday's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 325 words, 12/21/12
Steven Rea, Philadelphia Inquirer: OUTSTANDING(cg) "Nina Hoss gives a performance that doesn't feel like a performance at all. Her Barbara is absolutely real, and absolutely trapped. The film is aching, and exquisite."(See all of Steven Rea's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 260 words, 03/08/13
Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star-Tribune: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...richly evokes the paranoid atmosphere of an authoritarian surveillance state.... The effect is oppressive. Though a mere 105 minutes, it weighs on viewers like an eternity."(See all of Colin Covert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 179 words, 03/22/13
Bill Goodykoontz, Arizona Republic: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...outstanding... a kind of horror film, really, a reminder that these sorts of things were endured by so many for so long, with hope an unlikely ally."(See all of Bill Goodykoontz's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 586 words, 02/08/13
Wesley Morris, Boston Globe: VERY GOOD(cg) "The movie's quiet power comes from its air of meticulously maintained suspicion... what Hoss plays with great skill is the fine line between self-protection and hauteur."(See all of Wesley Morris's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 584 words, 12/21/12
Soren Andersen, Seattle Times: VERY GOOD(cg) "Nina Hoss' acting is a marvel of subtlety... This picture is full of stillnesses in which the main character hides her thoughts and feelings."(See all of Soren Andersen's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 363 words, 12/21/12
Stan Hall, Portland Oregonian: VERY GOOD(cg) "...worth seeing both for Christian Petzold's singular aesthetic and for Nina Hoss, who as usual is a riveting presence."(See all of Stan Hall's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 320 words, 02/01/13
ALTERNATIVE/INDIE PRESS (7 Reviews)
Melissa Anderson, Village Voice/LA Weekly: OUTSTANDING "A transfixing Cold War thriller... superb... Christian Petzold uses familiar templates to offer fresh perspectives on historical rifts and wounds."(See all of Melissa Anderson's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 746 words, 12/19/12
Gerald Peary, Boston Phoenix: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...brilliant... Somehow, in this stirring narrative, Barbara manages to keep hold of her principles, and her humanity and courage..."(See all of Gerald Peary's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 163 words, 12/20/12
Sam Adams, AV Club: OUTSTANDING(cg) "Petzold handles personal, formal, and political concerns in such perfect balance, it's difficult, and not especially desirable, to separate one from the next."(See all of Sam Adams's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 365 words, 12/20/12
John Semley, Slant: VERY GOOD(cg) "Most compelling is the way filmmaker Christian Petzold adeptly conducts his tides of Cold War paranoia.... the film creates a thick feeling of Soviet unrest..."(See all of John Semley's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 483 words, 09/18/12
Norman Wilner, Toronto Now: EXCELLENT(cg) "This isn't a thriller. It's a character study of a woman trying desperately not to give herself away, and it's packed with fascinating power."(See all of Norman Wilner's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 194 words, 12/20/12
MaryAnn Johanson, Flick Filosopher: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...creates some creepily effective individual moments of Orwellian horror.... Yet the film resides somewhere in an unsatisfying borderland between drama and thriller..."(See all of MaryAnn Johanson's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 267 words, 01/16/13
HIGHBROW PRESS (3 Reviews)
Manohla Dargis, New York Times: OUTSTANDING "Mr. Petzold refuses movie clichés as strongly as he does political orthodoxy.... a quietly beautiful movie... Petzold puts his pieces into play gradually."(See all of Manohla Dargis's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 867 words, 12/21/12
Stephanie Zacharek, NPR: OUTSTANDING "Germany's entry in the Oscar race for best foreign-language film, and it's so good that you can only hope it will win... works its magic slowly, and on multiple levels..."(See all of Stephanie Zacharek's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 865 words, 12/20/12
Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times: OUTSTANDING "...one terrific film... Every situation, every choice, is personal, and reality is always complex.... starring a luminous Nina Hoss..."(See all of Kenneth Turan's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 680 words, 12/21/12
MOVIE INDUSTRY (5 Reviews)
Justin Chang, Daily Variety: EXCELLENT "...wise and incisively crafted drama brings simmering intelligence and a dry, sardonic compassion to bear on its tale of two doctors... Nina Hoss is outstanding..."(See all of Justin Chang's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 630 words, 02/11/12
Jordan Mintzer, Hollywood Reporter: VERY GOOD "A slow-burning Cold War drama that will reward patient viewers with its ultimate emotional payoff... skillfully mannered, meticulously acted..."(See all of Jordan Mintzer's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 598 words, 02/11/12
Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times: OUTSTANDING "...one terrific film... Every situation, every choice, is personal, and reality is always complex.... starring a luminous Nina Hoss..."(See all of Kenneth Turan's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 680 words, 12/21/12
Emanuel Levy, Cinema 24/7: VERY GOOD(cg) "...a detailed, haunting portrait of a mature professional femme, torn between her needs of sheer survival and her desire as a woman."(See all of Emanuel Levy's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 277 words, 02/23/13
Manohla Dargis, New York Times: OUTSTANDING "Mr. Petzold refuses movie clichés as strongly as he does political orthodoxy.... a quietly beautiful movie... Petzold puts his pieces into play gradually."(See all of Manohla Dargis's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 867 words, 12/21/12
14.8 Percentage Points Average Difference Between Reviews (Norm is 18.4pp; <18.4pp = More Consistent; >18.4pp = More Mixed)
Barbara (2012)'s reviews are separated by an average 14.8 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.
Barbara (2012) (26 reviews) Roll over dots for each review
Coverage:Barbara (2012)'s reviews cover 23.3% of potential readers (average is 67.9%). Volume:The film's reviews total 12,485 words involume (average is 20,194 words). Length:The film's reviews average 480 words in length (the norm is 517 words).
Barbara (2012) Coverage, Volume & Length (26 Reviews, reviews below)
Reviews Broke 13.5 Hours Before Release (Norm is 1.2 Release)
Barbara (2012)'s reviews on average broke 13.5 hours before 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 Barbara (2012)'s opening day. Click on any bar for a list of the reviews for that day.
Barbara (2012) (26 reviews, click on bars for reviews)
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