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LORNA'S SILENCEMovie Reviews
Drama about an Albanian woman living in Belgium who dreams of opening a snack bar with her boyfriend and gets embroiled with a local mobster in order to realize her dream. Cast:Arta Dobroshi, Jérémie Renier, Fabrizio RongioneDirector:Jean-Pierre Dardenne, Luc DardenneRelease Date:July 31, 2009DVD Release:January 5, 2010From:Sony ClassicsRating:RLength:1 hr 45 min
Lorna's Silence played in key cities to excellent reviews. • John Monaghan wrote in the Detroit Free Press, "...as artful a humanity lesson as you're likely to find at the movies this year." • And Norman Wilner wrote in Toronto Now, "...starts out as a clinical study of socioeconomic desperation, and gradually turns into something much more involving and haunting." More Reviews Below...
Lisa Schwarzbaum, Entertainment Weekly: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...a closely observed, sociologically astute, and amazingly naturalistic drama... a stunning study of one desperate woman's conscience."(See all of Lisa Schwarzbaum's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 105 words, 07/31/09
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NEW YORK/LOS ANGELES/CHICAGO/TORONTO (9 Reviews)
A.O. Scott, New York Times: EXCELLENT "Though there is a whiff of mysticism -- or perhaps of grace -- in the wind, the atmosphere is dominated by the harsh materialism of the modern cash economy..."(See all of A.O. Scott's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 989 words, 07/31/09
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...what power is here. What affecting acting by Dobroshi, Renier and Marinne. In the cold, harsh world of the Dardennes, they feel sympathy, but can grant little mercy."(See all of Roger Ebert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 687 words, 08/13/09
V.A. Musetto, New York Post: OUTSTANDING(cg) "Dobroshi has an exceptional screen presence that brings authority to her portrayal... the Dardennes prove yet again that nobody does human frailty the way they do."(See all of V.A. Musetto's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 261 words, 07/31/09
Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune: VERY GOOD(cg) "If you're new to the Dardennes, this will serve as a fine introduction... if this is what the disenfranchised must do to survive, their films tell us, then perhaps things must change."(See all of Michael Phillips's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 361 words, 08/14/09
Nick Pinkerton, Village Voice/LA Weekly: WEAK "The convoluted criminal plot is barely credible -- likewise the onset of divine madness; a fairy-tale cabin (or is it a manger?) is an unsatisfying end."(See all of Nick Pinkerton's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 684 words, 07/29/09
Norman Wilner, Toronto Now: EXCELLENT(cg) "...starts out as a clinical study of socioeconomic desperation, and gradually turns into something much more involving and haunting."(See all of Norman Wilner's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 171 words, 08/27/09
KEY CITIES (15 Reviews)
John Anderson, Washington Post: VERY GOOD(cg) "...the Dardennes place their heroine at the intersection of economic salvation and moral damnation, with very few places to turn that don't involve a head-on collision..."(See all of John Anderson's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 596 words, 08/28/09
Mick LaSalle, Houston Chronicle/San Francisco Chronicle: VERY GOOD(cg) "...not one of the Dardennes' masterpieces... It leaves the audience with neither a sense of uplift nor devastation... something more akin to intellectual appreciation."(See all of Mick LaSalle's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 430 words, 08/21/09
Bill Goodykoontz, Arizona Republic: EXCELLENT(cg) "Arta Dobroshi's performance as Lorna anchors the film; it's rich and complex... Jeremie Renier is just as good as the unfortunate Claudy..."(See all of Bill Goodykoontz's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 550 words, 09/11/09
Steven Rea, Philadelphia Inquirer: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...austere but oddly hopeful... offers a portrait of a fragile yet determined woman set on making a home for herself in the world, even as that world unravels before her eyes."(See all of Steven Rea's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 413 words, 08/14/09
Ty Burr, Boston Globe: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...a very good film... and in actress Arta Dobroshi it has a face that passes through every conceivable shade of sorrow."(See all of Ty Burr's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 645 words, 08/14/09
Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star-Tribune: OUTSTANDING(cg) "The film observes its characters with a cool, distanced compassion. They are as psychologically rich, ambiguous and surprising as you would expect in a novel."(See all of Colin Covert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 493 words, 08/21/09
Moira Macdonald, Seattle Times: VERY GOOD(cg) "...a quiet film, often punctuated only by the sound of breathing... It's a slice of a life nobody would want, and a portrait that's not easy to forget."(See all of Moira Macdonald's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 401 words, 08/28/09
Stephen Whitty, Cleveland Plain-Dealer: VERY GOOD(cg) "...the Dardennes have, once again, turned their clear, compassionate, but unblinking gaze on a part of Europe that American tourists and well-fed natives don't see..."(See all of Stephen Whitty's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 537 words, 10/23/09
Marc Mohan, Portland Oregonian: VERY GOOD(cg) "With a more linear plot and steadier camerawork than previous efforts, 'Lorna's Silence' is among the Dardennes' more accessible films..."(See all of Marc Mohan's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 172 words, 09/11/09
Calvin Wilson, St. Louis Post-Dispatch: VERY GOOD(cg) "...isn't the Dardennes at their best. But they've set such a high standard for their work that even their lesser efforts demand to be seen."(See all of Calvin Wilson's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 318 words, 09/04/09
Rene Rodriguez, Miami Herald: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...even a not-entirely-satisfying work from the Dardennes offers plenty of pleasures, including their eloquent, often silent expression of empathy for their protagonists..."(See all of Rene Rodriguez's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 482 words, 09/04/09
Chris Kaltenbach, Baltimore Sun: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...in their adamant refusal to wrap people and events in tidy little boxes, the Dardennes have produced a work of great understanding and hard-earned humanity."(See all of Chris Kaltenbach's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 520 words, 09/25/09
Lisa Kennedy, Denver Post: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...a haunting, wounded fable of love and guilt... 'Lorna's Silence' could not work if Arta Dobroshi weren't so stirring as a sinner who can't deny her better angels."(See all of Lisa Kennedy's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 560 words, 08/28/09
ALTERNATIVE/INDIE PRESS (6 Reviews)
Nick Pinkerton, Village Voice/LA Weekly: WEAK "The convoluted criminal plot is barely credible -- likewise the onset of divine madness; a fairy-tale cabin (or is it a manger?) is an unsatisfying end."(See all of Nick Pinkerton's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 684 words, 07/29/09
Brett Michel, Boston Phoenix: VERY GOOD(cg) "More plotted than usual... the film has its own silence broken by a Beethoven sonata played under the final scene... a distracting element in a work of near-greatness."(See all of Brett Michel's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 158 words, 08/13/09
Norman Wilner, Toronto Now: EXCELLENT(cg) "...starts out as a clinical study of socioeconomic desperation, and gradually turns into something much more involving and haunting."(See all of Norman Wilner's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 171 words, 08/27/09
Tricia Olszewski, Washington City Paper: MODERATE "...an unsatisfying conclusion to an intriguing puzzle that leaves you thinking a better title might have been 'Lorna's Craziness.' "(See all of Tricia Olszewski's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 389 words, 08/28/09
HIGHBROW PRESS (3 Reviews)
A.O. Scott, New York Times: EXCELLENT "Though there is a whiff of mysticism -- or perhaps of grace -- in the wind, the atmosphere is dominated by the harsh materialism of the modern cash economy..."(See all of A.O. Scott's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 989 words, 07/31/09
Joe Morgenstern, Wall Street Journal: OUTSTANDING "...a somber beauty of a French-language drama... naturalistic... beautifully shot in 35 mm film by Alain Marcoen, it achieves a poetry of bereftness."(See all of Joe Morgenstern's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 177 words, 07/31/09
Justin Chang, Daily Variety: VERY GOOD "...the Dardenne brothers make some slight adjustments to their formula but maintain their unblinking commitment to human nature and the possibility of grace..."(See all of Justin Chang's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 856 words, 05/19/08
A.O. Scott, New York Times: EXCELLENT "Though there is a whiff of mysticism -- or perhaps of grace -- in the wind, the atmosphere is dominated by the harsh materialism of the modern cash economy..."(See all of A.O. Scott's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 989 words, 07/31/09
Joe Morgenstern, Wall Street Journal: OUTSTANDING "...a somber beauty of a French-language drama... naturalistic... beautifully shot in 35 mm film by Alain Marcoen, it achieves a poetry of bereftness."(See all of Joe Morgenstern's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 177 words, 07/31/09
18.2 Percentage Points Average Difference Between Reviews (Norm is 18.4pp; <18.4pp = More Consistent; >18.4pp = More Mixed)
Lorna's Silence's reviews are separated by an average 18.2 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.
Lorna's Silence (30 reviews) Roll over dots for each review
Coverage:Lorna's Silence's reviews cover 32.8% of potential readers (average is 67.9%). Volume:The film's reviews total 13,532 words involume (average is 20,194 words). Length:The film's reviews average 451 words in length (the norm is 517 words).
Reviews Broke 10 Days After Release (Norm is 1.2 Release)
Lorna's Silence's reviews on average broke 10 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 Lorna's Silence's opening day. Click on any bar for a list of the reviews for that day.
Lorna's Silence (30 reviews, click on bars for reviews)
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