Footnote

Footnote (2011)

  • 90% of critics liked it
    (83 reviews)

  • 72% of users liked it
    (23,070 ratings)

Eliezer and Uriel Shkolnik are both eccentric professors, who have dedicated their lives to their work in Talmudic Studies. The father, Eliezer, is a stubborn purist who fears the establishment and has never been recognized for his work. While his son, Uriel, is an up-and-coming star in the field,… More

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PG,
Directed By
Written By
Joseph Cedar
Genres
Drama
In Theaters
Mar 9, 2012 Limited
Sony Pictures Classics

Critic Reviews

  • Tom Long, Detroit News

    "Footnote" deals with ambition, isolation, the dangers of too much success and the inevitable gap between generations.

  • David Denby, New Yorker

    Footnote requires little knowledge of Judaism and its texts. Rather, it's about the complications of love, guilt, and rage.

  • Lisa Kennedy, Denver Post

    Israeli writer-director Joseph Cedar's tale of two Talmudic scholars set in present-day Jerusalem, while not exactly side-splitting, is quietly riotous. And, yes, the guffaws are bittersweet.

  • Moira MacDonald, Seattle Times

    At times, the film seems to turn into a microfiche machine, with the story's sections divided by frames thumping past us as if propelled by a researcher, eyes scanning.

  • Rafer Guzman, Newsday

    A droll, deadpan satire of the professional contempt and personal rancor that breeds in any narrow field.

Read all 25 critic reviews

See more critic ratings and reviews on Rotten Tomatoes

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

Featured Audience Ratings

  • Jim H


    A man who has followed in his father's footsteps in the study of the Talmud give up a prestigious prize for his father's benefit. There are moments in <i>Footnote</i> that resonate with any academic. The satire of the cramped rooms and the highfalutin… More

  • William D


    "Footnote" should have been a short. Israeli writer/director Joseph Cedar took what was essentially a compelling short film and dragged it out to feature length. Forty minutes' worth of story never works well in a feature film. "Footnote" is also directed… More

  • Greg S


    The story of two Professor Shkolniks: father Eliezer is a bitter Talmudic scholar whose life work can be reduced to one footnote in a major reference work, while son Uriel is a rising academic star who has outshone his father but remains loyal to the old man. It sounds dry, but… More

  • c0up  


    'Footnote'. Pride is at the forefront of this complicated, but hilarious father-son relationship. Acting, writing, direction. Tick tick tick.

  • Mark A


    The father-son relationship was explored on a couple of levels, along with the larger family dynamic and it also managed to weave in a strong thread concerning professional rivalries. The scene in which the son confronts the prize committee was one of the most powerful and revealed… More

Read all 7 featured audience ratings

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