Private Peaceful
BBC America | Release Date: October 31, 2014 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
51
METASCORE
Mixed or average reviews based on 12 Critic Reviews
Positive:
3
Mixed:
8
Negative:
1
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
70
The Hollywood ReporterFrank ScheckOct 30, 2014
Director Pat O'Connor (Dancing at Lughnasa) achieves a lot with a little... Adding greatly to the overall impact are the strong performances by the three leads. Read full review
70
VarietyCharles GantOct 28, 2014
One more story about how the Great War’s casual disdain for human life planted the seeds for the social unrest that followed, the defiantly old-fashioned Private Peaceful nevertheless succeeds in hitting the right emotional notes, with a handy assist from Rachel Portman’s score. Read full review
63
Slant MagazineRob HumanickOct 29, 2014
By modestly embracing its inherent minimalism and finding the emotions underlying even the most schematic of scenarios, the film taps into something unmistakably human. Read full review
60
New York Daily NewsJoe NeumaierOct 30, 2014
Fans of PBS, history and a certain kind of old-fashioned moviemaking may fall in. Read full review
60
CineVueRussell CookOct 28, 2014
With some seriously fine performances and a simple but effective visual style that helps establish the film as a believable period piece, O'Connor's film is a solid adaptation of Michael Morpurgo's novel. Read full review
60
EmpireAngie ErrigoOct 28, 2014
With the feel of prestige telly, it's nicely done, sweet and moving. Read full review
60
The GuardianPeter BradshawOct 28, 2014
Private Peaceful is a small-scale story in essence, which works efficiently on the non-epic scale in which it's presented. Read full review
60
Time Out LondonTrevor JohnstonOct 28, 2014
There’s much over-egged mugging from the grown-ups (bumbling toff Richard Griffiths, shouty sarge John Lynch), but the lads are spot-on: young Mackay is effectively touching and bristling O’Connell hints at Next Big Thing charisma. Read full review
60
Village VoiceSerena DonadoniOct 28, 2014
O'Connor tries mightily to contextualize the suffering of the Peaceful brothers at home and abroad, making a better case for the British class system's demise than for their survival. Read full review
40
The TelegraphRobbie CollinOct 28, 2014
Nothing here is raw enough for the strength of the brothers’ bond and the weight of their sacrifice to really bite. Read full review
40
Total FilmNeil SmithOct 28, 2014
It’s left to the leads to keep us engaged, a tall order given their film’s old-fashioned, fusty feel. Read full review
30
The New York TimesJeannette CatsoulisOct 30, 2014
With its fusty air and glumly earnest performances, this unnecessary reminder of Steven Spielberg’s soppy 2011 staging of another of Mr. Morpurgo’s novels, “War Horse,” is about as entertaining as trench mouth. Read full review
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