70
Tough, cogent and resonantly chilling, this slow-burning drama continues the vein of harsh realism seen in recent Gallic cinema including "La Vie de Jesus" and "More Than Yesterday."
We hate to say it, but we can't find anywhere to view this film.
What are people saying?
What are critics saying?
50
Christian Science Monitor by David Sterritt
In the end there's more nasty behavior than constructive insight.
75
New York Daily News by Elizabeth Weitzman
A crushingly dark vision of male rage and female vulnerability, Hélène Angel's accomplished first feature hits you like an anvil -- after it's all over.
70
French director Helene Angel's dark but deftly handled fable about familial violence has a terrifying, fairy-tale atmosphere that's in perfect keeping with its unique point of view.
70
The storyline sometimes veers into melodrama; a subplot concerning Alex's involvement in the white-slave trade is particularly lurid. But the director retains a light touch in the character of Aurelie, whose combination of innocence and knowing is magical.
80
Posed somewhere between a fairy tale and harsh reality, the film pulls off a daring feat by turning Blancan into an almost abstract monster as a way of getting into the deeply unhealthy situation that created him.
50
The New York Times by Stephen Holden
Although it leaves you with a knot in your stomach, its power is undercut by its own head-banging obviousness.