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Richard Corliss, Time: VERY GOOD " 'My heart has no desire to stay / Where doubts arise and fears dismay. / Though some may dwell where those abound, / My prayer, my aim, is higher ground.' Farmiga's ambitious, appealing film is a view of that exalted terrain from a distant perspective." (Read the full review...) 1,212 words, 08/25/11 Christy Lemire, Associated Press: OUTSTANDING (cg) "Vera Farmiga has done something miraculous in her directing debut... She's managed to make a movie about religion that's neither preachy nor mocking, and she treats her characters with great decency and respect." (Read the full review...) 553 words, 08/25/11 Owen Gleiberman, Entertainment Weekly: EXCELLENT (cg) "...a rich, sprawling, uplifting, disquieting, at once demystifying and mysterious drama... breaks crucial, sacred ground in American moviemaking." (Read the full review...) 430 words, 08/26/11 Peter Travers, Rolling Stone: OUTSTANDING (cg) "...an honest portrait of spirituality in flux that most filmmakers shy away from.... Farmiga expertly guides a large and gifted ensemble cast and proves as fearless a director as she is an actress.... funny, touching and vital." (Read the full review...) 169 words, 09/02/11 Claudia Puig, USA Today: VERY GOOD (cg) "...captures the subtle moments of daily life as well as a woman's dramatic spiritual struggle.... Though it's occasionally slow-moving, 'Higher Ground' is a gracefully made quest for meaning and personal salvation." (Read the full review...) 400 words, 08/26/11 Roger Ebert, RogerEbert.com: OUTSTANDING (cg) "Sometimes it slips too easily into satire, but at least it is nuanced satire based on true believers who are basically nice and good people. There are no heavy-handed portraits of holy rollers here, just people whose view of the world is narrow." (Read the full review...) 807 words, 09/02/11 James Rocchi, MSN Movies: VERY GOOD (cg) "...stands apart in a territory few films have the intelligence, courage and yes, faith, to even try to explore." (Read the full review...) 720 words, 08/23/11
A.O. Scott, New York Times: EXCELLENT "Focused with sympathetic intensity on the ordeal of a single soul, it illuminates, as though from within, a complex spiritual struggle." (Read the full review...) 809 words, 08/26/11 Elizabeth Weitzman, New York Daily News: EXCELLENT (cg) "I can't remember the last time I saw organized religion handled in such an even-handed, thoughtful manner.... gratifyingly complex and deeply human..." (Read the full review...) 244 words, 08/26/11 Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times: VERY GOOD "Farmiga steers 'Higher Ground' ably, from its rewarding performances to its unexpected bursts of comedy and eventual well-earned moments of bittersweet grace." (Read the full review...) 302 words, 08/26/11 Lou Lumenick, New York Post: GOOD (NOT GREAT) (cg) "...a well-acted if slow-moving drama that will reward adventurous audiences with fine performances and a thoughtful approach." (Read the full review...) 153 words, 08/26/11 Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune: OUTSTANDING (cg) "...avoids preaching to any choir or settling for easy point-scoring.... glides and takes time to explore. In the best way it feels very '70s: It's about a relatable lost soul finding herself." (Read the full review...) 632 words, 09/02/11 David Edelstein, New York Magazine: OUTSTANDING "What a delicate balance this movie is, with enough religious fervor to discomfit the skeptics and enough skepticism to discomfit the religious.... Farmiga's Corinne is a miracle of ambivalence." (Read the full review...) 757 words, 09/03/11 Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: OUTSTANDING (cg) "Sometimes it slips too easily into satire, but at least it is nuanced satire based on true believers who are basically nice and good people. There are no heavy-handed portraits of holy rollers here, just people whose view of the world is narrow." (Read the full review...) 807 words, 09/02/11 Melissa Anderson, Village Voice/LA Weekly: MODERATE "Farmiga's film admirably tries, on a minuscule budget, to evoke the spirit of American cinema from 35 years ago: the age of Sissy Spacek and Shelley Duvall.... It's a shame, then, that 'Higher Ground' never really ignites." (Read the full review...) 705 words, 08/24/11 Peter Howell, Toronto Star: GOOD (NOT GREAT) (cg) "Farmiga's first film is good enough to make us look forward to her next one." (Read the full review...) 513 words, 09/23/11 Rick Groen, Toronto Globe & Mail: VERY GOOD (cg) "...refreshing precisely because it finds a middle ground - in this spiritual community, there are no saints and there are no demons, no absolute wisdom and no complete idiocy." (Read the full review...) 621 words, 09/23/11 Susan G. Cole, Toronto Now: EXCELLENT (cg) "A powerful performance by first-time director Vera Farmiga ('Up In The Air') and a subtle approach to an intriguing subject... a winner." (Read the full review...) 225 words, 09/22/11
Michael O'Sullivan, Washington Post: MODERATE (cg) "...refreshingly free of proselytizing. In its place, however, is a whiff of condescension.... despite all its honesty, the film ultimately feels like a bit of a cop-out." (Read the full review...) 475 words, 09/16/11 Carrie Rickey, Philadelphia Inquirer: OUTSTANDING (cg) "...[a] stunning directorial debut... Both behind and before the camera, Farmiga is thoughtful and unsettled." (Read the full review...) 383 words, 09/16/11 Roger Moore, Orlando Sentinel: VERY GOOD (cg) "...best compared to Robert Duvall's 'The Apostle,' another film about fervent faith and questioning.... Farmiga challenges herself and the viewer. Some may shrink from that challenge, but thankfully, our gutsy director and star never does." (Read the full review...) 504 words, 09/09/11 Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star-Tribune: MODERATE (cg) "...lacks the divine spark that would make Corinne's spiritual crisis universally meaningful. It's like a long, tedious walking pilgrimage of faith run backwards." (Read the full review...) 518 words, 09/09/11 Ty Burr, Boston Globe: GOOD (NOT GREAT) (cg) "When actors take it upon themselves to direct, it's often less because they have things to say or stories to tell than people to explore.... [the film] falls into this category to the point of frustration." (Read the full review...) 656 words, 09/09/11 Stephen Whitty, New Jersey Star-Ledger: GOOD (NOT GREAT) (cg) "How does someone get to a place where they doubt their deepest convictions? Where do they go from there? In this story, it's all bit by bit, step by step." (Read the full review...) 489 words, 08/26/11 Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle: VERY GOOD (cg) "...a movie of subtle shifts and unspoken transactions... rewards attention." (Read the full review...) 522 words, 09/02/11 Moira Macdonald, Seattle Times: OUTSTANDING (cg) "A quietly moving film.... you sense a real affection for all the characters, particularly the women, and a genuine curiosity about religion as a guiding principal in one's life." (Read the full review...) 316 words, 09/09/11 Marc Mohan, Portland Oregonian: EXCELLENT (cg) "Vera Farmiga paces this decades-spanning tale just right, imbuing each chapter with period detail and giving her excellent cast (John Hawkes and Dagmara Dominczyk stand out) room to breathe." (Read the full review...) 316 words, 09/09/11 Calvin Wilson, St. Louis Post-Dispatch: OUTSTANDING (cg) "...might easily have settled for mocking religion. Instead, it's a fascinating glimpse into a culture that forces some people to choose between fitting in and opting out." (Read the full review...) 323 words, 09/16/11 Steve Persall, St. Petersburg Times: VERY GOOD (cg) "...a quiet story, without many emotional outbursts and no villains. Parts of 'Higher Ground' are dull, honestly. But the movie always feels honest about its subject. The acting is sublimely natural..." (Read the full review...) 334 words, 09/29/11 Tom Long, Detroit News: VERY GOOD (cg) "...isn't cineplex fare, and it ends with a showy bit better lost. But Farmiga shows rare confidence, evenness and understanding while dealing with sensitive subject matter." (Read the full review...) 278 words, 09/16/11 Connie Ogle, Miami Herald: VERY GOOD (cg) "...a proponent of the human spirit, of the individuality and honesty that must be claimed, even at a high price. That's a lot of substance to stuff into one little movie, but Farmiga makes it fit astonishingly well." (Read the full review...) 464 words, 09/09/11
Melissa Anderson, Village Voice/LA Weekly: MODERATE "Farmiga's film admirably tries, on a minuscule budget, to evoke the spirit of American cinema from 35 years ago: the age of Sissy Spacek and Shelley Duvall.... It's a shame, then, that 'Higher Ground' never really ignites." (Read the full review...) 705 words, 08/24/11 Peter Keough, Boston Phoenix: VERY GOOD (cg) "Farmiga portrays her characters with nuance and dignity... She doesn't reduce these Born Agains to intolerant and hypocritical stereotypes, but acknowledges them as souls enduring the torments and ecstasies of faith and doubt." (Read the full review...) 183 words, 09/08/11 Tasha Robinson, AV Club: GOOD (NOT GREAT) (cg) "...feels organic and personal... it's also a shapeless collection of tonally diverse moments strung together with little organizing principle beyond the protagonist's identity struggles." (Read the full review...) 451 words, 08/25/11 Michelle Orange, Movieline: EXCELLENT (cg) "Though we travel to the heart of the kind of proselytizing that makes people switch subway cars, every character in the small, rural New York community maintains their dignity, and therefore their plausibility." (Read the full review...) 1,005 words, 08/25/11 Bill Weber, Slant: POOR (cg) "Bereft of both spiritual and narrative spark... Farmiga hasn't put much that's lifelike into 'Higher Ground' aside from immersive riverbank baptisms and an unresolved desire to have done it as a Diary of a Godly Housewife satire." (Read the full review...) 468 words, 08/21/11 Susan G. Cole, Toronto Now: EXCELLENT (cg) "A powerful performance by first-time director Vera Farmiga ('Up In The Air') and a subtle approach to an intriguing subject... a winner." (Read the full review...) 225 words, 09/22/11
A.O. Scott, New York Times: EXCELLENT "Focused with sympathetic intensity on the ordeal of a single soul, it illuminates, as though from within, a complex spiritual struggle." (Read the full review...) 809 words, 08/26/11 Anthony Lane, New Yorker: OUTSTANDING "You could argue that the film is too wrenching a departure for an actress as earthy as Farmiga, but that, I suspect, is why she took the risk -- daring herself, in the person of Corinne, to slip the surly bonds of beauty and desire." (Read the full review...) 1,205 words, 08/22/11 Jeannette Catsoulis, NPR: OUTSTANDING "...something rarely seen in American movies: a sincerely humane examination of what it means to experience a crisis of faith.... tackles big questions with affecting humility." (Read the full review...) 493 words, 08/25/11 Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times: VERY GOOD "Farmiga steers 'Higher Ground' ably, from its rewarding performances to its unexpected bursts of comedy and eventual well-earned moments of bittersweet grace." (Read the full review...) 302 words, 08/26/11
Justin Chang, Daily Variety: EXCELLENT "A satirical yet sensitive portrait of life in an evangelical Christian community... marks a startlingly bold directing debut for actress Vera Farmiga.... deeply moving and provocative..." (Read the full review...) 890 words, 01/24/11 Kirk Honeycutt, Hollywood Reporter: EXCELLENT "A rare American film that explores the born-again experience without mockery or condescension.... at times funny, romantic, tender and heart-breaking as it embraces all the quirks and struggles in the lives of its characters." (Read the full review...) 779 words, 01/24/11 Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times: VERY GOOD "Farmiga steers 'Higher Ground' ably, from its rewarding performances to its unexpected bursts of comedy and eventual well-earned moments of bittersweet grace." (Read the full review...) 302 words, 08/26/11 Patrick Z. McGavin, Cinema 24/7: OUTSTANDING (cg) "Vera Farmiga continues to astonish, both in front of and behind the camera... [a] beautifully textured, strikingly observed feature debut... contemplative, emotionally probing..." (Read the full review...) 862 words, 01/27/11 A.O. Scott, New York Times: EXCELLENT "Focused with sympathetic intensity on the ordeal of a single soul, it illuminates, as though from within, a complex spiritual struggle." (Read the full review...) 809 words, 08/26/11
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