75
Christian Science Monitor by David Sterritt
This unusual Macedonian release is engrossing if not always nimbly directed.
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What are people saying?
What are critics saying?
50
New York Daily News by Jack Mathews
Ultimately about the indomitability of faith, and the Christian symbolism is laid on thick. But the story, adapted from a famous behind-the-Iron-Curtain novel, sheds light on a subject few people have known about.
60
Bleak political parable.
70
The New York Times by Lawrence Van Gelder
What makes the film worth watching are the extraordinary performances by the more than 250 children cast as orphans.
60
Despite the choppy script and cartoonishly bad villains, what emerges is a compelling tale of the moral compromises a corrupt system demands of even its most unwilling participants.
70
Had the orphanage years been the first chapter in a longer story, The Great Water might've stretched toward a finish as unforgettable as its start.
50
Grim and frequently depressing, and despite the artistry of its framing it nonetheless is a very difficult movie to endure.
60
Extraordinary perfs by a mostly young cast likely will be cancelled out by the grim subject.
70
The Hollywood Reporter by Sheri Linden
Adapting the novel by Zhivko Chingo, director Trajkov and his co-scripter, Vladimir Blazevski, have created a searing memory piece. Suki Medencevic's widescreen cinematography illuminates a shadow realm halfway between heaven and hell.
75
Nicely acted and stylishly photographed.