Such a Long Journey

Chicago Reader Lisa Alspector

It's scary and hilarious, with a magical, nonrealist tone, and it emphasizes physical comedy as much as disturbing, beautifully integrated metaphors.

Chicago Sun-Times Roger Ebert

So rich in atmosphere it makes Western films look pale and underpopulated.

Seattle Post-Intelligencer Sean Axmaker

Gunnarsson masterfully weaves these strands into a bold, multilayered tapestry surrounding a powerful story.

Dallas Observer Andy Klein

The entire cast is right on the money, a special word must be said about Seth.

Washington Post Desson Thomson

There's a refreshingly unusual spirit at work.

LA Weekly Chuck Wilson

True to its source material, this is a movie with the dense, rich texture of a good novel.

Chicago Tribune John Petrakis

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.

New York Post Jonathan Foreman

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.

Boston Globe Jay Carr

While no individual plot strand is vividly compelling, their interplay makes for a hearty and humanistic mix, carried by the performances.

Philadelphia Inquirer Desmond Ryan

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.

Christian Science Monitor David Sterritt

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.

Baltimore Sun Chris Kaltenbach

A film that immerses its audience in the Indian culture while telling a universally appealing story of grace under pressure.

New York Daily News Jack Mathews

Seth, who played Nehru in the Oscar-winning "Gandhi," gives a subtly layered performance as a complex, tormented and very decent man in crisis.

San Francisco Chronicle Peter Stack

A deftly layered drama.

Village Voice Michael Atkinson

The filmmaking is fresh and unemphatic, and the acting is generally gripping.

Los Angeles Times Kevin Thomas

A thoughtful but uneven film.

TV Guide Maitland McDonagh

Director Sturla Gunnarsson crams each sequence with subtle, telling detail while avoiding "exotic India" clichés.

The New York Times Dana Stevens

The main problem with Such a Long Journey is its storytelling. There is simply too much happening.