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Life, Above All Review

Other Critics provided by Metacritic.com

Critics scores range from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating more favorable reviews.

  • 4.0
    65

    out of 100

    Metascore®
    Generally favorable reviews
    based on a weighted average of all
    critic review scores.

  • 100

    out of 100

    Chicago Sun-Times Roger Ebert

    The film's ending is improbably upbeat: Magic realism, in a sense. It works as a deliverance. Dennis Foon's screenplay is based on the novel "Chanda's Secrets" by Canadian writer Allan Stratton. It is a parable with Biblical undertones, recalling "Cry, the Beloved Country."

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  • 40

    out of 100

    Village Voice Melissa Anderson

    Life, Above All suggests that ignorance and stigmatization are a problem only in the village, not in the highest office of government.

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  • 50

    out of 100

    The Hollywood Reporter Natasha Senjanovic

    Its schematic structure oversimplifies the drama, despite an interesting, mostly debut cast. It seems better suited for the small screen.

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  • 70

    out of 100

    Variety Justin Chang

    It's an absorbing, vividly inhabited tale nonetheless, never exploiting its horrors but rather treating them as tough local realities.

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  • 70

    out of 100

    Wall Street Journal Joe Morgenstern

    This is a modest film, and an affecting one.

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  • 80

    out of 100

    The New York Times Manohla Dargis

    A grave and quietly moving story about a South African girl of extraordinary character, does something that few painful dramas accomplish: It tells a tale of resilience without platitudes about the triumph of the human spirit or without false promises about an unclouded future.

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  • 80

    out of 100

    Time Mary Pols

    The director and his splendid cast assure that this tale about a strong little girl fighting to keep her family alive and together has both high art and a big heart, audience appeal and gut impact.

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  • See all Life, Above All reviews at Metacritic.com

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Fan Reviews provided by

Average Rating: 5
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5

by isshugar

Read all Life, Above All reviews at Fandango
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