69
Metascore
32 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 100The New York TimesStephen HoldenThe New York TimesStephen HoldenCreates a cinematic mosaic of American lives unprecedented in its range, balance, subtlety and even-handedness.
- 90Washington PostDesson ThomsonWashington PostDesson ThomsonThe scenes unfold with such unhurried delicacy, and the characters are so intriguing, you can ignore the editorial bluntness and savor the smaller, sweeter details.
- 89Austin ChronicleSteve DavisAustin ChronicleSteve DavisThe dialogue is scattered with so many beautiful gems that conversations glitter.
- 88Chicago Sun-TimesRoger EbertChicago Sun-TimesRoger EbertSayles' film moves among a large population of characters with grace, humor and a forgiving irony.
- 80Rolling StonePeter TraversRolling StonePeter TraversYou can feel the heat that ignites this gripping tale, and the humor and humanity that root it in feeling. Sayles knows how to use his social conscience: He lets it rip.
- 70The A.V. ClubKeith PhippsThe A.V. ClubKeith PhippsUnlike in similar past efforts, Sayles never finds a way to bring it all together. Individual moments of considerable impact alternate with stretches that go nowhere.
- 70New York Magazine (Vulture)Peter RainerNew York Magazine (Vulture)Peter RainerThe usual Sayles mix of torpor and talent prevails here.
- 50Portland OregonianShawn LevyPortland OregonianShawn LevyIt's ambitious, sharply observed and spectacularly well-acted like so much of Sayles' canon. But it's also overstuffed and underdeveloped.
- 50San Francisco ChronicleMick LaSalleSan Francisco ChronicleMick LaSalleAn attempt at an epic. Sayles assembles a big cast and creates a mosaic of interweaving characters and story lines. But the stories are bland, the connections are incidental and the dramatic payoff is nonexistent.
- 40SalonStephanie ZacharekSalonStephanie ZacharekSodden and glum, even in those moments where it's supposed to feel funny and light. It makes you feel trapped and flailing as the minutes tick by. If it encapsulates anything, it's the experience of drowning, not waving.