Goodbye First Love
Metascore
80 out of 100

Generally favorable reviews - based on 21 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 18 out of 21
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 21
  3. Negative: 0 out of 21
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  1. The New York Times
    Reviewed by: A.O. Scott
    Apr 19, 2012
    90
    Mr. Urzendowsky, with his dark curls, fine cheekbones and sad eyes, is a very credible first love, while Ms. Créton uncannily captures Camille's resolution as well as her almost willful vulnerability.
  2. Salon.com
    Reviewed by: Andrew O'Hehir
    Apr 20, 2012
    90
    This is a rigorously crafted film steeped in the French tradition, but it's meant to be a sensual and emotional experience, not a verbal or analytical one. Most of all, it's a spectacular eyeful.
  3. Los Angeles Times
    Reviewed by: Kenneth Turan
    Apr 19, 2012
    90
    Nothing is rushed, everything is given its appropriate time and place. When we watch Hansen-Løve's films, we're not only experiencing a life unfolding before us, we're also realizing what a great privilege it is to be able to do that.
  4. NPR
    Reviewed by: Scott Tobias
    Apr 19, 2012
    95
    There are times when the title is more a wish than an action - because just as cocaine addicts are forever chasing that first high, there's always the hunger to recapture a lost feeling again, even for those who have spent years in recovery. Pity those who fall off the wagon.
  5. The A.V. Club
    Reviewed by: Noel Murray
    Apr 18, 2012
    91
    The result is a movie that's poignant, bittersweet, and true.
  6. Time Out New York
    Reviewed by: Keith Uhlich
    Apr 17, 2012
    100
    Brava, Mia! The exceedingly talented Ms. Hansen-Løve (the writer-director of Father of My Children) is sure to win many more fans with her latest feature, an incisive, exhilaratingly frank examination of l'amour lost.

User Reviews

All reviews »
User Score
6.8 out of 10

Generally favorable reviews- based on 5 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1 out of 3
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 3
  3. Negative: 0 out of 3
  1. Daynester
    4
    Our unsmiling protagonist pines on and on through bedrooms, country houses, architect school, and late adolescence and early adulthood, unable to get a real life because she can't get the old boyfriend off her mind. At least she learned to let go of a hat!… Full Review »
  2. miketarigan
    8
    Sweet and harmless, this film evokes emotion and memories. As a viewer who's at the same age as the characters in the film, I can relate to some of the things and still learn from how much the characters change and mature themselves, regardless how their relationship evolves.… Full Review »
  3. amboy
    5
    Although well-made in terms of direction, photography, and performance, this film cannot escape the maudlin qualities of the traditional love story. The lovers are callow and perhaps underdeveloped, so it is impossible to care much about them. If you find that the film's title puts you on the verge of allergic reaction, do not go.… Full Review »
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