The Keeper: The Legend of Omar Khayyam
Arrival Pictures | Release Date: June 10, 2005 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
43
METASCORE
Mixed or average reviews based on 12 Critic Reviews
Positive:
5
Mixed:
4
Negative:
3

Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
80
Film ThreatMerle Bertrand
Gleaming like a well-polished magic lamp on a vibrant Persian rug, The Keeper: The Legend of Omar Khayyam showcases Arabian/Muslim culture at its best and brightest. Read full review
70
Los Angeles TimesKevin Crust
There is nothing extraordinary about the filmmaking, but Mashayekh's old-fashioned commitment to his and co-writer Belle Avery's story creates an overall satisfying experience. Read full review
63
Boston GlobeTy Burr
A vanity film refreshingly lacking in vanity. Read full review
63
TV Guide MagazineMaitland McDonagh
While sumptuously beautiful, the film is often stilted and undermined by some painfully amateurish performances that no good intentions can smooth over. Read full review
63
New York Daily NewsElizabeth Weitzman
The time-traveling is a little awkward, and a mawkish turn of events feels forced and unnecessary. Read full review
50
L.A. WeeklyScott Foundas
Though the story hardly lacks for event as it traces Khayyam's ascension from the peasantry to the royal court, the period costumes and sets look to be on loan from Medieval Times, as do most of the actors, and the boxy, harshly lit compositions make everything feel even more cardboard. Read full review
50
San Francisco ChronicleJonathan Curiel
Rough around the edges, it's still a formidable movie. Read full review
40
Austin ChronicleMarc Savlov
The wraparound storyline is unnecessary and continually interrupts the vastly more interesting story of Khayyam's history. Read full review
40
VarietyJoe Leydon
Lofty ambitions and unaffected sincerity are not quite enough to sustain The Keeper: The Legend of Omar Khayyam, a reverentially pokey drama that plays less like a conventional movie than a lengthy series of hagiographic historical tableaux. Read full review
30
Washington PostDesson Thomson
The script's a plodder, and the acting's unbearably stilted. The movie's intentions are like the starry constellations that inspire the eponymous hero: out of reach. Read full review
30
The New York TimesLawrence Van Gelder
That "The Keeper" was made by a novice is evident in the visible seams between the present-day narrative and the flashbacks; the whole thing plays like a loopy amalgam of stilted costume picture and after-school special. Read full review
25
New York PostV.A. Musetto
The writing, acting and direction are so amateurish that the only thing you'll care about is escaping the theater. Read full review
More From This Movie

43 Critic Reviews

7.9 User Reviews

Details & Credits|Trailers

Current Movie Releases
By MetascoreBy User Score
1 77 Project Hail Mary
2 75 Send Help
3 73 Hoppers
4 72 The Sheep Detectives
5 63 Normal
SEE ALL
Essential Links
New on Amazon Prime Video
New on Netflix
Coming Soon to DVD/Blu-ray
SEE ALL