Critic Reviews

• Geoff Andrew, Time Out

  Far from bad, but academic and -- for once with this director -- overlong.

• Kirk Honeycutt, Hollywood Reporter

  Rivette, working from a story he developed with Pascal Bonitzer and Christine Laurent, ushers us slyly toward an ending that surprises and provokes, yet offers the possibility of love reborn.

• Philip French, Observer [UK]

  For a picture about the fantastic and supernatural, it's a surprisingly flat and unmagical affair.

• Peter Bradshaw, Guardian [UK]

  All the story's power is allowed to leak away by the deliberative heaviness with which Rivette pads through his 150-minute narrative, with its exasperating lack of dramatic emphasis.

• Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews

  An intellectually dazzling but slow-moving, dreary and somewhat pretentious chamberwork.

• Alan Morrison, Empire Magazine

  After a healthy start, pretentiousness lets down a promising premise, and the film just runs out of ticker.

• Jeffrey M. Anderson, Combustible Celluloid

  One of Rivette's most straightforward and intriguing works, and one of his most successful narratives.

• Jules Brenner, Cinema Signals

  Insistent minimalism--not everyone's expectations since "The Sixth Sense" but sighting of the Beart body creates an effect of its own.

• Tom Dawson, BBC

  Although slow-moving and slightly muted in its emotional pay-off, the film is distinguished by a carefully layered performance from the impressive Béart, who subtly conveys Marie's other-worldly detachment and her human vulnerability.

• Sam Jordison, Film4

  It's just dull.

• Robin Clifford, Reeling Reviews

  ["The Story of Marie and Julien"] is lovely to look at, gorgeously photographed by William Lubchansky.... But, the film never stirred my core.

• Laura Clifford, Reeling Reviews

  Rivette's glacial film creates a unique world of dulled Parisian blues and grays, exemplified by the fabulous production design and art direction.

Read all 12 critic reviews