Cirkus Columbia
Strand Releasing | Release Date: February 17, 2012 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
57
METASCORE
Mixed or average reviews based on 10 Critic Reviews
Positive:
5
Mixed:
5
Negative:
0
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
75
New York PostV.A. MusettoFeb 17, 2012
A family getting evicted from its home is no laughing matter, except if you're watching Cirkus Columbia, a satiric comedy from, of all places, Bosnia and Herzegovina. Read full review
75
Slant MagazineDiego SemereneFeb 17, 2012
Its lightheartedness and overtly traditional narrative structure become a smart strategy for crafting what is ultimately a very nuanced political critique of capital. Read full review
70
Los Angeles TimesSheri LindenMar 8, 2012
Despite its wobbly tone and stumbles into implausible melodrama, the film succeeds as a study of realignments among friends and family, a gently cracked mirror held up to the insanity that would soon devastate the region. Read full review
70
The Hollywood ReporterDeborah YoungFeb 14, 2012
Tanovic wisely returns to his Bosnia and Herzegovina roots, where the small but highly nuanced story, set in prewar 1991, rings with authenticity and weight. Read full review
67
The A.V. ClubSam AdamsFeb 15, 2012
Like its characters, who can't believe their stable nation could be threatened by ethnic unrest, Cirkus Columbia looks to the past, evoking the kind of unreal, vaguely politicized tales that were once the lifeblood of arthouse cinema. Read full review
60
VarietyAlissa SimonFeb 14, 2012
Though burdened by major problems of tone, Tanovic's fourth feature succeeds in making clear the incredulity with which most people regarded the thought of war and dissolution of Yugoslavia, as well as the machinations of various opportunistic groups. Read full review
60
Time OutDavid FearFeb 14, 2012
The tongue is in cheek and the tone is ironic and bleak, at least until the should-we-stay-or-should-we-go climax punctures the mood. Still, welcome back, Danis. Read full review
50
The New York TimesStephen HoldenFeb 16, 2012
Half of the time, the movie - based on a novel by Ivica Dikic, who collaborated with Mr. Tanovic on the screenplay - has the tone and pace of a farce. The other half, it plays like an unconvincing melodrama. The film assumes knowledge about the history and politics of the former Yugoslavia and the wars involved in its breakup that most Americans don't possess. Read full review
50
Village VoiceAaron HillisFeb 14, 2012
"No Man's Land" director Danis Tanovic, adapting a novel by Ivica Djikic, also returns to his roots with this decidedly old-fashioned, quasi-satirical drama that is a bit on the nose with its indictments of post-communist animosities and opportunism. Read full review
40
New York Daily NewsJoe NeumaierFeb 16, 2012
Director Danis Tanovic never undersells the anger and tension in the family, yet while the emotional underpinnings feel raw, much of "Cirkus" also winds up spinning 'round to obvious, if uncomfortable, places. Read full review
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