Agora 2009

Michael Phillips, At the Movies: I wish the movie kind of caught fire for me. Read more

Los Angeles Times: A great example of bravura filmmaking by a gifted young international filmmaker. Read more

Nick Schager, Time Out: It's ye olde clash of religion and science, though the real struggle is between coherence and cockamamy grandiloquence. Read more

David Edelstein, New York Magazine/Vulture: Given all the weighty colloquia, Agora has remarkably few bad laughs, and the CGI re-creations of ancient Alexandria are so detailed I wanted to freeze the frame and linger on the city's layout. Read more

Tom Keogh, Seattle Times: A strikingly physical as well as thoughtful drama. Read more

Jonathan F. Richards, Film.com: Although the movie's history is spotty, its dialogue is sometimes clunky, and time frames are telescoped, its overall impact packs a powerful punch. Read more

Ty Burr, Boston Globe: It's still more than watchable thanks to the ministrations of a talented director, Spain's Alejandro Amenabar, but the togas seem to have brought out the stiff, declamatory earnestness in everyone. Read more

Cliff Doerksen, Chicago Reader: This Spanish-produced period drama is pretty dreadful: the drama is torpid, the astronomy lessons pedantic, and the spear-and-sandal production values flat-out cheesy. Read more

Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune: With fire in her eyes and the riddle of the solar system in her brain, Weisz struggles in fleshing out a historical character well worth a movie, though frustratingly sketchy as written here. Read more

Tom Long, Detroit News: Manages to mix philosophy, history, hysteria and a love triangle and still be something of a bore. Read more

Rene Rodriguez, Miami Herald: All brain, no heart. Read more

V.A. Musetto, New York Post: There are a few exciting battle sequences and the sets are lavish, but mostly the film meanders aimlessly for more than two hours. No wonder new sword-and-sandal movies are in short supply. Read more

Steven Rea, Philadelphia Inquirer: Agora is entertaining, and even at times illuminating. Read more

Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: I went to see Agora expecting an epic with swords, sandals and sex. I found swords and sandals, some unexpected opinions about sex, and a great deal more. Read more

Peter Hartlaub, San Francisco Chronicle: An interesting but often frustrating effort by the director of The Sea Inside, who proves that ambition and talent aren't enough to ensure a compelling drama. Read more

Dana Stevens, Slate: The human story of Agora is not only smaller in scale than the sweep of geohistory but considerably less interesting. Read more

Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star Tribune: Some may consider "Agora" sound history, others may label it heresy, but I call it thumping good drama. Read more

Jennie Punter, Globe and Mail: This lavish Spanish production begins to plod after a brisk, lively first half. Read more

Linda Barnard, Toronto Star: The biggest problem is that Gil and Amenabar haven't been able to make the script hold together and there are times, especially with the love triangle, when things veer into the cheesy. Read more

Dave Calhoun, Time Out: The film's portrayal of how religious fervour can interrupt the progress of secular knowledge is acute and welcome. Read more

Todd McCarthy, Variety: The mother of all secular humanists fights a losing battle against freshly minted religious zealots in "Agora," a visually imposing, high-minded epic. Read more

Eric Hynes, Village Voice: To its credit, the film calls out Christianity's ignominious imperialism and locates a valid historical analogue to the religious extremism of today. Yet good intentions shan't save Amenbar from his own ham-fisted methods. Read more