Wall Street Journal by Joe Morgenstern

It's one of the best surprises of the holiday season.

Baltimore Sun by Michael Sragow

Voluptuous dance about love, pain and the whole damn thing.

Variety by David Stratton

A wonderfully acted, acutely observed psychological drama.

Salon by Andrew O'Hehir

Elegant but never overstated, sinister but never coldhearted, this is a note-perfect masterwork on a modest, human scale.

San Francisco Chronicle by Mick LaSalle

Stuns with writing, acting, direction.

The New York Times by Dana Stevens

Astonishingly well acted film, so much so that it seems unfair to single out any of the performances. Mr. Lawrence's camera sense is as sure and unobtrusive as his feel for acting. The movie just seems to happen, to grow out of the ground like a thorny plant, revealing the intricate intelligence of its design only in hindsight.

New Times (L.A.) by Bill Gallo

Lawrence constructs a vivid pastiche of human foibles, nicely flavored with a touch of suspense and some well-timed jolts of humor. In the end it's a terrifically entertaining film, if not quite so profound as the makers might wish.

Los Angeles Times by Kenneth Turan

A remarkably thoughtful drama, Lantana makes it clear not only how hard to come by any emotional comfort is in this life, but more important, why we can't give up on the struggle.

Rolling Stone by Peter Travers

The acting is top-notch, and LaPaglia, who makes the cop's torment palpable, gives the performance of his career.

Time by Richard Schickel

Lawrence's style, naturally lit and roughly realistic, matches the writing. Lantana sometimes has the air of a routine police procedural, sometimes the quality of a dour film noir. But this movie, so alert to mischance and dreams that don't quite work out as they should, has a good soul, a heart yearning for decency.

Seattle Post-Intelligencer by Paula Nechak

It's LaPaglia's finest, deepest role and he's matched by Armstrong, who makes Sonja's undaunting optimism palpable within a trying marriage that's gulping for breath.

Miami Herald by René Rodríguez

There's some genuine suspense in Lantana, including one unbearably tense moment that is worthy of Hitchcock. But the movie's most unnerving aspect is the way in which it suggests true happiness may be impossible to regain once you've lost it.

ReelViews by James Berardinelli

For the briefest of moments, someone not paying attention might mistake Lantana for a mystery. -- Lantana is actually an examination of human interaction.

New York Daily News by Jami Bernard

In addition to the strong script, the ensemble performances are topnotch, with no one hogging the limelight.

Austin Chronicle by Marrit Ingman

While viewers who expect a conventional suspense film may be disappointed in Lantana overall, it does succeed on a smaller, more intimate scale.