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UNMISTAKEN CHILDMovie Reviews
Documentary about the search for the reincarnation of Lama Konchog, the world-renowned Tibetan master. Cast:Tenzin Zopa, Tenzin Ngodrup, the Dalai LamaDirector:Nati BaratzRelease Date:June 3, 2009DVD Release:November 3, 2009From:OscilloscopeLength:1 hr 42 min
NOVEMBER 3, 2009
Unmistaken Child, Very Good Reviews (Doc) Key Cities
Unmistaken Child played in key cities to very good reviews. • Dan Zak wrote in the Washington Post, "...adorable, moving, bewildering, sad and, ultimately, peaceful." • And Robert W. Butler wrote in the Dallas Morning News, "Even atheists may find their world rocked... a simple documentary about a Buddhist monk's search for the reincarnated soul of his beloved teacher." More Reviews Below...
Unmistaken Child has not been reviewed by Broad National Press
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NEW YORK/LOS ANGELES/CHICAGO/TORONTO (9 Reviews)
Stephen Holden, New York Times: GOOD (NOT GREAT) "...stands in awe of its subject.... offers no scholarly perspective on Tibetan Buddhism and leaves fundamental questions unanswered."(See all of Stephen Holden's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 626 words, 06/03/09
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "Nati Baratz doesn't ask any of the obvious questions, preferring to observe uncritically, and if you can do the same, you may find 'Unmistaken Child' worth seeing."(See all of Roger Ebert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 573 words, 07/23/09
Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times/Chicago Tribune: OUTSTANDING "...bears witness to a strange and mysterious process... Its privileged glimpse deep into unfamiliar spiritual territory has the strength of revelation."(See all of Kenneth Turan's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 593 words, 06/12/09
Rick Groen, Toronto Globe & Mail: VERY GOOD(cg) "...only partly a story of the chosen one; mainly, and more intriguingly, it's a chronicle of the choosing one, of the nervous young monk charged with the job..."(See all of Rick Groen's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 676 words, 10/02/09
J. Hoberman, Village Voice/LA Weekly: GOOD "Skeptic that I am, I'd loved to have seen the action slowed down and the body language analyzed to reveal how the little Buddha's choices were cued."(See all of J. Hoberman's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 195 words, 06/03/09
Susan G. Cole, Toronto Now: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "Get a rare glimpse of Buddhist life... compelling... tracks Tenzin Zopa's travels through Tibet and Nepal in search of the reincarnation of his master, Lama Konchog Rinpoche."(See all of Susan G. Cole's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 160 words, 10/01/09
Walter Addiego, Houston Chronicle/San Francisco Chronicle: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...a compelling documentary about events that followed the 2001 death of the revered Tibetan master Geshe Lama Konchog."(See all of Walter Addiego's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 379 words, 09/25/09
Robert W. Butler, Dallas Morning News: OUTSTANDING(cg) "Even atheists may find their world rocked... a simple documentary about a Buddhist monk's search for the reincarnated soul of his beloved teacher."(See all of Robert W. Butler's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 385 words, 10/02/09
Richard Nilsen, Arizona Republic: EXCELLENT(cg) "...so direct and real that it hardly qualifies as a film at all. There are no tricky camera angles, no jump cuts, no flashbacks or clever dialogue.... surprisingly without artifice..."(See all of Richard Nilsen's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 386 words, 07/24/09
Tom Keogh, Seattle Times: OUTSTANDING(cg) "Baratz's access to every stage of the process -- from Zopa's selection of a candidate to the testing of that candidate to the blessing of the Dalai Lama -- is phenomenal..."(See all of Tom Keogh's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 434 words, 07/17/09
ALTERNATIVE/INDIE PRESS (4 Reviews)
J. Hoberman, Village Voice/LA Weekly: GOOD "Skeptic that I am, I'd loved to have seen the action slowed down and the body language analyzed to reveal how the little Buddha's choices were cued."(See all of J. Hoberman's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 195 words, 06/03/09
Lance Gould, Boston Phoenix: VERY GOOD(cg) "As uplifting as the discovery of Lama Konchog's reincarnation may be, it's mitigated by the peculiar hardships faced by the title four-year-old."(See all of Lance Gould's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 145 words, 07/16/09
Susan G. Cole, Toronto Now: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "Get a rare glimpse of Buddhist life... compelling... tracks Tenzin Zopa's travels through Tibet and Nepal in search of the reincarnation of his master, Lama Konchog Rinpoche."(See all of Susan G. Cole's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 160 words, 10/01/09
HIGHBROW PRESS (3 Reviews)
Stephen Holden, New York Times: GOOD (NOT GREAT) "...stands in awe of its subject.... offers no scholarly perspective on Tibetan Buddhism and leaves fundamental questions unanswered."(See all of Stephen Holden's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 626 words, 06/03/09
Joe Morgenstern, Wall Street Journal: OUTSTANDING "Seldom has a film presented such a richly ambiguous juxtaposition of modernity, ancient mindset and, to be sure, possible miraculousness."(See all of Joe Morgenstern's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 481 words, 06/19/09
Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times: OUTSTANDING "...bears witness to a strange and mysterious process... Its privileged glimpse deep into unfamiliar spiritual territory has the strength of revelation."(See all of Kenneth Turan's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 593 words, 06/12/09
Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times: OUTSTANDING "...bears witness to a strange and mysterious process... Its privileged glimpse deep into unfamiliar spiritual territory has the strength of revelation."(See all of Kenneth Turan's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 593 words, 06/12/09
Stephen Holden, New York Times: GOOD (NOT GREAT) "...stands in awe of its subject.... offers no scholarly perspective on Tibetan Buddhism and leaves fundamental questions unanswered."(See all of Stephen Holden's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 626 words, 06/03/09
Joe Morgenstern, Wall Street Journal: OUTSTANDING "Seldom has a film presented such a richly ambiguous juxtaposition of modernity, ancient mindset and, to be sure, possible miraculousness."(See all of Joe Morgenstern's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 481 words, 06/19/09
13.4 Percentage Points Average Difference Between Reviews (Norm is 18.4pp; <18.4pp = More Consistent; >18.4pp = More Mixed)
Unmistaken Child's reviews are separated by an average 13.4 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.
Unmistaken Child (19 reviews) Roll over dots for each review
Coverage:Unmistaken Child's reviews cover 20.5% of potential readers (average is 67.9%). Volume:The film's reviews total 7,522 words involume (average is 20,194 words). Length:The film's reviews average 396 words in length (the norm is 517 words).
Reviews Broke 32 Days After Release (Norm is 1.2 Release)
Unmistaken Child's reviews on average broke 32 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 Unmistaken Child's opening day. Click on any bar for a list of the reviews for that day.
Unmistaken Child (19 reviews, click on bars for reviews)
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