Kisses 2008

Stephen Holden, New York Times: Kisses regards the world through fearful, foolhardy preadolescent eyes. Read more

David Fear, Time Out: No one would claim that director Lance Daly delivers an Emerald Isle version of The Spirit of the Beehive, though this scrappy film does have a knack for capturing the elation and confusion of late childhood in their ragged glory. Read more

Wesley Morris, Boston Globe: What the writer and director, Lance Daly, means as some kind of transporting urban adventure for them is a disenchanting slog for us. Read more

Amy Biancolli, Houston Chronicle: It's arresting. Read more

Peter Rainer, Christian Science Monitor: A marginally sweet movie about two woebegone Irish kids. Read more

Lisa Schwarzbaum, Entertainment Weekly: A superior lyrical ragamuffin Irish drama about neighbor kids in a dingy outpost of Dublin who run away from their crummy home situations at Christmas and spend a picaresque night on city streets. Read more

Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times: Only 75 minutes long and made in Ireland for what had to be a micro budget, this sweet, savvy and heartfelt film will impact you more and stay around longer than many more elephantine productions. Read more

Stephen Whitty, Newark Star-Ledger: Kisses is an interesting look at the side of a famous city we don't often see. And at the sort of unhappy childhoods that perhaps we see far too many of -- if we only dare look. Read more

V.A. Musetto, New York Post: Terrific non-pro actors Kelly O'Neill (Kylie) and Shane Curry (Dylan) are the backbone of the film, directed by Lance Daly, who says as a kid he thought of running away. Read more

Rex Reed, New York Observer: A serendipitous journey worth taking. Read more

Stephen Cole, Globe and Mail: A coming-of-age drama so Irish you'll want to take out your Pogues' lyric sheets beforehand to brush up on Gaelic mumbling. Read more

Trevor Johnston, Time Out: While the film's compassion is never in doubt, it's sometimes a bit too cute for its own good. Read more

Ella Taylor, Village Voice: The movie's ending may be less satisfying than that of Slumdog Millionaire, but Kisses is truer to the tragedy of a generation of children whom we have utterly failed. Read more