Infancia clandestina 2012

Manohla Dargis, New York Times: When a filmmaker proves as reluctant as Mr. Avila to speak up about the past, to engage with its full complexity, it can be hard to hear what he's saying. Read more

Neil Young, Hollywood Reporter: As is often the case with directors who adapt their own life-histories, there's the sense that Avila is a little too close to his material. Read more

Mark Olsen, Los Angeles Times: Avila can't quite thread the needle between telling his personal story and connecting it to larger social currents. Read more

Elizabeth Weitzman, New York Daily News: The calmer scenes are staged in staid and somewhat clunky fashion, but the graphic animation depicting the worst moments is starkly effective. Read more

V.A. Musetto, New York Post: 'Clandestine Childhood'' is the impressive first feature by Argentine director Benjamin Avila. Read more

David Fear, Time Out: Outre flourishes don't fully lift the story past the limitations of innocence-lost storytelling. Read more

Jay Weissberg, Variety: The pic has strong moments, but is bogged down by a script that regurgitates standard-issue ideas without finding anything interesting to say. Read more

Alan Scherstuhl, Village Voice: A charming, involving first feature, Clandestine Childhood muscles its familiar coming-of-age material into something more vibrant and urgent than the usual. Read more