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I've Loved You So Long
User Score
7.7 out of 10

Generally favorable reviews- based on 32 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 26 out of 32
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 32
  3. Negative: 4 out of 32

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  1. GeorgeK.
    Jan 8, 2009
    10
    Scott Thomas' performance is one that few, if any, Hollywood actresses could have delivered. It is thing of beauty from first to last, abetted by a director with a novelist's touch. An actress who can perform in both English and French, Thomas uses silence, subtle facial movements, and her entire body to document a mother's return to life after the death of her child.
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  2. DeanB.
    Feb 25, 2009
    10
    Magnificent central performances and wonderfully composed imagery ensure that this mystery-tinged tragi-drama is genuinely moving. My top film of 2008.
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  3. JMale
    Mar 16, 2009
    1
    Horrible. I thought this movie would never end.
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  4. JayH.
    Mar 5, 2009
    7
    Sensitively acted, particularly by Kristin Scott Thomas. Very well written, evenly paced and the characters a so richly developed. Always interesting. Nicely done.
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  5. DonaldW
    Apr 18, 2009
    4
    Boring, depressing, and lots of smoking. What a combination.
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  6. BobT
    May 2, 2009
    1
    What a completely implausible, unrealistic tale. Why would any one not admit the true motive for such an act - love based euthanasia unless they were totally pathologically masochistic and equally totally inconsiderate of their family's feelings? Why wouldn't any one have arrived at the most obvious,and reasonable explanation? If you like a melodramatic weeper this film should float your boat. Of course Kristin is very easy on the eyes, even when morbid of visage as is mostly here .… Expand
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  7. KenL
    Dec 27, 2008
    9
    Great performance from Kristin Scott-Thomas. She does a terrific job as her character evolves over the course of the movie. Pain and suffering she displays without saying a word, and yet she demonstrates an unfiltered directness when she does speak. Although she is center stage, the rest of the cast is excellent as well. The plot may have some weaknesses, but they are easy to overlook in this powerful film.… Expand
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  8. Katie
    Feb 22, 2009
    10
    one of my favorite movies! Kristin Scott Thomas is amazing... end of story!!!
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  9. RyeC
    Mar 11, 2009
    3
    A generally slow drama that never pays off. I was really surprised to see the praise for Kristin Scott Thomas. I found her performance to be that of a one trick pony. She's detached and uncomfortable with life the whole movie. With the exception of a couple scenes, she doesn't need to show much range. This movie wasn't a bad story it just didn't move me and that may be due to the two hour runtime. This really should have been a short film or at least under 80 minutes. Pass on this one unless you enjoy the feeling of watching paint dry while watching films. … Expand
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  10. LindaP
    Mar 27, 2009
    10
    A beautiful story of love and trust between sisters.
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  11. Andrew
    May 16, 2009
    8
    Linda L's review below captures my thoughts, though it's not a "10" to me. The film is all about KST's character's awakening after walling herself off for a couple decades. It's about life unfolding slowly around her as she begins to live. It's about the forbearance of family. The inability to forgive and understand. The callousness of narcissists. About life in general as we live it, with an extraordinary catalytic event at the center of the script. Good stuff, IMO. Enjoyed it.… Expand
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  12. HabsB.
    Nov 24, 2008
    9
    Tour-de-force smoldering performance from Miss Scott-Thomas. Excellent support from ELSA Zylberstein. Deeply affecting story.
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  13. EdM.
    Dec 14, 2008
    6
    Good acting, yes, but enduring a slow, drawn out development of what was, for me, a not very interesting story just to see various ways emotions can be repressed and then released, wasn't worth the time.
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  14. SteveH
    Dec 23, 2008
    4
    This is not the movie the crtics would like you to believe. The movie is a a pure character study and acting demonstration by Thomas. The plot and climax are a let down. There are also many unneccesary scenes which makes the film about 30 minutes too long. If you love acting and subtitles, you are in for a treat, otherwise wait for the video.
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  15. TonyO.
    Jan 18, 2009
    6
    Drags on a bit. Some nice acting (and not just from Scott-Thomas) but this sort of thing has actually been done before, and better eg The Woodsman. And the basic premise was pretty silly. Educated woman does jail time for killing her child, but cannot bring herself to tell anyone (including her own family and ex-husband) why she did it - not that anyone cared very much, apparently. Cue lots of sighs, moody introspection, querulous looks by shocked strangers and insensitive males, and ultimately some tearful emotional revelations with her sister. About as realistic as Transformers. If it wasn't French, it would assuredly be on Hallmark. But even so, worth idling away some time on.… Expand
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  16. LindaL
    Mar 22, 2009
    10
    Brilliantly acted, deeply moving. Admittedly, there's not a big American-movie-style payoff, that moment when, say, Julia Roberts goes into raving hysterics and that vein on her forehead stands out. The beauty of Kristin Scott Thomas's performance is in the way she slowly, gradually emerges from the frozen awfulness of her crime & punishment, and starts to become a feeling person again. The sister's determination to help her is moving, too.… Expand
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  17. PaulD
    Apr 11, 2009
    10
    Terrific novelistic movie with a superb central performance and vivid supporting characters. Kristin Scott Thomas elevates the movie above melodrama with her complex, subtle, multi-layered protrayal of a woman who is released from prison after 15 years for a seemingly horrible crime. Claudel provides strong direction with an emphasis on the little details that make all the difference in keeping the viewer hooked. Some people may find it a little slow, but I think this is primarily because most American movies seem to have been made for an audience with the attention span of a gnat. If Thomas doesn't receive an Academy Award nomination, there is no justice.… Expand
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  18. ErickS
    Jul 27, 2009
    9
    A sad, beautiful film featuring a heart-rending performance by Scott Thomas. Nuanced and subtle, yet intense and compelling.
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  19. JenL
    Sep 12, 2009
    9
    Unlike some of the critics, I didn't feel cheated by the end of the movie. I'm not sure what kind of ending would have satisfied them. Anyway, it was a very good movie - I didn't get bored at all watching it, which is rare.
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
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Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
79 out of 100

Generally favorable reviews - based on 28 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 25 out of 28
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 28
  3. Negative: 0 out of 28
  1. ReelViews
    Reviewed by: James Berardinelli
    75
    The movie's action largely takes place beneath the skin. The pace is slow but not glacial, yet Claudel demands patience. Ultimately, I've Loved You So Long is uplifting, although one might not expect that from the thematic material.
    Read full review
  2. Village Voice
    Reviewed by: Ella Taylor
    60
    A modestly satisfying tale of sisterly love weighed down by a history of family betrayal and mendacity.
    Read full review
  3. The Hollywood Reporter
    Reviewed by: Maggie Lee
    80
    A scintillating drama about pain and healing made with intelligence and compassion.
See all critic reviews »