Museum Hours

Name: Museum Hours
Genre: Drama
Released: June 28, 2013
Duration: 107 min
Rating: 84

2013

METASCORE

Universal acclaim based on 18 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 13 Ratings

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6.8

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6.8	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 13 Ratings

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Museum Hours

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Movie Details & Credits

Cinema Guild | Release Date: June 28, 2013 | Not Rated

Summary: When a Vienna museum guard befriends an enigmatic visitor, the grand Kunsthistorisches Art Museum becomes a mysterious crossroads which sparks explorations of their lives, the city, and the ways artwork reflects and shapes the world.

Director: Jem Cohen

Genre(s): Drama

Rating: Not Rated

Runtime: 107 min

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Metascore

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Critic Reviews

100

Michael Phillips

Nov 14, 2013

Some may find the film underpowered. Not me. With elegant understatement, Cohen creates a humane testament to reaching out, whatever our habits and routines. Read full review

100

Jesse Cataldo

Jun 24, 2013

Jem Cohen's film finds its most salient tension in the fraught relationship between known and unknown objects. Read full review

100

A.O. Scott

Jun 27, 2013

This movie is rigorously and intensely lifelike, which is to say that it’s also a strange and moving work of art. Read full review

David Fear

Jun 25, 2013

The real strength of Cohen’s occasionally didactic drama, though, is in the way the film redirects your focus to the periphery and reminds you of the richness that resides there. It was an achievement Bruegel mastered early on. And it’s what makes Museum Hours its own work of art. Read full review

Tom Dawson

Sep 2, 2013

Blurring documentary/fiction boundaries, writer/director Jem Cohen’s film is deceptively simple. Read full review

Liam Lacey

Jul 5, 2013

It’s a hybrid drama/art-history essay about how looking at art recasts our experience of looking at the world. Read full review

Leba Hertz

Sep 19, 2013

Part travelogue, part narrative and part art-history class. The class is what's best about this pretty decent movie. Read full review

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Mixed:

User Reviews

monkeytrousers

Sep 19, 2013

OUTSTANDING! Intriguing, tender, exquisitely filmed study of everyday life and all it brings. Mary Margaret O'Hara is spellbinding. An absolute triumph. If the Oscars were at all meaningful I would hope this would sweep the board.

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

mtc123

Oct 27, 2015

Understatement doesn't really cover it, but if you like your film slow and thoughtful then this is a treat. Don't go looking for plot, this is as much about what is missing as what is there. If you enjoy visiting art galleries then this is also a must as it begins ti convey that specialUnderstatement doesn't really cover it, but if you like your film slow and thoughtful then this is a treat. Don't go looking for plot, this is as much about what is missing as what is there. If you enjoy visiting art galleries then this is also a must as it begins ti convey that special feeling old galleries can convey.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

LeZee

Mar 11, 2014

I have forgotten how an art movie looks like. I am satisfied with this movie. It is good to see a movie like this after some time, especially after I was busy with Oscar event and nominee movies. Although the art movie is not my type, sometimes I get bored for its slow presentation, butI have forgotten how an art movie looks like. I am satisfied with this movie. It is good to see a movie like this after some time, especially after I was busy with Oscar event and nominee movies. Although the art movie is not my type, sometimes I get bored for its slow presentation, but sometimes I will be thrilled to enjoy those great visuals.

Movies without commercial values are kinda bores me. Sometime intense scenes and inappropriate scenes turn me off. There are many people who love this rare form of the movie, but my interest in those movies depends on what it deals. This movie was about art museum, I like paintings and drawing so managed to enjoy it.

This movie was like a documentary about an art museum from Austria. They concentrated more on art pieces to explain behind story of those. They just added a couple of characters in the movie with a story to start and end about the beautiful Vienna museum. Yeah, it worked so well, human emotions plus great fine arts, totally an awesome blend.

If you ask me, I would say it is an another form of 'Before Sunrise'. The whole movie takes place between two characters, Anne and Johan. Mostly they talk largely about paintings and Vienna city. It is a kinda educational purpose where we can get information about the city and its history. You won't like it just after a watch, it will take time. Day by day you will begin like it more and more, that is how this movie is made up of.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

Lyn

Sep 21, 2014

Well, this certainly was not the fun 'n' quirky Vienna of the lovers in "Before Sunrise." Art museum guard Johann reveals himself to us in the voiceover as a mildly philosophical, pragmatic fellow who makes the most of things. His common-sense observations make us glad he's befriended aWell, this certainly was not the fun 'n' quirky Vienna of the lovers in "Before Sunrise." Art museum guard Johann reveals himself to us in the voiceover as a mildly philosophical, pragmatic fellow who makes the most of things. His common-sense observations make us glad he's befriended a visitor from Montreal who's there in trying circumstances. (And who has the worst movie hair since, possibly, Cameron Diaz in "Being John Malkovich.") Anne also is not as engaging as Johann -- not winsome at all, really -- and the film could be 20 minutes shorter. Yet for the most part, the interplay between the characters, the settings and the museum artwork is fascinating, instructive, thought-provoking. I enjoyed the observations about art and the implicit challenge to think about people's (possible) inner lives in a different way.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

alokhere

May 9, 2021

leaves you with your Interpretation of art as anything can be interpreted if considered art, like the world itself. Absolutely it precise to leave all of us with some same certain interpretations but then dives deeper and open for it. as our realisation matches to someone else in the worldleaves you with your Interpretation of art as anything can be interpreted if considered art, like the world itself. Absolutely it precise to leave all of us with some same certain interpretations but then dives deeper and open for it. as our realisation matches to someone else in the world because their are definite set of philosophies, but yes its literature is a hard stuff.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

netflic

Aug 19, 2013

I generally like artsy movies but this one was too much for me. The director of the movie makes a parallel between the beauty in paintings of famous artists and the beauty of common-day things around us. The museum scenes depict paintings of Pieter Breughel whose works I like a lot. WhenI generally like artsy movies but this one was too much for me. The director of the movie makes a parallel between the beauty in paintings of famous artists and the beauty of common-day things around us. The museum scenes depict paintings of Pieter Breughel whose works I like a lot. When those paintings are shown or are talked about, it's the best part of the movie, unfortunately, the smallest part. Most of the film is Vienna in its permanent gloom. I have been to Vienna and I know it is a beautiful city but I would not have such an impression from viewing this movie. The story itself (or it's absence?) does not add much to making this movie attracting. For me it was mostly a waste of time and money, alas.… Expand

1 of 2 users found this helpful11

mbarenho

Aug 23, 2013

I, also, generally like art movies but this was one of the most boring movies I have ever seen. There is no plot and, although some individual segments are interesting, the movie is much too long.

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

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