| 88 |
Philadelphia Inquirer
Carrie Rickey
Boasts rich texture, sly vision and rueful humor.
|
| 80 |
New Times (L.A.)
Jean Oppenheimer
Farmanara, the actor, brings a real poignancy to the role and, thus, to the story that seems, more than anything, the tale of a man coming to terms with his life.
|
| 78 |
Austin Chronicle
Marjorie Baumgarten
A movie about life and death; its underpinnings are soaked in the perfume of artistic expression.
|
| 75 |
Christian Science Monitor
David Sterritt
This understated Iranian drama affirms life as vigorously as it provokes thought.
|
| 75 |
New York Daily News
Elizabeth Weitzman
The heavy subject is tempered with gentle humor.
|
| 70 |
Chicago Reader
Jonathan Rosenbaum
A fascinating and entertaining piece of work.
|
| 70 |
Los Angeles Times
Kevin Thomas
As somber as much of this deceptively simple yet consistently acute, subtle and observant film is, an effect heightened by a carefully controlled use of color, it is not without hope.
|
| 70 |
The New York Times
A.O. Scott
Perhaps it's the difference in culture, but the thoughtfulness in Smell of Camphor, Fragrance of Jasmine shows that its creator isn't letting himself or his audience off the hook.
|
| 70 |
Wall Street Journal
Joe Morgenstern
Mixes whiffs of Woody Allen and Federico Fellini with Mr. Farmanara's distinctive, mordant wit.
|
| 63 |
Miami Herald
Marta Barber
Farmanara bears his soul, and his honesty permeates this work as strongly as the smell of camphor.
|
| 63 |
Chicago Tribune
Robert K. Elder
Farmanara, a gifted director, seems to be getting his artistic legs again, but he spends far too much time following his protagonist in and out of buildings as he smokes cigarettes and otherwise mopes about.
|
| 60 |
Mr. Showbiz
Michael Atkinson
The voyage is never less than interesting, even when you have no idea where it could possibly go.
|
| 60 |
Variety
Ken Eisner
Resonant with inner harmonies and dark, dark humor.
|
| 60 |
Village Voice
J. Hoberman
A humorously death-haunted psychodrama.
|
| 58 |
Entertainment Weekly
Owen Gleiberman
Depression is a fair subject for a movie, but this much moroseness shouldn't come to this little.
|
| 50 |
San Francisco Chronicle
Wesley Morris
A feat of droll, refractive, melodramatic self-portraiture.
|
| 50 |
LA Weekly
David Chute
At times the picture feels like an affectionate parody of recent Iranian films.
|
| 50 |
TV Guide
Steve Simels
Glacially slow going.
|
| 38 |
New York Post
V.A. Musetto
Deadly dull.
|
