The Truth

Funny, wry, emotionally potent, and like most films by Hirokazu Kore-eda operates on multiple levels -- usually some kind of domestic tragicomedy under which lies profound existential disquiet.

The Truth has flaws, and it feels small-screen to me, although I suppose that's true of every movie that comes out right now. But Catherine Deneuve is a total delight as the fabulous, frank Fabienne.

Using compassion and the slightest touch of syrup, Kore-eda brings his characters to a place where they realize with shock that they're finally on the same page.

It feels like Koreeda used his awesome clout to make the kind of standard picture that we get a dozen of every year.

It's gentle and a little wistful... It's fine, which is not what you expect to say with the people involved, but I enjoyed it.

The new film returns to some of Kore-eda's favorite themes of responsibility, legacy, and the fluidity of roles between parents and children.

Deneuve is an absolute riot as Fabienne, dishing out sass like it’s going out of couture fashion... The Truth hurts, but Kore-eda’s family drama doesn’t do much more than bruise.

The truth about The Truth is Kore-eda’s film only goes as deep as the shallow and vain mindset of the Fabienne character, which limits its impact.

“The Truth” is a treat for those of us who love sitting back and watching great performers act.

Though located far from Kore-eda's usual Japanese settings, the Paris family in "The Truth" reveals the same concerns as families in other Kore-eda films and underlines the same universal truths & problems that families around the world continue to share.