Little Lili
First Run Features | Release Date: November 12, 2004 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
59
METASCORE
Mixed or average reviews based on 15 Critic Reviews
Positive:
6
Mixed:
7
Negative:
2
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
88
Chicago TribuneMichael Wilmington
Miller's quiet artistry is at its peak, and though "Lili" is not as subtle, profound or moving a work as Chekhov's play, it's an intelligent, first-rate piece of cinema. Read full review
80
L.A. WeeklyScott Foundas
It's the third feature Miller has shot using lightweight digital video cameras, and the result is a special lightness in the work itself -- the glowing images ease into one another like leaves turning in a summer breeze, while the performances are similarly effortless. Read full review
75
Christian Science MonitorDavid Sterritt
Splendidly acted and directed. Read full review
75
Chicago Sun-TimesRoger Ebert
The third act departs from Chekhov and is original with Miller; it not only makes a nicely ironic point, but, because he takes his time with it, allows for a meditation on the distance between art and life. Read full review
75
Miami HeraldMarta Barber
There's something to be said about an old story given a new ending -- and making it work. Read full review
70
VarietyDerek Elley
Works as both an adaptation and a movie in its own right Read full review
60
The A.V. ClubNoel Murray
La Petite Lili isn't conventional or crowd-pleasing enough to appeal to audiences who like their foreign films safely sentimental, but it's also not daring enough for those who expect art to hurt a little. Read full review
60
The New York TimesStephen Holden
For all its spikiness, there are hurdles that La Petite Lili cannot overcome. Abridged and abbreviated, Chekhov's leisurely philosophic reflections evoke a musty aroma of pressed flowers in a scrapbook that is out of tune with the times. Read full review
60
TV Guide MagazineKen Fox
The film is, in fact, an adaptation of Anton Chekov's "The Seagull." This provenance also explains why there's something slightly old-fashioned about the whole business. Read full review
60
Los Angeles TimesKevin Thomas
La Petite Lili itself is pretty good, but it is also assured to the point of glibness. Read full review
50
Chicago ReaderRichard M. Porton
Miller and coscreenwriter Julien Boivent have a gift for aphoristic, if glib, dialogue, and Nicole Garcia and Ludivine Sagnier do their best to flesh out hopelessly one-dimensional characters. Read full review
50
New York Daily NewsJack Mathews
Miller takes Chekhov's themes and checks them off, but he never gets under his egocentric characters' thin skins. Read full review
42
Entertainment WeeklyLisa Schwarzbaum
Because the talk never gets beyond statement making, and because the characters emit none of Chekhov's radiantly lived-in soulfulness, there's plenty of time to appreciate the sun-kissed landscape. Read full review
38
New York PostV.A. Musetto
Viewers are left wondering just why they should care about them and the rest of the film's one-dimensional characters. Read full review
30
Village VoiceMelissa Anderson
True to Chekhov's dictum, a gun does fire near the end -- by which point eye-rolling audience members may be up in arms too. Read full review
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