63
Metascore
15 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 90VarietyRobert KoehlerVarietyRobert KoehlerElegantly constructed, deceptively complex documentary.
- 83Entertainment WeeklyLisa SchwarzbaumEntertainment WeeklyLisa SchwarzbaumReflect the robust status of Yiddish theater in the early 20th century, and its post-Holocaust decline.
- 80Village VoiceJ. HobermanVillage VoiceJ. HobermanA linguistic stew with a zesty, homemade flavor that belies its carefully researched preparation.
- 70Los Angeles TimesKevin ThomasLos Angeles TimesKevin ThomasIt is impossible to watch this warm, wonderful film without becoming aware of the enormous impact the Yiddish theater has had on every aspect of American show business.
- The Komediant's most deeply moving aspect lies in its misty memories of the glory years of the Yiddish theater, when an ethnic group rallied against its attempted decimation by forming allegiances and openly celebrating its culture.
- 60The New York TimesStephen HoldenThe New York TimesStephen HoldenAs informative and packed with cultural lore as it is, The Komediant is dramatically diffuse.
- 50Chicago ReaderTed ShenChicago ReaderTed ShenGoldfinger touch on many grand issues (theater rivalry, anti-Semitism, child labor, the generation gap, Israelis' hostility toward the Yiddish tongue) but stop short of exploring them, focusing instead on a family that personifies a dying tradition.
- 50L.A. WeeklyErnest HardyL.A. WeeklyErnest HardySlight but enjoyable documentary.
- 40Film ThreatPhil HallFilm ThreatPhil HallEven if you love all things Yiddish, there is precious little to embrace here.
- 25New York PostMegan LehmannNew York PostMegan LehmannThe documentary's director, Arnon Goldfinger, may have had a chance of expanding on the limited audience for such a film if said clan, the Bursteins, exhibited either talent or likability.