Rosetta
USA Films | Release Date: November 5, 1999 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
76
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 19 Critic Reviews
Positive:
16
Mixed:
3
Negative:
0
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
100
Entertainment WeeklyLisa Schwarzbaum
Rosetta is a character of raw pride in a film of lingering power. Read full review
90
Chicago ReaderJonathan Rosenbaum
You feel it in your nervous system before you get a chance to reflect on its meaning. Read full review
88
Boston GlobeJay Carr
The bleakness of Rosetta will not be for all, but it's one of the best films of the year. Read full review
88
Chicago Sun-TimesRoger Ebert
The film has an odd subterranean power. It doesn't strive for our sympathy or make any effort to portray Rosetta as colorful, winning or sympathetic. Read full review
88
New York Daily NewsJami Bernard
An immensely uplifting movie whose final, unforgettable frames come as close as anything to answering the big questions about why we bother in a dog-eat-dog world. Read full review
87
Mr. ShowbizRichard Jameson
The final reel of Rosetta is like nothing else ever filmed, and it would be wrong to describe it. Read full review
83
Seattle Post-IntelligencerPaula Nechak
This devastating film is buoyed by Dequenne's bravura willingness to go all out; she's a baby-faced kid when the camera focuses full on and an exceptionally beautiful young woman in profile. Read full review
80
Film.comPeter Brunette
This kind of film, in its various manifestations recurring through the decades, gives us confidence that cinema can ultimately get to the heart of things. Read full review
80
Los Angeles TimesKenneth Turan
Grabs you by the throat and won't let go. Read full review
80
TimeRichard Corliss
The purity of Dequenne's performance inspires awe. Read full review
80
SlateDavid Edelstein
Throughout this terse, entertaining parable (it won the grand prize at this year's Cannes Film Festival), the Belgian-born writer-directors Luc and Jean-Pierre Dardenne ("La Promesse," 1996) immerse you in the sensations of Rosetta's life. Read full review
75
New York PostJonathan Foreman
Bleak, demanding stuff, and its hand-held documentary-style photography is harder on the stomach than "The Blair Witch Project." Read full review
75
Christian Science MonitorDavid Sterritt
Carries a strong emotional charge along with its valuable reminder of the suffering that youngsters may undergo when a heedless society overlooks their needs. Read full review
75
San Francisco ChronicleEdward Guthmann
The film's loose, scaled-down technique never turns gimmicky...but enhances the tension and intimacy of Rosetta's struggle. Read full review
70
TV Guide MagazineKen Fox
A psychologically acute profile of one teenaged girl obsessed with leading what she thinks of as normal life. Read full review
70
Village VoiceJ. Hoberman
Pummeling, jagged, and extremely well-edited film. Read full review
60
L.A. WeeklyManohla Dargis
A portrait of dispossession so acute that it's caused a few critics to cry, Let her eat cake! Read full review
60
The New York TimesStephen Holden
Instead of feeling universal, the movie feels claustrophobic. Read full review
42
Portland OregonianShawn Levy
The Dardennes are talents, clearly. Watching Rosetta is like watching them flip you the bird. Read full review
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