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POLYTECHNIQUEMovie Reviews
French language drama inspired by the school shooting that took place at Montreal's Polytechnique School on December 6, 1989. Cast:Maxim Gaudette, Sebastien Huberdeau, Karine Vanasse, Evelyne Brochu, Johanne-Marie TremblayDirector:Denis VilleneuveRelease Date:July 1, 2011DVD Release:August 31, 2010From:Alliance VivafilmLength:1 hr. 17 min.
Polytechnique played in New York City to good reviews. • Peter Howell wrote in the Toronto Star, "...stands as a work of art, summoning unspoken thoughts the way Picasso's war abstraction Guernica does in a scene of contemplation with Jean-François." • And Ray Bennett wrote in the Hollywood Reporter, "...as much a memorial as it is a docudrama." More Reviews Below...
Polytechnique has not been reviewed by Broad National Press
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NEW YORK/LOS ANGELES/CHICAGO/TORONTO (3 Reviews)
A.O. Scott, New York Times: GOOD "...somber and meticulous.... feels both shocking and dreadfully familiar.... The virtue -- and also the limitation -- of this movie is that it confronts senselessness and insists on remaining calm and sane."(See all of A.O. Scott's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 747 words, 06/29/11
Peter Howell, Toronto Star: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...stands as a work of art, summoning unspoken thoughts the way Picasso's war abstraction Guernica does in a scene of contemplation with Jean-François."(See all of Peter Howell's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 646 words, 03/20/09
Melissa Anderson, Village Voice: GOOD "The time-shuffled actions of two students reveal distinct heroics, as well as vastly different responses to living with trauma.... 'Polytechnique' smartly exposes the spectrum of misogyny..."(See all of Melissa Anderson's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 244 words, 06/29/11
KEY CITIES (0 Reviews)
Polytechnique has not been reviewed in Key Cities
ALTERNATIVE/INDIE PRESS (2 Reviews)
Melissa Anderson, Village Voice: GOOD "The time-shuffled actions of two students reveal distinct heroics, as well as vastly different responses to living with trauma.... 'Polytechnique' smartly exposes the spectrum of misogyny..."(See all of Melissa Anderson's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 244 words, 06/29/11
Ed Gonzalez, Slant: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...registers as an imprint of the minds of three inextricably bound lives, and together they attest to the struggle of having to live through tragedy, and how sometimes the only way to live through it is to not live at all."(See all of Ed Gonzalez's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 818 words, 06/26/11
HIGHBROW PRESS (1 Review)
A.O. Scott, New York Times: GOOD "...somber and meticulous.... feels both shocking and dreadfully familiar.... The virtue -- and also the limitation -- of this movie is that it confronts senselessness and insists on remaining calm and sane."(See all of A.O. Scott's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 747 words, 06/29/11
MOVIE INDUSTRY (3 Reviews)
Rob Nelson, Daily Variety: GOOD (NOT GREAT) "...plenty arty and only arguably constructive in its tasteful fictionalization of a violent tragedy.... takes sufficient care to seem nonexploitative, and its violence, while aptly disturbing, is often obscured when not presented entirely off-camera."(See all of Rob Nelson's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 487 words, 05/18/09
Ray Bennett, Hollywood Reporter: MODERATE "...a dispassionate retelling of the massacre of 14 young women at a school in Montreal by a deranged young man with a high-powered rifle in December 1989.... as much a memorial as it is a docudrama."(See all of Ray Bennett's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 257 words, 05/19/09
A.O. Scott, New York Times: GOOD "...somber and meticulous.... feels both shocking and dreadfully familiar.... The virtue -- and also the limitation -- of this movie is that it confronts senselessness and insists on remaining calm and sane."(See all of A.O. Scott's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 747 words, 06/29/11
18.7 Percentage Points Average Difference Between Reviews (Norm is 18.4pp; <18.4pp = More Consistent; >18.4pp = More Mixed)
Polytechnique's reviews are separated by an average 18.7 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.
Polytechnique (6 reviews) Roll over dots for each review
Coverage:Polytechnique's reviews cover 6.7% of potential readers (average is 67.9%). Volume:The film's reviews total 3,199 words involume (average is 20,172 words). Length:The film's reviews average 533 words in length (the norm is 517 words).
Reviews Broke 222 Days Before Release (Norm is 1.2 Release)
Polytechnique's reviews on average broke 222 days 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 Polytechnique's opening day. Click on any bar for a list of the reviews for that day.
Polytechnique (6 reviews, click on bars for reviews)
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