48
Metascore
9 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 75TV Guide MagazineKen FoxTV Guide MagazineKen FoxGoldberger, who made his debut with the similarly gritty and deliberately unpolished "Trans," tries to pull the novel's concerns to the surface, but much of its subtlety is lost. Giamatti, however, delivers yet another superb performance, turning what might have been a freak show into an unexpectedly moving experience.
- 75The A.V. ClubNoel MurrayThe A.V. ClubNoel MurrayA fragile little movie, occasionally ridiculous, but with M. Night Shyamalan's "Lady In The Water," Giamatti proved that he can make even the weirdest material believable.
- 63New York PostLou LumenickNew York PostLou LumenickNot an easy movie to watch, and it's far from perfect - but it does have an artsy integrity and a fascinatingly intense performance by Paul Giamatti.
- 50Film ThreatPete Vonder HaarFilm ThreatPete Vonder HaarFor all the effort Giamatti gives in making George a convincing character, the movie itself, never quite gets off the ground. The feel is too deliberately peculiar, and Goldberger's detached style never gives us a reason to invest ourselves in anyone but George.
- 50Village VoiceVillage VoiceI won't pretend it makes for a happy night at the cinema, and it may require a leap of faith to succumb to Goldberger's spell. But I leapt, and found it enthralling up to the point where this legitimately weird movie capitulates to the most conventional catharsis. I'd rather watch Goldberger fail than a hundred others succeed.
- 40The New York TimesJeannette CatsoulisThe New York TimesJeannette CatsoulisSet in North Florida and based on a book by Harry Crews, The Hawk Is Dying is a dreary study of male angst groaning beneath the weight of its own symbolism.
- 38New York Daily NewsElizabeth WeitzmanNew York Daily NewsElizabeth WeitzmanGoldberger's stubbornly insular script - adapted from a novel by Harry Crews - might have fared better on stage, where the story would feel more contained than suffocating. But by the time you crawl across this finish line, you'll know just how those sluggish the birdsfeel.
- 30The Hollywood ReporterJames GreenbergThe Hollywood ReporterJames GreenbergLoaded with obtuse symbolism, the film is not only hard to understand, it isn't much fun trying to figure it out.
- 30VarietyDavid RooneyVarietyDavid RooneyAlready gasping for breath in its opening scenes, picture takes two bleak, unyielding hours to finally expire.