The Flat 2011

Jeannette Catsoulis, New York Times: A film that begins as a family quest but evolves into a gripping study of know-don't-tell reticence and the umbilical tie of a lost homeland. Read more

Joe Morgenstern, Wall Street Journal: Goes from intriguing to astonishing by way of unfathomable. Read more

Moira MacDonald, Seattle Times: "The Flat" is a compelling tale of history made personal, and of what happens when light is shone on something previously murky. Read more

Wesley Morris, Boston Globe: There's something touching about the way Goldfinger obeys his moral compass. Read more

Peter Rainer, Christian Science Monitor: The Flat is about the persistence of denial, and of hope. Read more

Tom Long, Detroit News: Are things better left alone or is revealing all always the best path? "The Flat," to its credit, offers nothing like a definitive answer. Read more

Lisa Schwarzbaum, Entertainment Weekly: I will salute the deftness and intelligence with which Goldfinger observes the reactions of the living to the revelations of the dead. Read more

John DeFore, Hollywood Reporter: Engrossing doc finds buried bonds between an Israeli family and an important Nazi. Read more

Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times: It tells an out-of-the-ordinary personal story and examines broad historical issues of societal memory and selective amnesia, of what is hidden between generations and what is revealed. Read more

John Anderson, Newsday: A fascinating and sensitive examination of Jewish-Nazi collaboration, generational amnesia and the delicate construction of the thing we call history. Read more

Elizabeth Weitzman, New York Daily News: Ultimately, this is not a film about one specific event but about human nature - most notably, the instincts toward denial and delusion, acceptance and forgiveness. From start to finish, revelations abound. Read more

Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: A spellbinding documentary about family secrets ... Read more

Leba Hertz, San Francisco Chronicle: The movie feels more like a thriller and a mystery than a documentary. Perhaps someday, someone will be inspired to dramatize this astonishing story. Read more

Joe Williams, St. Louis Post-Dispatch: Arnon's filmmaking is flaccid, with TV-style interviews and rote reaction shots in place of cinematic imagery and deftly edited surprises. Read more

Andrew Schenker, Time Out: There's only so deep Goldfinger can dig. After a while, he's left unearthing nothing but fitfully fascinating speculation. Read more

Ronnie Scheib, Variety: This fascinating docu should easily attract crossover auds, and merits arthouse exposure. Read more

Chuck Wilson, Village Voice: In families, this fascinating film suggests, acknowledging or denying the darker truths of one's legacy is a choice that must be made again and again, each and every day. Read more