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WHEN WE LEAVE (DIE FREMDE)Movie Reviews
German language drama about a woman who, with her young son, leaves her abusive husband in Istanbul to return home to Berlin where she receives a chilly reception from her family. Cast:Sibel Kekilli, Settar Tanriogen, Derya Alabora, Florian Lukas, Alware Hofels, Tamer YigitDirector:Feo AladagRelease Date:January 28, 2011DVD Release:August 27, 2010From:Olive FilmsLength:1 hr 59 min
AUGUST 27, 2010
When We Leave (Die Fremde), Good Reviews Key Cities
When We Leave (Die Fremde) played in key cities to good reviews. • Mark Jenkins wrote in the Washington Post, "...it isn't one of those movies where people are always explaining how they feel. But when they do reveal themselves, the words sting." • And Joe Williams wrote in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, "An unexpected development in European cinema is the spate of great movies about Turkish immigrants in Germany." More Reviews Below...
When We Leave (Die Fremde) Positive Reviews (21 Reviews, reviews below)
When We Leave (Die Fremde) has not been reviewed by Broad National Press
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NEW YORK/LOS ANGELES/CHICAGO/TORONTO (9 Reviews)
A.O. Scott, New York Times: GOOD "...sometimes powerful and frequently schematic... frequently gripping and sincere in its intentions, but never quite as revelatory, or as devastating, as it should be."(See all of A.O. Scott's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 818 words, 01/28/11
Elizabeth Weitzman, New York Daily News: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "Feo Aladag is so intent on enlightening us that she overplays key scenes, demanding emotions rather than allowing us to discover them for ourselves."(See all of Elizabeth Weitzman's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 129 words, 01/28/11
Betsy Sharkey, Los Angeles Times: MODERATE "...there are times when the tension lags badly and the story loses its way... Still, it's a worthy start by first-time writer/director Feo Aladag..."(See all of Betsy Sharkey's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 668 words, 01/28/11
Linda Barnard, Toronto Star: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "Kekilli is almost regal in her approach, serene amid the chaos around her. Unfortunately, director Feo Aladag was not as nuanced in her approach as her star."(See all of Linda Barnard's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 473 words, 03/18/11
Nick Pinkerton, Village Voice/LA Weekly: GOOD (NOT GREAT) "This is opinionated, genuinely aggrieved melodrama, with no palliative multikulti reassurance.... Sibel Kekilli sells a simple and deterministic story..."(See all of Nick Pinkerton's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 219 words, 01/26/11
James Adams, Toronto Globe & Mail: VERY GOOD(cg) "...one of those grim, one-damn-thing-after-another melodramas you find yourself liking much against your better judgment."(See all of James Adams's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 533 words, 03/18/11
Mark Jenkins, Washington Post: VERY GOOD(cg) "...it isn't one of those movies where people are always explaining how they feel. But when they do reveal themselves, the words sting."(See all of Mark Jenkins's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 456 words, 02/18/11
Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star-Tribune: OUTSTANDING(cg) "Sibel Kekilli is enthralling as Umay, a strong-willed young mother who leaves her abusive husband in Istanbul, taking their small son to live with her family in Berlin."(See all of Colin Covert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 144 words, 03/25/11
Nick Pinkerton, Village Voice/LA Weekly: GOOD (NOT GREAT) "This is opinionated, genuinely aggrieved melodrama, with no palliative multikulti reassurance.... Sibel Kekilli sells a simple and deterministic story..."(See all of Nick Pinkerton's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 219 words, 01/26/11
Jeffrey Gantz, Boston Phoenix: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...you have a TV-movie diatribe against 'honor killing' instead of a feature film. What elevates it is the three-dimensional acting and the larger context."(See all of Jeffrey Gantz's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 606 words, 03/31/11
Scott Tobias, AV Club: EXCELLENT(cg) "...a subtle, powerful look at cultural identity, assimilation, and the varied ways in which immigrants embrace or reject the values of their adoptive homes."(See all of Scott Tobias's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 328 words, 01/27/11
Joseph Jon Lanthier, Slant: MODERATE(cg) "Sibel Kekilli, playing the scrawny, battered, Turkish-German mother Umay, deserves attention primarily for resisting the plodding stateliness of Aladag's neophyte directing."(See all of Joseph Jon Lanthier's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 846 words, 01/25/11
A.O. Scott, New York Times: GOOD "...sometimes powerful and frequently schematic... frequently gripping and sincere in its intentions, but never quite as revelatory, or as devastating, as it should be."(See all of A.O. Scott's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 818 words, 01/28/11
Betsy Sharkey, Los Angeles Times: MODERATE "...there are times when the tension lags badly and the story loses its way... Still, it's a worthy start by first-time writer/director Feo Aladag..."(See all of Betsy Sharkey's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 668 words, 01/28/11
Derek Elley, Daily Variety: VERY GOOD "...succeeds at a purely metaphysical and character level, without any strident sexual politicking, thanks to sensitive, dignified playing by lead Sibel Kekilli."(See all of Derek Elley's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 750 words, 02/14/10
Ray Bennett, Hollywood Reporter: VERY GOOD "...a well-crafted examination of the blindness of hidebound tradition. Told calmly but with an escalating sense of dread... Angry but clear-eyed..."(See all of Ray Bennett's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 444 words, 02/16/10
Betsy Sharkey, Los Angeles Times: MODERATE "...there are times when the tension lags badly and the story loses its way... Still, it's a worthy start by first-time writer/director Feo Aladag..."(See all of Betsy Sharkey's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 668 words, 01/28/11
Jeff Farr, Cinema 24/7: FAIR(cg) "...after the first hour, the film itself seems stuck in a cycle of violence. The second half gets bogged down... a wonderfully melodramatic but oftentimes surfacey screenplay."(See all of Jeff Farr's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 978 words, 10/18/10
A.O. Scott, New York Times: GOOD "...sometimes powerful and frequently schematic... frequently gripping and sincere in its intentions, but never quite as revelatory, or as devastating, as it should be."(See all of A.O. Scott's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 818 words, 01/28/11
14.6 Percentage Points Average Difference Between Reviews (Norm is 18.4pp; <18.4pp = More Consistent; >18.4pp = More Mixed)
When We Leave (Die Fremde)'s reviews are separated by an average 14.6 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.
When We Leave (Die Fremde) (21 reviews) Roll over dots for each review
Coverage:When We Leave (Die Fremde)'s reviews cover 20.3% of potential readers (average is 67.9%). Volume:The film's reviews total 9,692 words involume (average is 20,194 words). Length:The film's reviews average 462 words in length (the norm is 517 words).
When We Leave (Die Fremde) Coverage, Volume & Length (21 Reviews, reviews below)
Reviews Broke 4 Days Before Release (Norm is 1.2 Release)
When We Leave (Die Fremde)'s reviews on average broke 4 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 When We Leave (Die Fremde)'s opening day. Click on any bar for a list of the reviews for that day.
When We Leave (Die Fremde) (21 reviews, click on bars for reviews)
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