Critics Scoreboard
All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...
Average Critic Score:
73
(18 sources)
73
(18 sources)
-
100
Los Angeles Times
Assayas has made a great film from Jacques Chardonne's classic novel. Although far different in tone, time, place and temperament, it brings to mind "Gone With the Wind" in its depth and scope and in its love story, which unfolds over a turbulent era. Read Full Review » -
100
The New York Times
Like a good novel, Les Destinées is many things: a family chronicle, a series of psychological portraits, a sumptuous re-creation of the past. But the film is also a pointed tribute to the French tradition of quality and distinction, a tradition in which it clearly includes itself. Read Full Review » -
91
Portland Oregonian
Rich in detail, gorgeously shot and beautifully acted, Les Destinees is, in its quiet, epic way, daring, inventive and refreshingly unusual. Read Full Review » -
90
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90
LA Weekly
An exquisite metaphor for the high cost and higher returns of an enduring marriage. Read Full Review » -
90
Variety
A massive undertaking and an accomplished piece of filmmaking in a solid tradition of intelligent, meticulous literary adaptations. Read Full Review » -
90
Village Voice
An impressively coordinated enterprise that lasts three hours, manages a large cast, and covers a period of 30-odd years while successfully unfolding as a series of scenes from the life of a single character. Read Full Review » -
88
Chicago Sun-Times
It will not appeal to the impatient, but those who like long books and movies will admire the way it accumulates power and depth. It is about youthful idealism, headstrong love and fierce ambition, and is pessimistic about all of them. Read Full Review » -
75
New York Daily News
As befits a production of impeccable French pedigree, the acting, set design and lush cinematography are all outstanding. But the story is told so slowly. Read Full Review » -
75
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70
TV Guide
Béart and Berling are both superb, while Huppert -- imperious as a woman who turns her world into a moral prison to prove a point -- is magnificent. Read Full Review » -
67
Seattle Post-Intelligencer
But the irony of Les Destinées is that while Assayas is a pro at examining the inner workings of present-day connection and nuance, he's so overwhelmed by the sheer historical scope and detail of this massive saga that after three hours we're starved for emotional involvement with such inaccessible characters. Read Full Review » -
63
New York Post
Elegantly photographed family saga that brims with period detail. Unfortunately, the underlying story is less than compelling, Read Full Review » -
60
Washington Post
How great can an epic be, when it takes 30 years, including a whole sequence devoted to World War I, for Jean to realize he could be a little nicer to his wife? This is for diehard Francophiles and literate-movie fans only. Read Full Review » -
50
Christian Science Monitor
It's as elegant as any movie around, though, and boasts strong acting by a distinguished cast. Read Full Review » -
50
New Times (L.A.)
Les Destinées has a leisurely, contemplative pace without ever growing boring. Still, at the end, we are left somehow empty. For all the time we spend with these people, we never really get inside of them. Read Full Review » -
50
Entertainment Weekly
Pictorial but oddly muffled three-hour saga of romance and capitalism, not necessarily in that order. Read Full Review » -
25
San Francisco Chronicle
The movie suffers from two fatal ailments -- a dearth of vitality and a story that's shapeless and uninflected. Read Full Review »
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