50
New Times (L.A.) by Andy Klein
Les Destinées has a leisurely, contemplative pace without ever growing boring. Still, at the end, we are left somehow empty. For all the time we spend with these people, we never really get inside of them.
We hate to say it, but we can't find anywhere to view this film.
What are people saying?
What are critics saying?
90
Quiety sumptuous movie. [15 April 2002, p. 98]
90
A massive undertaking and an accomplished piece of filmmaking in a solid tradition of intelligent, meticulous literary adaptations.
50
Christian Science Monitor by David Sterritt
It's as elegant as any movie around, though, and boasts strong acting by a distinguished cast.
60
Washington Post by Desson Thomson
How great can an epic be, when it takes 30 years, including a whole sequence devoted to World War I, for Jean to realize he could be a little nicer to his wife? This is for diehard Francophiles and literate-movie fans only.
100
Los Angeles Times by Kevin Thomas
Assayas has made a great film from Jacques Chardonne's classic novel. Although far different in tone, time, place and temperament, it brings to mind "Gone With the Wind" in its depth and scope and in its love story, which unfolds over a turbulent era.
91
Portland Oregonian by Kim Morgan
Rich in detail, gorgeously shot and beautifully acted, Les Destinees is, in its quiet, epic way, daring, inventive and refreshingly unusual.
67
Seattle Post-Intelligencer by Paula Nechak
But the irony of Les Destinées is that while Assayas is a pro at examining the inner workings of present-day connection and nuance, he's so overwhelmed by the sheer historical scope and detail of this massive saga that after three hours we're starved for emotional involvement with such inaccessible characters.
88
Chicago Sun-Times by Roger Ebert
It will not appeal to the impatient, but those who like long books and movies will admire the way it accumulates power and depth. It is about youthful idealism, headstrong love and fierce ambition, and is pessimistic about all of them.
90
An exquisite metaphor for the high cost and higher returns of an enduring marriage.