Anton Chekhov's The Duel
Highline Pictures | Release Date: April 28, 2010 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
75
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 16 Critic Reviews
Positive:
13
Mixed:
3
Negative:
0
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
100
Chicago TribuneMichael Phillips
It takes something like a miracle to unlock the magic in his exquisite aggravations, the essence of the human comedy. This film is indeed something like a miracle. Read full review
90
Village VoiceJ. Hoberman
The Duel is the most successful literary adaptation I've seen since Pascal Ferran's 2006 "Lady Chatterley." Read full review
90
The Hollywood ReporterFrank Scheck
The performances are excellent all around, with Scott mesmerizing as the emotionally volatile Laevsky and the gorgeous Glascott making vividly clear why her character drives all the surrounding men to distraction. Read full review
90
Los Angeles TimesKenneth Turan
If it weren't for the masterful work of director Dover Kosashvili, this rich, evocative film wouldn't have nearly the impact it does. Read full review
83
The A.V. ClubSam Adams
It's a pleasure simply to linger in the characters' company, or at least to watch them from just far enough away to observe them without being judged in return. Read full review
80
New York Magazine (Vulture)David Edelstein
Anton Chekhov's The Duel is convincingly-yes--Chekhovian. Read full review
80
The New York TimesManohla Dargis
Once again, Mr. Kosashvili mixes moments of bitterness and laughter with strong dramatic passages, creating a social milieu in The Duel that is believably inhabited, consistently surprising and true-feeling in detail and sweep. Read full review
80
VarietyRonnie Scheib
This worthy follow-up to Kosashvili's brilliant "Late Marriage" should delight auds worldwide. Read full review
75
San Francisco ChronicleMick LaSalle
This is smart, inspired, no-fuss entertainment. Read full review
70
Chicago ReaderFred Camper
Koshashvili effectively captures turn-of-the-century ennui, but, more impressively, some of the feel of literary prose by intercutting characters in different locales, pausing the narrative for thoughtful close-ups that evoke interiority. The excellent excellent acting conveys the principals' emotional ambiguities. Read full review
70
Boxoffice MagazineJohn P. McCarthy
Listen closely, however, and amidst the zingers and world-weary chatter, Chekhov's generous humanism comes through loud and clear. Read full review
67
Austin ChronicleKimberley Jones
Just as marriage does not banish aloneness, proximity to the characters onscreen doesn't unlock any special connection to them. Read full review
63
Boston GlobeWesley Morris
It just feels like playacting. Read full review
60
Time OutKeith Uhlich
One senses this is a production better suited to the stage. Read full review
60
The New YorkerAnthony Lane
The movie's problem begins as you lift up your eyes to the hills. In Chekhov these are craggy and hostile, a fitting backdrop to the dried-out souls who dwell below, but Dover Koshashvili's film lingers on green slopes. They suggest fruition and escape, whereas for Laevsky, the eternally stifled dreamer, there should be no way out. Read full review
50
Chicago Sun-TimesRoger Ebert
Somehow isn't as exciting as a duel over a woman should be. Read full review
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