| 75 |
Chicago Tribune
The heartfelt truthfulness of Gardos' tale, and the performances of all leads, particularly Johansson, make the film a powerful account of the universal search for identity and the meaning of "home."
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| 75 |
Chicago Sun-Times
Nastassja Kinski, in one of her most affecting performances, does much to convey the turmoil going in her soul.
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| 75 |
Boston Globe
Although there's a certain connect-the-dots quality to the storytelling, there's no denying the care and craftsmanship that Gardos has brought to her debut film.
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| 70 |
Los Angeles Times
Made with care and respect, American Rhapsody manages to skirt the edge of excessive sentiment without falling victim to it.
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| 67 |
Austin Chronicle
Has an unerring eye for the banal intricacies of 1950s pre-planned suburban neighborhoods, à la Levittown.
|
| 60 |
The New York Times
Ms. Gardos is not a particularly flavorful filmmaker, but she is an honest one.
|
| 60 |
Mr. Showbiz
Its emotional sweep is ultimately undercut by murky characterizations and generic plotting.
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| 60 |
New Times (L.A.)
Distinguishes itself by its subtlety and good taste. Even if we catch a hint of gypsy music on the soundtrack -- or glimpse a disturbing American neighbor lady -- Gardos steadfastly guards us from caricature. She wants to keep it real.
|
| 58 |
Seattle Post-Intelligencer
The result is a heartfelt film brimming with ideas and passion but hampered by a literal approach that douses the emotional heat.
|
| 50 |
Chicago Reader
Gardos -- treats it competently, though without much freshness or imagination.
|
| 50 |
San Francisco Chronicle
They don't get more frustrating than American Rhapsody, a near-great film for about an hour that changes into a self-indulgent mess.
|
| 50 |
Portland Oregonian
Two-thirds of the way through, it falls apart into TV-movie-of-the-week land, even with the rhapsodic Nastassja Kinski in the lead.
|
| 50 |
New York Daily News
Heartfelt but often plodding and awkward, the movie feels like a somewhat subpar Sunday night TV movie.
|
| 50 |
Variety
Calculated yet undeniably skillful melodrama.
|
| 50 |
TV Guide
The glammed-up Kinski looks the same age throughout and only has three expressions: angry, wistful, and someone's-killed-my-dog.
|
| 50 |
Washington Post
It's a case of the heart being in the right place, but the script getting in the way.
|
| 50 |
Miami Herald
Connie Ogle
Rhapsody fails to completely hook you, perhaps because the events happen so quickly you barely have time to sort out the characters.
|
| 50 |
New York Post
It's in the teenage section where the film goes seriously wrong and veers from an absorbing family story.
|
| 50 |
Baltimore Sun
For a movie with such a vibrant real-life base, An American Rhapsody is surprisingly low-impact.
|
| 40 |
LA Weekly
While Gardos knows what to ask -- and though Kinski and Johansson both easily command attention -- the filmmaker lacks the storytelling sophistication to answer with anything but prettily rendered cliches.
|
| 40 |
Washington Post
The movie is a little crude for the subtlety of the emotions it plays with.
|
| 30 |
Village Voice
Gardos, an experienced film editor, has little narrative sense, and decent performances (except from Kinski, who just worries and huffs around) are left out to dry.
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