50
A taut noirish thriller that unfolds in a fever of firelit ambience.
What are people saying?
What are critics saying?
50
San Francisco Chronicle by Carla Meyer
Sweaty, filthy, miserable and well acted.
75
Christian Science Monitor by David Sterritt
Imagine a sexually charged "Heart of Darkness" by way of Denmark's bare-bones Dogme 95 and you'll have an idea of what this dark, moody melodrama is like.
50
Another ferocious perf by Janet McTeer and an atmospheric Malaysian jungle location are nearly lost in the DV muddiness of period drama The Intended.
38
New York Daily News by Jack Mathews
The Intended is well-intended, but it is also the dreariest, most uninvolving movie I've seen this year.
40
Los Angeles Times by Kevin Thomas
The misguided, delirious result offers the perverse guilty pleasure of watching a roster of distinguished actors earnestly swimming against a tidal wave of silliness.
50
TV Guide Magazine by Maitland McDonagh
Although phenomenally well-acted, the film's leisurely pace ultimately makes it feel as oppressive as the tropical heat and humidity that gradually turn the characters into slow-moving heaps of damp, dirty rags.
40
The Intended is unintentionally risible from frame one to last. But don't just blame Levring: The script was co-authored by none other than McTeer herself, and the result suggests the sort of self-flagellating, anti-vanity project that can occur when perfectly capable actors start taking themselves way too seriously.
40
The Hollywood Reporter by Sheri Linden
Contributions of the accomplished cast notwithstanding, this period drama takes a few too many spins around the downward spiral, making it hard to believe as well as unpleasant.
40
The New York Times by Stephen Holden
The performances are so skillful that the actors almost carry it off. But as the shocks come thicker and faster, the credibility of The Intended, wears away.