Est - Ouest
Sony Pictures Classics | Release Date: April 7, 2000 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
61
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 27 Critic Reviews
Positive:
15
Mixed:
12
Negative:
0
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
60
Mr. ShowbizMichael Atkinson
Packed with melodrama, and often it works in the passionate, easy-to-watch manner of an old-fashioned "woman's film."
60
Village VoiceLeslie Camhi
Wargnier has assembled a stellar French and Russian cast, but all that talent can't overcome his heavy-handed screenplay. Read full review
60
VarietyDerek Elley
Too often caught between trying to be a sweeping period drama and intimate love story at the same time, with a script that's never fully satisfying on either count. Read full review
58
Entertainment WeeklyLisa Schwarzbaum
Wargnier directs his French historical drama, a foreign film Oscar nominee, in a way that allows little perspective on the extent of Stalinist cruelty; even when terrible things happen, they do so sedately. Read full review
50
San Francisco ChronicleBob Graham
It is well-made in an old-fashioned way, and its straight-arrow lack of cynicism may be old- fashioned as well. Read full review
50
Austin ChronicleMarjorie Baumgarten
Although it's interesting and well-performed, East-West never locates its crux: It's all over the map. Read full review
50
Christian Science MonitorDavid Sterritt
Wargnier chooses a sweeping title and a sweeping topic, then turns everything into half-baked melodrama, heavy on over-the-top emotion but light on subtlety and ideas. Read full review
50
L.A. WeeklyErnest Hardy
By the time the movie ends, having traversed numerous plot twists and character revelations, the viewer is emotionally drained in a bittersweet sort of way. Read full review
40
Rolling StonePeter Travers
Director Regis Warginer ("Indochine") lets his film degenerate into a turgid melodrama.
40
Chicago ReaderLisa Alspector
Stodgy storytelling and a hyperbolic score reduce their experiences to melodrama. Read full review
40
Film.comPeter Brunette
Wargnier is also a lousy storyteller who seems not to understand how to shape a narrative.
40
Dallas ObserverAndy Klein
The film looks great, but Wargnier is so heavy-handed in his portrayal of postwar Russia that it casts suspicions on the film's reliability as history. Read full review
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