63
The Globe and Mail (Toronto) by
Like those who live up there, viewers have two choices: Give yourself over to the experience, and you’ll be transported; stand back, and you’ll feel nothing but chill.
What are people saying?
What are critics saying?
60
The Hollywood Reporter by Boyd van Hoeij
Some individual scenes are certainly striking and the couple’s complex relationship and chemistry are believable but the overall narrative retains an erratic and somewhat jerky quality as the various elements don’t always logically build on what has come before.
80
We Got This Covered by Darren Ruecker
Two Lovers and a Bear finds a blend of magic realism, romance and isolation that produces a tremendously moving result.
60
The New York Times by Glenn Kenny
The beauty and absurdity (things also get harrowing) don’t entirely compensate for the overheated romanticism in which the movie is grounded, but they do make Two Lovers and a Bear a nearly singular cinematic trek.
80
Screen International by Lisa Nesselson
he film’s unexpected narrative elements — including a few shots you’ve never seen no matter how often you go to the movies — make this a rewarding take on coupledom told with satisfying visual flair.
58
The A.V. Club by Mike D'Angelo
By the time Roman and Lucy seek shelter from a storm in an abandoned military bunker, Two Lovers And A Bear has turned into a horror film in which backstory is the monster.
42
The Playlist by Nikola Grozdanovic
Fumbling between broad comedic strokes you’d find in a Disney film and the kind of darkness that usually creeps out of heavy Danish dramas, “Two Lovers And A Bear” is tonally off-kilter on top of failing to engage on any deeper level.
80
Somehow, in the final stretch, Nguyen has transformed what felt like a relatively generic, un-special indie love story into something totally unpredictable, taking full advantage of the gorgeous widescreen lensing to convey the atmosphere and magic of his locations.
50
Reckless love, life and death and a talking polar bear (voiced by Gordon Pinsent) are all given equal time but not a trajectory we can follow.
50
The Film Stage by Rory O'Connor
Two Lovers and a Bear is at its most vibrant and enjoyable when Nguyen allows the surrealism to flourish. There’s a good film in there somewhere — one with fewer lovers and more bear, perhaps.