The Time That Remains
Release Date: January 7, 2011 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
74
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 14 Critic Reviews
Positive:
12
Mixed:
2
Negative:
0
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
91
IndieWireEric KohnJan 8, 2011
Suleiman's most poignant moments are largely wordless. Nothing feels more affecting than Suleiman's ubiquitous frozen stare. Although he never utters a sound, his silence speaks volumes about the inability to resolve the social ramifications of Middle Eastern strife. Read full review
83
The A.V. ClubNoel MurrayJan 13, 2011
By making the jokes more personal, Suleiman charts the process by which the concept of "home" loses its meaning. Read full review
80
The New YorkerAnthony LaneJan 10, 2011
This is typical Suleiman, as anyone who saw his no less wondrous work "Divine Intervention" (2002), can testify. Read full review
80
The New York TimesA.O. ScottJan 6, 2011
The Time That Remains has the scope of a historical epic with none of the expected heaviness. Read full review
80
Time OutJoshua RothkopfJan 4, 2011
Suleiman can be criticized for failing, ever so slightly, at crafting an overall structure-his latest, based on his dad's diary and other memories, is an autobiographical story of exile and return that skips like a stone over water, fleetly but not so deeply. Still, this is a welcome example of kitsch wedded to serious indictment. Read full review
80
VarietyDerek ElleyJan 4, 2011
As in "Divine," there's an uneven quality to Suleiman's often surreal ideas, but in general there are way more hits than misses this time round, some of them laugh-out-loud. Read full review
80
Village VoiceDan KoisJan 4, 2011
Suleiman's a more assured director than he is a comedian. But individual, Tati-worthy gags still have great power. Read full review
80
EmpireDavid ParkinsonJan 3, 2011
A touching and insightful black comedy that gracefully spans sixty years. Read full review
75
San Francisco ChronicleWalter AddiegoFeb 3, 2011
Some of the movie probably will mystify viewers not steeped in Middle Eastern history and culture, but a good deal of the humor can be appreciated by anybody. Read full review
75
The Globe and Mail (Toronto)Rick GroenFeb 3, 2011
Living in a part of the world where politics, and the pursuit of politics by warring means, are the rule, director Elia Suleiman is the exception. Read full review
75
New York PostV.A. MusettoJan 7, 2011
Don't expect guffaw-inducing comedy, but rather deadpan humor in the style of Buster Keaton and Jacques Tati. Read full review
70
Boxoffice MagazineMark KeizerJan 10, 2011
Blend of sardonic humor and bitter poetry. Read full review
58
Entertainment WeeklyAdam MarkovitzJan 19, 2011
At best, his poker-faced vignettes nail the icy comedy of war: A man chats on his cell phone, unworried about a tank targeting him a few feet away. At worst, they're totally opaque and unmoving. Read full review
40
New York Daily NewsElizabeth WeitzmanJan 7, 2011
Unfortunately, the stylistic repetition and intensely one-sided viewpoint only undermine his (Suleiman) goal. Read full review
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