Father and Son (2003)

Critic Reviews

• Desson Thomson, Washington Post

  Here was my question for most of this movie: Wha-? I was clueless. Did not understand.

• Ann Hornaday, Washington Post

  The film may be maddeningly obtuse, but its images are dazzling.

• Ruthe Stein, San Francisco Chronicle

  The best way to watch Father and Son is to let it wash over you and not be overly concerned with prosaic matters like plot.

• Wesley Morris, Boston Globe

  Poised and teasing in a way that might incite less patient viewers to madness. But you don't come to Sokurov for his narrative agility, you come for his rhapsodic longueurs.

• Frank Scheck, Hollywood Reporter

  The opacity of the characters and situations prevents the film from having any true emotional impact.

• Deborah Young, Variety

  One has the feeling the director has let himself go off the deep end regarding the romantic and idealizing tendencies that, for better or worse, characterize much of his work.

• Michael E. Grost, Classic Film and Television

  Visually remarkable look at a gay relationship; one of the richest inside looks at gay love and tenderness.

• Dan Callahan, ToxicUniverse.com

  Alexander Sokurov's obscure new film Father and Son doesn't quite come off.

• Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews

  Tediously mannered look at the obsessive intimate bonds between a father and his teen-aged military son.

• Jay Antani, Los Angeles Alternative

  for a hit of pure cinema, you could do no better...than to spend a few moments reveling in its high

• Rich Cline, Shadows on the Wall

  This strikingly beautiful film from Alexander Sokurov (Russian Ark) captures relationships in an ethereal way that gets way under the skin.

• Rob Thomas, Capital Times (Madison, WI)

  A beautiful but static viewing experience that utterly fails to touch the viewer.

• John Hartl, Seattle Times

  Although Father and Son is never as deep or wrenching as Mother and Son, the careful casting and Sokurov's unique visual style continue to make this a series worth following.

• David Elliott, San Diego Union-Tribune

  The film seems to have internalized Sokurov's inspiration so far that it becomes a blur of hints and vapors.

• Rex Roberts, Film Journal International

  Compelling but elusive.

Read all 15 critic reviews