Premiere by Glenn Kenny

The first masterpiece of 2008 -- at least by American release date standards -- the latest film from master French director Jacques Rivette is a masterful, multilayered, sometimes enigmatic work of dark irony, an assured tragicomedy of manners and more.

The New York Times by Manohla Dargis

Duchess of Langeais seems to me a nearly impeccable work of art -- beautiful, true, profound.

Los Angeles Times by Kevin Thomas

Jacques Rivette has brought the Balzac short story to screen as a superb chamber drama. His is a graceful work of austerity and formality that perfectly captures the chaos of repressed emotions that see beneath the rigid conventions of aristocratic society.

San Francisco Chronicle by Mick LaSalle

The movie's satisfactions are subtle, but they run deep, and there are many.

Philadelphia Inquirer by Steven Rea

Rivette's slow-moving but seamless study of the rituals of courtship has a disarming grace, even as its downcast hero, Depardieu's Gen. Armand de Montriveau, limps around stiffly.

Entertainment Weekly by Owen Gleiberman

A highbrow chick flick that made me feel older, in a good way.

The A.V. Club by Noel Murray

Though not exactly a "comedy" of manners, since it's more melancholy than funny, The Duchess Of Langeais is very much concerned with how the rules of social etiquette interfere with raw human need.

Baltimore Sun by Michael Sragow

The Duchess of Langeais is a romantic dance of death.

Washington Post by Stephen Hunter

With its sophisticated psychology, its brilliant story structure and its riveting performances, The Duchess of Langeais feels very new, even if everything about it is old.

Austin Chronicle by Marjorie Baumgarten

Balibar and Depardieu make a compelling duo who exude an animal magnetism that's undeniable.