Women Without Men
Indiepix | Release Date: April 9, 2010 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
68
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 16 Critic Reviews
Positive:
12
Mixed:
4
Negative:
0

Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
83
Entertainment WeeklyLisa Schwarzbaum
Stronger on beautiful imagery than on narrative flow. Read full review
80
L.A. WeeklyErnest Hardy
Neshat employs dialogue that is often didactic, but that weakness is forgiven in the face of stellar acting from the ensemble and gorgeously composed and shot images. Read full review
80
Los Angeles TimesGary Goldstein
Though the narrative could use more depth and detail, the film generally absorbs with its strong performances, stirring emotions and vivid imagery. Read full review
80
The New York TimesStephen Holden
With its intense chiaroscuro and meticulous manipulation of color that ranges from stark black and white to richer, shifting hues in scenes set in a metaphorical orchard, the film surpasses even Michael Haneke's "White Ribbon" in the fierce beauty and precision of its cinematography (by Martin Gschlacht). Read full review
80
Arizona RepublicRichard Nilsen
It seduces us with imagery and metaphor. Read full review
75
The A.V. ClubNoel Murray
The movie moves fluidly back and forth between these women's stories, as well as between reality and a kind of dream-state, as all four find their way into a walled orchard where they share fellowship and temporary refuge from the demands of men. Read full review
75
Boston GlobeTy Burr
Shirin Neshat's film, a magical-realist cry from the heart, is as up-to-date as last year's pro-democracy protests. Read full review
70
The Hollywood ReporterStephen Farber
This beautifully made film (which won the best director award at last year's Venice Film Festival) is the very definition of an art house movie with limited appeal, but its political import gives it added talking points that will draw attention. Read full review
70
VarietyJay Weissberg
Has striking moments comparable to the best of Neshat's potent imagery. But the script jettisons most of the book's more powerful sections. Read full review
70
Boxoffice MagazineWade Major
A powerful and provocative look at the seismology of the Iranian social order and the connective tissue that sustains Iranian women in particular. Read full review
70
Chicago ReaderFred Camper
Shirin Neshat, best known for her video installations, makes her feature directing debut with this elegant, often moving story of four Iranian women trapped by their circumstances in the turmoil preceding the 1953 coup. Read full review
67
Austin ChronicleMarjorie Baumgarten
The images are vivid, their meanings much less so. Read full review
50
The Globe and Mail (Toronto)Rick Groen
Although the entire film is beautifully framed and shot, especially the surreal sequences, precious little coheres into anything resembling a compelling narrative. Read full review
50
New Orleans Times-PicayuneMike Scott
Unfortunately, on the way to delivering that message, it becomes weighted down by its own dreary self-importance. Read full review
50
San Francisco ChronicleWalter Addiego
Has compelling stretches, but the film's formal concerns overwhelm the storytelling. Read full review
40
Time OutJoshua Rothkopf
An eerie resurrection regains some good will, but we'll have to wait for Neshat to catch up with the art of storytelling. Read full review
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