The Immigrant

Name: The Immigrant
Genre: Drama, Mystery, Thriller, Romance
Released: May 16, 2014
Duration: 120 min
Rating: 77
Cast: Dagmara Dominczyk, Jeremy Renner, Joaquin Phoenix, Marion Cotillard

2014

METASCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 34 Critics

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USER SCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 78 Ratings

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7.4

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7.4	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 78 Ratings

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The Immigrant

Movie Details & Credits

Weinstein Company, The | Release Date: May 16, 2014

Starring: Dagmara Dominczyk, Jeremy Renner, Joaquin Phoenix, Marion Cotillard

Summary: 1921. In search of a new start and the American dream, Ewa Cybulski (Marion Cotillard) and her sister Magda (Angela Sarafyan) sail to New York from their native Poland. When they reach Ellis Island, doctors discover that Magda is ill, and the two women are separated. Ewa is released onto the mean streets of Manhattan while her sister is1921. In search of a new start and the American dream, Ewa Cybulski (Marion Cotillard) and her sister Magda (Angela Sarafyan) sail to New York from their native Poland. When they reach Ellis Island, doctors discover that Magda is ill, and the two women are separated. Ewa is released onto the mean streets of Manhattan while her sister is quarantined. Alone, with nowhere to turn and desperate to reunite with Magda, she quickly falls prey to Bruno (Joaquin Phoenix), a charming but wicked man who takes her in and forces her into prostitution. And then one day, Ewa encounters Bruno's cousin, the debonair magician Orlando (Jeremy Renner). He sweeps Ewa off her feet and quickly becomes her only chance to escape the nightmare in which she finds herself. [The Wild Bunch]… Expand

Director: James Gray

Genre(s): Drama, Mystery, Thriller, Romance

Rating: R

Runtime: 120 min

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Awards & Rankings

82	#82 Best Movie of 2014

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Metascore

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Critic Reviews

100

San Francisco Chronicle - G. Allen Johnson

May 26, 2014

An astonishingly beautiful, irresistibly grim movie. Read full review

New York Magazine (Vulture) - David Edelstein

May 19, 2014

It’s richer than anything onscreen right now. It’s worth the pain. Read full review

The Globe and Mail (Toronto) - Geoff Pevere

Jun 5, 2014

Visually evokes Coppola’s "Godfather Part II" and Leone’s "Once Upon a Time in America," but in its utterly irony-free melodramatic sincerity also suggests a silent-era woman’s picture à la D.W. Griffith, King Vidor or G.W. Pabst. Read full review

New York Daily News - Joe Neumaier

May 17, 2014

The strength of Gray’s movie lies in showing the connection between people in a place without rules. Read full review

St. Louis Post-Dispatch - Joe Williams

May 22, 2014

The Immigrant is not unlike a Prohibition-era “Taxi Driver,” with Cotillard as the apprentice hooker, Phoenix as the sweet-talking pimp and Jeremy Renner (playing the theater’s magician, Orlando) as the would-be savior. Read full review

TheWrap - Diane Garrett

May 15, 2014

Gray does show some amusing facets of this world, such as prostitutes dressed up as society figures like the Rockefellers and Astors, for instance, but mostly The Immigrant is a bleak affair. Read full review

The Telegraph - Robbie Collin

May 26, 2013

Dialogue aside, the craftsmanship is unimpeachable, and Gray takes a timeless approach to pacing and camerawork: even the sunlight is sepia-tinted. But the grand themes of loyalty and ambition never catch fire, and the film’s few truly memorable moments are invariably its smallest. Read full review

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User Reviews

LizLemon44

May 16, 2014

Beautifully filmed and featuring 3 superb performances from Marion Cotillard, Joaquin Phoenix, and Jeremy Renner. Not everyone will enjoy the pace, but the film is most rewarding to people who pay close attention to its details. Films just aren't made like this anymore. I consider it to beBeautifully filmed and featuring 3 superb performances from Marion Cotillard, Joaquin Phoenix, and Jeremy Renner. Not everyone will enjoy the pace, but the film is most rewarding to people who pay close attention to its details. Films just aren't made like this anymore. I consider it to be one of Grays best, and with career-best performances from Cotillard and Renner. I think there's a chance that the audience for this kind of film will be smaller than others, slow building melodramas typically are these days, but Gray has made a masterpiece of his.… Expand

3 of 3 users found this helpful30

amboy

Jun 5, 2014

The director of the film wanted to recreate the world of the teeming lower east aside of New York during the great European immigration at the end of the nineteenth and early twentieth century. He has done this with extraordinarily evocative images. But while the actors are all marvelous.The director of the film wanted to recreate the world of the teeming lower east aside of New York during the great European immigration at the end of the nineteenth and early twentieth century. He has done this with extraordinarily evocative images. But while the actors are all marvelous. the story lacks specificity and clarity. There's too much unexplained backstory==why is a simple Catholic girl emigrating from Poland? How does she come to speak good English? Why do you find out what happened to her on the ship so late in the film? What is the basis for the mutual hatred of the two men played by Phoenix and Renner. Worth seeing, nevertheless, but oh, what it could have been with these actors and this cinematographer.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

Stan_G

Aug 8, 2018

The period of the story is beautifully depicted in this movie, it's almost worth watching just for that. If you still have doubts, watch it for free using boxxy software. However, the story and characters are also a big part of why this film is so good. It's not your typical epoch romanticThe period of the story is beautifully depicted in this movie, it's almost worth watching just for that. If you still have doubts, watch it for free using boxxy software. However, the story and characters are also a big part of why this film is so good. It's not your typical epoch romantic film, has a lot more to it. "The Immigrant" is worth your time. I strongly recommend this masterpiece.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

silasbodnick

May 23, 2014

The movie looks beautiful but it's just a little slow for my liking. I really do enjoy Marion Cotillard's work as a general proposition but in this movie I thought she was underutilized and had far too many blank stares. Frankly I would take just about any episode of boardwalk empire overThe movie looks beautiful but it's just a little slow for my liking. I really do enjoy Marion Cotillard's work as a general proposition but in this movie I thought she was underutilized and had far too many blank stares. Frankly I would take just about any episode of boardwalk empire over this move. Or come to think of it any of episode of Copper. Each of those television series approach the era with much more vigor and superior characterization and storytelling. I was hoping that Jeremy Renner's role would be a bit more significant, and I thought that Joaquin Phoenix might display a little bit more rage. It is certainly worth seeing but I have to give it only a modest recommendation.… Expand

1 of 2 users found this helpful11

beingryanjude

Dec 3, 2014

Marion Cotillard is heart-wrenching in one of the best performances of her career. Nevertheless, The Immigrant is often stale and spends far too long meandering without intriguing purpose.

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

Brent_Marchant

Jun 1, 2014

A plodding, directionless period piece melodrama whose meandering script and largely one-dimensional characters are unable to elevate this film to the loftiness to which it aspires. Regrettably, its exquisite cinematography and fine production values aren't enough to salvage thisA plodding, directionless period piece melodrama whose meandering script and largely one-dimensional characters are unable to elevate this film to the loftiness to which it aspires. Regrettably, its exquisite cinematography and fine production values aren't enough to salvage this otherwise-mediocre offering.… Expand

2 of 3 users found this helpful21

captaindanger

May 26, 2014

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This movie was incredibly disappointing. The characters are static and the main character is completely abused for no reason. Literally, the horrible things that happen to her don't even move the plot along. The whole story seems to have no point in my opinion.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

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