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Raja
Metascore
74 out of 100

Generally favorable reviews - based on 9 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 8 out of 9
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 9
  3. Negative: 0 out of 9
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  1. Christian Science Monitor
    Reviewed by: David Sterritt
    100
    Subtle filmmaking and true-as-life acting make this an acute psychological drama with an engrossing sociological subtext. It stands with Doillon's best work.
  2. The Hollywood Reporter
    Reviewed by: Kirk Honeycutt
    90
    Doillon never lets his characters slide into cliche. They act and react from a wealth of contradictory impulses and long-standing prejudices in this masterful tale of frustrated desire.
  3. The A.V. Club
    Reviewed by: Scott Tobias
    80
    Even without all the other complications, Doillon's handling of the language gap alone gives Raja a pungent dramatic edge.
  4. The New York Times
    Reviewed by: Stephen Holden
    80
    What distinguishes Raja from every other movie to contemplate the treacherous intersection of passion, avarice and power is its unsettling emotional honesty. The two central performances are so spontaneous and mercurial that the reckless flirtation seems to be unfolding before your eyes.
  5. Variety
    Reviewed by: David Stratton
    80
    Intriguing, provocative and very well acted.
  6. TV Guide
    Reviewed by: Maitland McDonagh
    70
    What begins as a sorry exercise in cynical seduction becomes a case of amour fou.
  7. Village Voice
    Reviewed by: J. Hoberman
    70
    It plays out as an unsettling solipsistic love story--an account of erotic obsession with a family relation to "Of Human Bondage."
  8. New York Daily News
    Reviewed by: Elizabeth Weitzman
    63
    There's little to enjoy in this unsettling tale, but Doillan's unblinking depiction of manipulation and desperation stays with you long after the characters make the deals that seal their unjust fates.
  9. New York Post
    Reviewed by: Lou Lumenick
    50
    Raja, which is basically a dark comedy about how this odd couple manipulate each other, is extremely well acted, though the direction by Jacques Doillon is on the leisurely side.
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