Advanced Search Beta »
Basic Search Fields
Such a Long Journey
Metascore
74 out of 100

Generally favorable reviews - based on 18 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 15 out of 18
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 18
  3. Negative: 0 out of 18
view
per page
  1. Chicago Reader
    Reviewed by: Lisa Alspector
    90
    It's scary and hilarious, with a magical, nonrealist tone, and it emphasizes physical comedy as much as disturbing, beautifully integrated metaphors.
  2. Chicago Sun-Times
    Reviewed by: Roger Ebert
    88
    So rich in atmosphere it makes Western films look pale and underpopulated.
  3. Seattle Post-Intelligencer
    Reviewed by: Sean Axmaker
    83
    Gunnarsson masterfully weaves these strands into a bold, multilayered tapestry surrounding a powerful story.
  4. L.A. Weekly
    Reviewed by: Chuck Wilson
    80
    True to its source material, this is a movie with the dense, rich texture of a good novel.
  5. Dallas Observer
    Reviewed by: Andy Klein
    80
    The entire cast is right on the money, a special word must be said about Seth.
  6. Washington Post
    Reviewed by: Desson Thomson
    80
    There's a refreshingly unusual spirit at work.
  7. Chicago Tribune
    Reviewed by: John Petrakis
    75
    A cinematic treat, thanks to the well-defined supporting characters, the flawless attention to detail and a performance by the great Roshan Seth - one of the most underrated actors of his generation - which is just about perfect.
    All this critic's reviews
  8. Christian Science Monitor
    Reviewed by: David Sterritt
    75
    The dialogue and acting are stagy at times, especially in the early scenes, but the characters are compelling and the Indian atmosphere is vividly sketched.
  9. New York Daily News
    Reviewed by: Jack Mathews
    75
    Seth, who played Nehru in the Oscar-winning "Gandhi," gives a subtly layered performance as a complex, tormented and very decent man in crisis.
  10. New York Post
    Reviewed by: Jonathan Foreman
    75
    An unusually well-written and satisfying multilayered drama that conveys the feel of urban India with more vivid accuracy than anything made in the subcontinent in recent years.
  11. Philadelphia Inquirer
    Reviewed by: Desmond Ryan
    75
    Gunnarsson crams his movie with subplots from the novel and then abandons them for lack of room but Seth calibrates the stages of Gustad's journey with infallible judgement and conviction.
  12. San Francisco Chronicle
    Reviewed by: Peter Stack
    75
    A deftly layered drama.
  13. Boston Globe
    Reviewed by: Jay Carr
    75
    While no individual plot strand is vividly compelling, their interplay makes for a hearty and humanistic mix, carried by the performances.
  14. Baltimore Sun
    Reviewed by: Chris Kaltenbach
    75
    A film that immerses its audience in the Indian culture while telling a universally appealing story of grace under pressure.
    All this critic's reviews
  15. Village Voice
    Reviewed by: Michael Atkinson
    70
    The filmmaking is fresh and unemphatic, and the acting is generally gripping.
  16. TV Guide
    Reviewed by: Maitland McDonagh
    60
    Director Sturla Gunnarsson crams each sequence with subtle, telling detail while avoiding "exotic India" clichés.
  17. Los Angeles Times
    Reviewed by: Kevin Thomas
    60
    A thoughtful but uneven film.
  18. The New York Times
    Reviewed by: Dana Stevens
    60
    The main problem with Such a Long Journey is its storytelling. There is simply too much happening.
prev next
Page:
  • 1