Family Law
IFC First Take | Release Date: December 8, 2006 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
66
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 18 Critic Reviews
Positive:
13
Mixed:
5
Negative:
0
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
88
TV Guide MagazineKen Fox
Writer-director Daniel Burman's dryly humorous, poker-faced comedic style is once again in full play in this funny and touching film about a young Argentine man and his aging father, both of whom happen to be lawyers. Read full review
80
Village VoiceElla Taylor
Like his equally father-fixated, and equally wonderful, 2003 film "Lost Embrace," Burman's beguiling tribute to his Jewish father -- or, for all I know, the one he wishes he had -- is warm and deep enough to give humanism a good name. Read full review
75
New York Daily NewsElizabeth Weitzman
Burman tends to focus very tightly on the details of individual identity - religion, nationality, gender. It is all the more striking, then, that his restrained and unassuming films are wise enough to speak to every adult. Read full review
75
Chicago TribuneMichael Wilmington
This is a comedy made for people who think, who like smart talk and who, like the Perelmans, know the score. Read full review
75
San Francisco ChronicleRuthe Stein
It's a serious subject handled with humor -- not the ha-ha kind, but the hard laughter that comes from recognizing parts of yourself in the Perelmans. Read full review
70
VarietyJonathan Holland
A deft, witty and emotionally rewarding study of a thirtysomething man in his roles as father and son. Read full review
70
The New York TimesStephen Holden
Delicate, bittersweet comedy. Read full review
70
The New RepublicStanley Kauffmann
Burman is particularly good at the tiny details that become recognition points in daily patterns. Read full review
70
Washington PostAnn Hornaday
Family Law never really gets to the nitty-gritty of the Perelmans' fraught relationship, instead maintaining a gently ironic distance that, while admirable in its restraint, ultimately lacks emotional fire. Read full review
67
Entertainment WeeklyOwen Gleiberman
Well acted. Read full review
67
The A.V. ClubNoel Murray
While Family Law is well-shot, it's not spectacularly well-shot, or involving in any conventional cinematic way. Read full review
63
Boston GlobeTy Burr
It's a deceptively small film, one whose observations may continue to detonate quietly in your mind after the lights have come up. Read full review
63
Miami HeraldMarta Barber
The filmmaker may not appeal to large numbers of filmgoers. But if you get his humor and delicate style, you'll enjoy his latest work. Read full review
60
Chicago ReaderReece Pendleton
Engaging and well acted, the film is admirably low-key, yet Burman's relaxed approach becomes a liability--everything goes down smoothly but leaves one hungry for something more substantial. Read full review
60
SalonAndrew O'Hehir
An alternately charming and frustrating comic entertainment. Read full review
58
Seattle Post-IntelligencerBill White
This is standard fare on the subject of father and son relations. Read full review
50
The Hollywood ReporterKirk Honeycutt
A meticulously observed story about fathers and sons within the Argentine Jewish community...What the film desperately lacks, however, is any meaningful conflict. Thus, there is little story here. Read full review
50
New York PostV.A. Musetto
After sitting a while in front of my computer trying to come with the right word to describe the Argentine soaper Family Law, I've settled on "diverting." You will be entertained, but you won't tax your brain. Read full review
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