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La faute à Fidel!
Metascore
74 out of 100

Generally favorable reviews - based on 14 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 12 out of 14
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 14
  3. Negative: 0 out of 14
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  1. Salon.com
    Reviewed by: Andrew O'Hehir
    90
    A wrenching, funny and wise little picture, with a diva-like junior star at its center.
  2. Chicago Sun-Times
    Reviewed by: Roger Ebert
    88
    The film contains a surprising amount of understated humor. It is not a grim portrayal of a harsh upbringing, but an affectionate portrait of parents who will be able to change the world before they will be able to change their daughter.
  3. Boston Globe
    Reviewed by: Wesley Morris
    88
    Brilliantly, the movie becomes a double coming-of-age story. The parents' political awakening parallels their daughter's.
  4. Los Angeles Times
    Reviewed by: Carina Chocano
    80
    Blame It on Fidel is the thoroughly engaging, clear-eyed and charming story of a little girl grappling with the domestic fallout of tumultuous political times.
  5. The New York Times
    Reviewed by: Stephen Holden
    80
    Julie Gavras's wonderful film, Blame It on Fidel, views its ideological conflicts through the eyes of a smart, willful child.
  6. Variety
    Reviewed by: Lisa Nesselson
    80
    Wonderfully engaging look at 1970-71 from a child's p.o.v.
  7. New York Post
    Reviewed by: V.A. Musetto
    75
    Blame It on Fidel doesn't aim for the profundity of Costa-Gavras films like "State of Siege" and "Z" - but who's complaining?
  8. The A.V. Club
    Reviewed by: Noel Murray
    75
    But while Kervel will probably have to have her own children before she fully understands the changes parents go through, she's bound to adjust to her folks' whims. Having no power of her own, what choice does she have?
  9. The Hollywood Reporter
    Reviewed by: Michael Rechtshaffen
    70
    Documentary filmmaker Julie Gavras has made a successful transition into narratives with the remarkably assured, thoroughly delightful Blame It on Fidel.
  10. Film Threat
    Reviewed by: Jamie Tipps
    70
    Despite the seriousness of the subject, the movie is sweet and charming; it knows that audiences hate to be preached to and instead shows us--as it shows a Anna--why we should care about being humane.
  11. Village Voice
    Reviewed by: Aaron Hillis
    70
    The real treasure here is newcomer Kervel, a child superstar in the making.
  12. Washington Post
    Reviewed by: Desson Thomson
    70
    The result is a movie of deceptive lightness and powerful sweep. And what makes it truly work is the presence of Kervel, a first-time actor whose Anna is disarmingly self-assured and sweet. Without her, nothing else matters.
  13. Chicago Tribune
    Reviewed by: Tasha Robinson
    50
    Gavras' ending makes it clear where her sympathies lie. In the process of building to that conclusion, she overplays her metaphor a bit, but still, political tracts rarely come this sweet and sympathetic.
  14. Chicago Reader
    Reviewed by: Jonathan Rosenbaum
    50
    The young heroine is rather humorless, but Gavras's intelligence and skillful touch are evident throughout.
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User Reviews

All reviews »
User Score
8.4 out of 10

Universal acclaim- based on 5 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 2 out of 2
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 2
  3. Negative: 0 out of 2
  1. NinjaEdwards
    8
    An accurate portrayal of what it feels like to slowly awaken to the "grown up" world. The detail and identification concerning the main character is well thought out, and particularly moving at times.… Full Review »
  2. DavidT.
    7
    Delightful film that lets the audience discover through a child's eyes.
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