We Pedal Uphill (2008)

Critic Reviews

• Ronnie Scheib, Variety

  With a few notable exceptions, pic relies on O. Henry-esque twists, simplistic surprise endings and "aha!" epiphanies to gets its points across.

• V.A. Musetto, New York Post

  Despite [director] Tec's worthy intentions, the movie is a mixed bag that seems outdated in its failure to take on the most distressing legacy of the Bush years: the global economic collapse.

• Jeannette Catsoulis, New York Times

  The performances are across-the-board solid (most of the cast is theater-based).

• Martin Tsai, Village Voice

  The lack of research is painfully apparent throughout, as Tec's failure to articulate issues from voting fraud to the Patriot Act ultimately reduces any potentially valid social criticism to mere conspiracy theory.

• Ron Wilkinson, Monsters and Critics

  Cinema Verite' is alive and well as Roland Tec look at what the last seven years of the Bush administration hath wrought. Study, but do not repeat.

• Avi Offer, NYC Movie Guru

  Occasionally compelling and provocative, but mostly underwhelming and lacking intrigue. At least it's a much more truthful depiction of America post-9/11 than the propaganda film Proud American, produced by American Airlines and Coca-Cola.

• David Noh, Film Journal International

  You keep hoping the late Robert Altman would reappear and take over this haphazard, dying-to-be-meaningful omnibus account of America today.

• Nick Schager, The Screengrab

  This collage ... all too frequently succumbs to moralistic clichés, and never coheres into a rousing, affecting whole.

• Drew Toal, Time Out New York

  All of Roland Tec's miniportraits highlight the snake oil hucksterism and manufactured fear that still beset America.

• Andrew Schenker, Slant Magazine

  From beginning to end, the director understands that life for most immigrants is an expansive turf war.

Read all 10 critic reviews