Pellet
Film Movement | Release Date: December 13, 2002 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
70
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 9 Critic Reviews
Positive:
7
Mixed:
2
Negative:
0

Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
90
Village VoiceLeslie Camhi
At once subtle and visceral, the film never succumbs to the trap of the maudlin or tearful, offering instead with its unflinching gaze a measure of faith in the future. Read full review
80
Chicago ReaderJ.R. Jones
This is quick and unpredictable storytelling, its dialogue simple but tough. Alberto Jimenez is excellent as the conscience-stricken father, whose duty to respect the law tests his relationship with his own son, and both kids, Juan Jose Ballesta and Pablo Galan, give passionate, committed performances. Read full review
75
New York PostV.A. Musetto
Spanish director Achero Manas' El Bola shows how the boys' bond leads to salvation of a sort for the needy Pellet. He does so with great sensitivity, never sinking into exploitation. Read full review
75
New York Daily NewsJami Bernard
Could easily serve as an instructional video for repressive regimes who have not yet learned you can get more with honey than with vinegar. Read full review
75
Christian Science MonitorDavid Sterritt
This drama has won an armload of international prizes, including multiple honors in Spain's equivalent of the Oscar race, marking Mañas as a director with a bright future. Read full review
75
Chicago TribuneRobert K. Elder
Despite an abrupt ending, Mana gives us compelling, damaged characters who we want to help -- or hurt. Perhaps most important, El Bola forces us examine our personal motivations for each impulse and their consequences. Read full review
70
The New York TimesStephen Holden
As blunt as it is in depicting child abuse, El Bola is a movie steeped in an ambiguity that lends its conflicts a symbolic resonance. Read full review
60
The A.V. ClubNoel Murray
When El Bola isn't drawing cheap sentiment from the sight of a bruised and scarred little boy, Mañas raises vexing questions about how and why parents leave lasting impressions on their children, and whether good intentions really matter. Read full review
50
TV Guide MagazineMaitland McDonagh
A sober, earnest drama about child abuse. Read full review
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70 Critic Reviews

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