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Lisa Schwarzbaum, Entertainment Weekly: EXCELLENT (cg) "...gripping if tamped-down drama is steeped in ancient Albanian culture, where the real, tragic consequences of blood feuds can keep families trapped in their homes for generations." (Read the full review...) 94 words, 02/24/12 Roger Ebert, RogerEbert.com: GOOD (NOT GREAT) (cg) "I felt impatience with these bullheaded men and the women who endure them. That's what Marston intended, I'm sure, but the stupidity of the characters doesn't provide much of an emotional payoff." (Read the full review...) 652 words, 03/07/12
Manohla Dargis, New York Times: MODERATE "...about all that Mr. Marston does is chew on the clash, as if the repeated images of teenagers talking on cellphones next to a horse-drawn cart were a substitute for a strong filmmaking point of view." (Read the full review...) 584 words, 02/24/12 Elizabeth Weitzman, New York Daily News: EXCELLENT (cg) "There is so much to admire that it's easy to overlook the miracle at its center: Joshua Marston's artistic idealism." (Read the full review...) 303 words, 02/24/12 Betsy Sharkey, Los Angeles Times: MODERATE "...a story of whispers when cries are what's called for... as boredom sets in for Nik, it settles into the film as well, leaving everyone at loose ends for long stretches." (Read the full review...) 632 words, 02/24/12 V.A. Musetto, New York Post: VERY GOOD (cg) "...a suspenseful work using nonprofessional actors and co-written with an Albanian filmmaker... shows Marston is no one-hit wonder." (Read the full review...) 195 words, 02/24/12 David Edelstein, New York Magazine: VERY GOOD "...a compelling film touching on the perils of being young -- that's it, merely young -- in a culture without justice." (Read the full review...) 206 words, 02/13/12 Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: GOOD (NOT GREAT) (cg) "I felt impatience with these bullheaded men and the women who endure them. That's what Marston intended, I'm sure, but the stupidity of the characters doesn't provide much of an emotional payoff." (Read the full review...) 652 words, 03/07/12 Ernest Hardy, Village Voice/LA Weekly: EXCELLENT "...what pushes the film toward sublimity is the way Joshua Marston delicately captures all of the characters' inner lives as their world slowly crumbles." (Read the full review...) 238 words, 02/22/12 Peter Howell, Toronto Star: VERY GOOD (cg) "...heartbreaking... a coming-of-age story, beautifully acted, that unfolds like a particularly dark tale from the Brothers Grimm..." (Read the full review...) 563 words, 03/30/12 Rick Groen, Toronto Globe & Mail: VERY GOOD (cg) "No, we don't see any blood, or much forgiveness either, but we do witness something far more resonant - a young generation caught between the rock of tradition and the hard place of modernity." (Read the full review...) 670 words, 03/30/12 Susan G. Cole, Toronto Now: GOOD (NOT GREAT) (cg) "...it builds tension, the performances, especially Tristan Halilaj's, are strong, and, like recent Oscar winner 'A Separation,' it's got many layers." (Read the full review...) 256 words, 03/29/12
Michael O'Sullivan, Washington Post: OUTSTANDING (cg) "...a thriller that feels like a documentary... a tale of tribalism, set in a Facebook world." (Read the full review...) 520 words, 03/09/12 Steven Rea, Philadelphia Inquirer: OUTSTANDING (cg) "...fascinating. Joshua Marston has a documentarian's eye, immersing us in the culture of a people still shaking off the yoke of communism." (Read the full review...) 232 words, 03/09/12 Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star-Tribune: VERY GOOD (cg) "...slow, subtle and so rich in hidden meanings that it deserves more than a single viewing." (Read the full review...) 217 words, 03/16/12 Ty Burr, Boston Globe: VERY GOOD (cg) "...works as a subtle but insistent metaphor for a modern generation trapped by the shibboleths of their elders." (Read the full review...) 631 words, 03/09/12 Walter Addiego, San Francisco Chronicle: VERY GOOD (cg) "The nonprofessional cast is convincing, especially Sindi Lacej... Marston artfully uses handheld cameras and natural light and has a nice eye for compositions." (Read the full review...) 361 words, 03/09/12 Shawn Levy, Portland Oregonian: VERY GOOD (cg) "Joshua Marston holds a respectful tone; indeed, it's meant as praise to suggest that you can't tell that anyone other than Albanians had a hand in making this film." (Read the full review...) 196 words, 02/10/12 Calvin Wilson, St. Louis Post-Dispatch: VERY GOOD (cg) "What's lacking is a galvanizing performance comparable to that of the Oscar-nominated Catalina Sandino Moreno in 'Maria Full of Grace.' Still, a memorable portrait..." (Read the full review...) 322 words, 03/30/12 Tom Long, Detroit News: VERY GOOD (cg) "Tradition can be dangerous as well as dumb. 'The Forgiveness of Blood' is about a modern kid in an old-world society. It's a terrible fit." (Read the full review...) 318 words, 03/23/12
Ernest Hardy, Village Voice/LA Weekly: EXCELLENT "...what pushes the film toward sublimity is the way Joshua Marston delicately captures all of the characters' inner lives as their world slowly crumbles." (Read the full review...) 238 words, 02/22/12 Gerald Peary, Boston Phoenix: VERY GOOD (cg) "Credit director Marston for a persuasive look at Albanian culture, and for keeping his tense story from trailing off into bloody melodrama." (Read the full review...) 98 words, 03/08/12 Scott Tobias, AV Club: GOOD (cg) "It's a strong premise, and Marston has clearly worked hard to get the traditions of Old World Albanian culture right. There are only intermittent stretches where the tension holds..." (Read the full review...) 315 words, 09/14/11 Cynthia Fuchs, Pop Matters: EXCELLENT (cg) "Nik and Rudina resent their parents, their neighbors, and each other. In this, you can see how they reflect previous generations, even if the kids mean to oppose their elders." (Read the full review...) 771 words, 03/07/12 Stephanie Zacharek, Movieline: EXCELLENT (cg) "...makes the world feel like a smaller place, suggesting that the similarities connecting us across continents and cultures are more resonant than the things that divide us." (Read the full review...) 941 words, 02/23/12 Andrew Schenker, Slant: MODERATE (cg) "...unfolds as a parable about the follies of blood feuds.... the film has a largely static quality, only occasionally enlivened by larger glimpses of detail." (Read the full review...) 476 words, 02/17/12 Susan G. Cole, Toronto Now: GOOD (NOT GREAT) (cg) "...it builds tension, the performances, especially Tristan Halilaj's, are strong, and, like recent Oscar winner 'A Separation,' it's got many layers." (Read the full review...) 256 words, 03/29/12 MaryAnn Johanson, Flick Filosopher: OUTSTANDING (cg) "...packs a potent punch... an unexpected and compelling look at a reality that most of us will have had no idea exists in the 21st century." (Read the full review...) 363 words, 03/15/12
Joe Morgenstern, Wall Street Journal: EXCELLENT "...quietly affecting and surprisingly dramatic.... family drama trumps political symbolism at every turn in a motion picture that is its own emblem of excellence in independent filmmaking." (Read the full review...) 481 words, 02/24/12 Manohla Dargis, New York Times: MODERATE "...about all that Mr. Marston does is chew on the clash, as if the repeated images of teenagers talking on cellphones next to a horse-drawn cart were a substitute for a strong filmmaking point of view." (Read the full review...) 584 words, 02/24/12 Jeannette Catsoulis, NPR: VERY GOOD "...a remarkably peaceful film, one that keeps its music subtle and its violence on the margins.... reveals a culture dominated by male pride and patriarchal selfishness." (Read the full review...) 432 words, 02/24/12 Betsy Sharkey, Los Angeles Times: MODERATE "...a story of whispers when cries are what's called for... as boredom sets in for Nik, it settles into the film as well, leaving everyone at loose ends for long stretches." (Read the full review...) 632 words, 02/24/12
Peter Debruge, Daily Variety: VERY GOOD "...a remarkably relatable tale of an Albanian teen who finds his otherwise modern life derailed by the six-centuries-old tradition of problem solving via blood feud..." (Read the full review...) 890 words, 02/18/11 Ray Bennett, Hollywood Reporter: GOOD "It's a familiar tale of territorial rights and family honor but it is told well... features appealingly natural performances by non-professionals.... an accomplished and suspenseful drama." (Read the full review...) 567 words, 02/19/11 Betsy Sharkey, Los Angeles Times: MODERATE "...a story of whispers when cries are what's called for... as boredom sets in for Nik, it settles into the film as well, leaving everyone at loose ends for long stretches." (Read the full review...) 632 words, 02/24/12 Emanuel Levy, Cinema 24/7: VERY GOOD (cg) "Consistently tense, richly textured, and sporadically affecting... a picture that's unlike any other work right now." (Read the full review...) 506 words, 02/24/12 Manohla Dargis, New York Times: MODERATE "...about all that Mr. Marston does is chew on the clash, as if the repeated images of teenagers talking on cellphones next to a horse-drawn cart were a substitute for a strong filmmaking point of view." (Read the full review...) 584 words, 02/24/12 Joe Morgenstern, Wall Street Journal: EXCELLENT "...quietly affecting and surprisingly dramatic.... family drama trumps political symbolism at every turn in a motion picture that is its own emblem of excellence in independent filmmaking." (Read the full review...) 481 words, 02/24/12
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