Summer Hours
User Score
6.8 out of 10

Generally favorable reviews- based on 32 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 22 out of 32
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 32
  3. Negative: 8 out of 32

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  1. CraigM
    Jun 20, 2009
    10
    Wistful, poignant, low-key re-imagining of The Cherry Orchard.
  2. Joe
    Jun 20, 2009
    10
    Excellent film, one of the best I have seen this year!
  3. ConnN
    Jun 5, 2009
    10
    Beautiful, discerning, complex, memorable, penetrating.
  4. ElaineT
    Jun 13, 2009
    10
    I loved this film. It subtly and poingnantly examined the issues confronting all of us in a mobile society, at the end of an era.when family estates and property could be passed on to next generations. In a sense there was a Rashoman quality as each generation dealt differently with the death of the matriarch and what it would mean to their future lives. The acting was superb, especially that of Eloise, the mother's bonne-a-tout-faire, who was perhaps most affected by her death. This is a thinking person's film and not to be taken lightly.… Expand
  5. Jay
    Jun 22, 2009
    10
    Excellent performance from the entire cast. Juliette Binoche shines once again. In a summer cluttered with loud big budget blockbusters, this is truly a breath of fresh air!
  6. [Anonymous]
    Jun 28, 2009
    10
    Excellent film! My only minor complaint was I would have liked to see a little more screen time for Juliette Binoche, but this is minor.
  7. KenK
    Jun 28, 2009
    10
    Very engaging with a great aftertaste of having a wonderful glimpse into the lives of three generations. Life moves on for each generation.
  8. EdwardR
    Jun 14, 2009
    10
    Ol' man river ain't got nuthin' on Olivier Assayas' gentle portrayal of a family coping with its identity as established in heirloom objects, which in the end must be sacrificed to the effects of globalization and the need for cash, as the generations flow.
  9. David
    Jun 18, 2009
    9
    I thought this was an excellent film with great performances by the entire cast. I really find it interesting how bitter some of these people giving the film low marks. It's not like the characters were all given everything on a silver platter. If I recall, they all have jobs where they appear to work hard and for the most part appear to enjoy what they do. They actually probably won't inherit that much since the mother didn't do things poperly before she died. I don't have a problem with people making money for working hard. If you have a choice of seeing this film or some of the other garbage currently being shown, choose this for sure!… Expand

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
84 out of 100

Universal acclaim - based on 27 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 26 out of 27
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 27
  3. Negative: 0 out of 27
  1. New York Magazine (Vulture)
    Reviewed by: David Edelstein
    100
    Hats off to Olivier Assayas's plain yet hauntingly beautiful Summer Hours, a true--albeit nonsecular--meditation on art and eternal life.
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  2. ReelViews
    Reviewed by: James Berardinelli
    75
    Summer Hours attracted two of France's acting luminaries, and their presence elevates the material. Charles Berling has the central role; the movie is largely told from his perspective. Juliette Binoche, with blonde hair, has a secondary part.
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  3. The Hollywood Reporter
    Reviewed by: Ray Bennett
    80
    Assayas makes the point that objects of fascination and affection to one generation may be far less so to the next. And he observes the role that people-friendly museums can play in keeping a nation's treasures safe with pleasing subtlety.
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