Praying with Lior
First Run Features | Release Date: February 1, 2008 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
68
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 12 Critic Reviews
Positive:
11
Mixed:
1
Negative:
0
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
88
Philadelphia InquirerCarrie Rickey
Apart from its intriguing religious implications, the film is also a compelling look at the family, community and congregational pillars that support Lior. Read full review
75
Entertainment WeeklyOwen Gleiberman
Though the film gets a bit repetitive, in its moving climax Lior does more than just have his bar mitzvah -- he earns it. Read full review
75
Chicago TribuneMaureen M. Hart
Trachtman says she made the film to illustrate the plight of disabled Americans who must contend with houses of worship that lack handicapped access, but her documentary itself isn’t always so sensitive. Read full review
75
The A.V. ClubScott Tobias
Intimate, moving documentary. Read full review
70
Chicago ReaderAndrea Gronvall
Lior is an irrepressible character as he works a room, doing exactly what a bar mitzvah boy should: challenging, instructing, and, in his own way, healing the world. Read full review
70
VarietyDennis Harvey
What makes this involving beyond its subject's slightly freakish fascination is helmer Ilana Trachtman's capturing of a complex family dynamic in which Lior isn't the only intriguing personality. Read full review
70
New York Magazine (Vulture)David Edelstein
Praying With Lior engages us on so many levels it transcends its middle-class Jewish milieu. Read full review
70
The New York TimesJeannette Catsoulis
Patiently and delicately, Ms. Trachtman teases out the tricky dynamics of a family dealing with a disabled child. Read full review
63
TV Guide MagazineMaitland McDonagh
Thoroughly heartfelt. But though Trachtman alludes to the impact that Lior's special needs and local fame has had on his family, she seems uninterested in exploring the larger history of beliefs and traditions concerning mentally challenged people and their closeness to God. Read full review
63
Boston GlobeJanice Page
There's an honest, unfiltered quality to what you see and hear. Read full review
63
New York Daily NewsElizabeth Weitzman
Trachtman's gentle profile does make for touching viewing, but she leaves too many questions unanswered. Read full review
60
Village VoiceJulia Wallace
Trachtman’s movie is not technically accomplished--the camerawork is run-of-the-mill, the structure is rambling--but it’s redeemed by the deliciously complex, practically Balzac-ian family at its center. Read full review
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