La doppia ora 2009

Joe Neumaier, New York Daily News: A twisty Italian thriller that takes some liberties with its now-you-see-'em/now-you-don't plot points, but no matter; the way director Giuseppe Capotondi keeps us guessing is deliciously, maliciously deft. Read more

Stephen Holden, New York Times: If, like me, you would rather get lost in a noir than try to second-guess its creators, "The Double Hour" is the best movie of its kind since the French director Guillaume Canet's hit from 2006, "Tell No One." Read more

Moira MacDonald, Seattle Times: It keeps you off-balance, constantly assessing and reassessing. Read more

Noel Murray, AV Club: Plot fans will be delighted with The Double Hour, an Italian thriller that introduces a new wrinkle every 10 minutes, and takes its time to explain how they all fold together. Read more

Bill Goodykoontz, Arizona Republic: "The Double Hour" is a tremendously entertaining take on film noir, with all the usual elements of the genre in play - crime, death, possibly murder and doomed romance. I think. Read more

Ty Burr, Boston Globe: "The Double Hour'' is a decent night at the movies, filmed with swank professionalism, moody lighting, and the proper attention to the curves of a lover's skin. Read more

Ben Sachs, Chicago Reader: The neatest thing about Giuseppe Capotondi's debut feature is how it reverses the mechanics of most crime movies. Read more

Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune: I've seen the fabulously acted Italian thriller "The Double Hour" twice now, and for all its intricate manipulations, it stays with me for a very simple reason: The love story at its bittersweet heart is played for keeps. Read more

Peter Rainer, Christian Science Monitor: A psychological thriller that is very heavy on the mumbo-jumbo. Read more

Tom Long, Detroit News: A sly, triple twist of a film, this Italian intrigue is almost never what it seems, although everything ends up making perfect sense eventually. Along the way, though, it's slippery stuff. Read more

Lisa Schwarzbaum, Entertainment Weekly: The more you try to solve the narrative puzzle, the more you may want to watch it again - or at least argue about what's real. Read more

Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times: It's a wild tale that's so full of surprises, reversals and double-jointed plot twists that you wouldn't think there'd be room for anything else. But there is. Read more

Lou Lumenick, New York Post: Nothing is quite what it initially seems in this twisty Italian thriller, the auspicious debut feature by Giuseppe Capotondi. Read more

V.A. Musetto, New York Post: Doesn't always deliver on its twists. But it works well enough that an American remake is in the works. Read more

Steven Rea, Philadelphia Inquirer: A beautiful, head-spinning mystery that requires keen attention - and rewards it with a tricky and poetic payoff - The Double Hour is a topflight Euro thriller right up there with Tell No One. Read more

Andrew O'Hehir, Salon.com: If the movie in total is somewhat less than the sum of its parts, they're still terrific parts, assembled by a first-time feature director who shows great promise. Read more

Walter V. Addiego, San Francisco Chronicle: "The Double Hour" is an Italian crime thriller loaded with twists, and if it doesn't work 100 percent of the time, it's still worth a look. Read more

Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star Tribune: Capotondi's nerve-shredding puzzler will delight fans of Hitchcock and Polanski. Read more

Calvin Wilson, St. Louis Post-Dispatch: If you liked "Dressed to Kill" or "Blow Out," you'll appreciate the ways in which "The Double Hour" artfully messes with your mind. Read more

Boyd van Hoeij, Variety: Read more

Nick Pinkerton, Village Voice: The Double Hour sustains a minimum of attention thanks to the naturally beguiling presence of long-stemmed Rappoport -- but what might've a less cautious director done with the material? Read more

Mark Jenkins, Washington Post: The movie's enjoyment derives heavily from surprise, which the script uses both to advance the plot and just for fun. Read more