88
In its way, this effort is both a forceful assertion of the most stifling brand of auteurism and a radical reconfiguration of its political potential.
What are people saying?
What are critics saying?
80
The movie is also about a man without fear. It is often funny and stirring, but as you are watching you know what the game will lead to; dictatorships are not known for their sense of humor. [5 March 2012, p. 86]
90
New York Magazine (Vulture) by David Edelstein
In totalitarian societies, artists have found all sorts of ways - some brilliantly imaginative - to disguise their political protest, but Panahi has no subterfuges left. This Is Not a Film ends with a whimper that is a bang. He must be freed.
100
Sure it is - and a great one at that.
75
The Globe and Mail (Toronto) by Liam Lacey
Deft and ironic, mixing banal reality with poignant metaphor in a typically Iranian style.
100
Entertainment Weekly by Lisa Schwarzbaum
This is a great film, and a triumph of creativity and courage over repression.
100
Christian Science Monitor by Peter Rainer
In Panahi's case, he is insuperably handicapped by his current constraints. And yet, despite everything, here is This Is Not a Film, which is emphatically a film – and an extraordinary one.
75
Pleasing mainly just as a message-in-a-bottle from a restless, persecuted artist-that is, until the amazing closing shot, which brings the volatility of post-Green Revolution Iran home with unforgettable force.