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TULPANMovie Reviews
Kazakh drama about a young man who just completed his naval service and travels back to the Kazakh steppe to take a bride and begin his new life as a shepherd. Cast:Askhat Kuchinchirekov, Samal Yeslyamova, Ondasyn Besikbasov, Tulepbergen Baisakalov, Bereke TurganbayevDirector:Sergey DvortsevoyRelease Date:April 1, 2009DVD Release:September 22, 2009From:ZeitgeistLength:1 hr 40 min
Tulpan played in key cities to sensational reviews. • Roger Ebert wrote in the Chicago Sun-Times, "...an amazing film. It shows such an unfamiliar world, it might as well be Mars.... I can think of only one other story that would feel at home there: 'Waiting for Godot.' " • And Tamara Straus wrote in the San Francisco Chronicle, "...a tender, unforgettable comedy about a vanishing way of life." More Reviews Below...
Lisa Schwarzbaum, Entertainment Weekly: OUTSTANDING(cg) "If you see only one comic love story from Kazakhstan this year, choose this prize-winning honey.... triumphant, intimate..."(See all of Lisa Schwarzbaum's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 123 words, 04/10/09
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NEW YORK/LOS ANGELES/CHICAGO/TORONTO (9 Reviews)
A.O. Scott, New York Times: OUTSTANDING "...might be described as an epic landscape film, a sweetly comic coming-of-age story or a lyrical work of social realism.... sometimes feels closer to that of science fiction."(See all of A.O. Scott's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 793 words, 04/01/09
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...an amazing film. It shows such an unfamiliar world, it might as well be Mars.... I can think of only one other story that would feel at home there: 'Waiting for Godot.' "(See all of Roger Ebert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 663 words, 06/11/09
Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times: EXCELLENT "...deals with some fairly serious questions on the order of how you make peace with a dream.... its empathy with this hapless romantic is what gives the film its charm."(See all of Kenneth Turan's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 482 words, 05/29/09
Liam Lacey, Toronto Globe & Mail: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...an intimate portrait of a receding way of life, and the relationship between land, people and animals in a remote part of central Asia."(See all of Liam Lacey's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 746 words, 04/10/09
J. Hoberman, Village Voice/LA Weekly: OUTSTANDING "...winner of the Prix Un Certain Regard at Cannes... In every respect, this unclassifiable movie is an amazing accomplishment."(See all of J. Hoberman's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 637 words, 04/01/09
Norman Wilner, Toronto Now: EXCELLENT(cg) "Director Sergey Dvortsevoy doesn't condescend to his characters. He just plops them down and waits for us to embrace them. And we do."(See all of Norman Wilner's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 208 words, 04/09/09
KEY CITIES (9 Reviews)
Dan Kois, Washington Post: GOOD(cg) "To certain serious world-cinema aficionados, 'Tulpan's' combination of understated comedy and documentary-level depiction of rural Kazakh life will be catnip."(See all of Dan Kois's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 409 words, 05/15/09
Carrie Rickey, Philadelphia Inquirer: VERY GOOD(cg) "...starkly beautiful... uncategorizable story, both ancient and modern, is, simply and poetically, about a nomad looking to make his home."(See all of Carrie Rickey's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 302 words, 05/22/09
Ty Burr, Boston Globe: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...a prizewinner at Cannes last year... the characters are played by people more or less playing themselves, and each actor brings a rough charisma to the film."(See all of Ty Burr's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 512 words, 05/15/09
Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star-Tribune: VERY GOOD(cg) "...certainly the funniest movie about Kazakh sheep herders that you will ever see.... awkward episodes of courtship could come from a Central Asian 'Seinfeld.' "(See all of Colin Covert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 197 words, 05/08/09
Moira Macdonald, Seattle Times: VERY GOOD(cg) "As the family packs up its yurt to move on -- an obviously wellpracticed endeavor -- you marvel at a life lived in sand and wind; remote, efficient, and yet entirely full."(See all of Moira Macdonald's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 257 words, 06/26/09
Clint O'Connor, Cleveland Plain-Dealer: MODERATE(cg) "...occasionally amusing... Endless takes of empty fields, sheep, or a dust storm convey a strong sense of place, but a little of that goes a long way."(See all of Clint O'Connor's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 341 words, 08/07/09
Joe Williams, St. Louis Post-Dispatch: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...a bittersweet slice of life with a sweet center.... takes patience, but the precious rewards are an affirmation of life."(See all of Joe Williams's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 325 words, 07/03/09
ALTERNATIVE/INDIE PRESS (5 Reviews)
J. Hoberman, Village Voice/LA Weekly: OUTSTANDING "...winner of the Prix Un Certain Regard at Cannes... In every respect, this unclassifiable movie is an amazing accomplishment."(See all of J. Hoberman's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 637 words, 04/01/09
Peter Keough, Boston Phoenix: VERY GOOD(cg) "Sergei Dvortsevoy's wry and discerning eye (he's known for his documentaries) makes this story of human aspiration both achingly familiar and hauntingly strange."(See all of Peter Keough's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 154 words, 05/14/09
Norman Wilner, Toronto Now: EXCELLENT(cg) "Director Sergey Dvortsevoy doesn't condescend to his characters. He just plops them down and waits for us to embrace them. And we do."(See all of Norman Wilner's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 208 words, 04/09/09
HIGHBROW PRESS (2 Reviews)
A.O. Scott, New York Times: OUTSTANDING "...might be described as an epic landscape film, a sweetly comic coming-of-age story or a lyrical work of social realism.... sometimes feels closer to that of science fiction."(See all of A.O. Scott's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 793 words, 04/01/09
Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times: EXCELLENT "...deals with some fairly serious questions on the order of how you make peace with a dream.... its empathy with this hapless romantic is what gives the film its charm."(See all of Kenneth Turan's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 482 words, 05/29/09
Ray Bennett, Hollywood Reporter: OUTSTANDING "Polished, funny and utterly charming... won the top prize in the Un Certain Regard sidebar at the Festival de Cannes..."(See all of Ray Bennett's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 406 words, 05/27/08
Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times: EXCELLENT "...deals with some fairly serious questions on the order of how you make peace with a dream.... its empathy with this hapless romantic is what gives the film its charm."(See all of Kenneth Turan's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 482 words, 05/29/09
A.O. Scott, New York Times: OUTSTANDING "...might be described as an epic landscape film, a sweetly comic coming-of-age story or a lyrical work of social realism.... sometimes feels closer to that of science fiction."(See all of A.O. Scott's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 793 words, 04/01/09
14.7 Percentage Points Average Difference Between Reviews (Norm is 18.4pp; <18.4pp = More Consistent; >18.4pp = More Mixed)
Tulpan's reviews are separated by an average 14.7 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.
Tulpan (23 reviews) Roll over dots for each review
Coverage:Tulpan's reviews cover 26.0% of potential readers (average is 67.9%). Volume:The film's reviews total 9,716 words involume (average is 20,194 words). Length:The film's reviews average 422 words in length (the norm is 517 words).
Reviews Broke 31 Days After Release (Norm is 1.2 Release)
Tulpan's reviews on average broke 31 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 Tulpan's opening day. Click on any bar for a list of the reviews for that day.
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