![]()
|
|
|
VIDEO RELEASE
Jul 22, 2003 (VHS)
Jul 22, 2003 (DVD)
NUMBERS
Box Office: $1,378,159
details...
CONSENSUS
Though Ararat radiates intelligence, its impact is diminished by an overly intricate plot and cerebral style.
CAST & CREW
David Alpay, Charles Aznavour, Eric Bogosian
Directed by Atom Egoyan
more...
SYNOPSIS
ARARAT, Atom Egoyan's mysterious drama about the horrors of the largely unknown Armenian genocide in Turkey, unrolls through a film within the film (also titled ARARAT). Jumping back and forth in time, Egoyan weaves together the lives of several people. more...
MPAA RATING
R, violence, sexuality/nudity, and language
RUNTIME
1 hour, 55 minutes
RELEASE DATES
Theatrical: Nov 15, 2002
RELEASE COMPANY
Miramax Films
GENRE
Dramas, History, Film About Film, Holocaust, Filmmaking
OFFICIAL SITE
• The Official Ararat Site
------------------------------
SOUNDTRACK REVIEWS
TRAILER & MEDIA
PHOTOS
TIDBITS
NEWS ARTICLES
SUBMIT/EDIT ARTICLE
SUBMIT USER REVIEW
FORUM
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
Page:
1 | 2   |
|
 "It's the type of stunt the Academy loves: a powerful political message stuffed into an otherwise mediocre film."
-- Jeffrey M. Anderson, SAN FRANCISCO EXAMINER
 "... ambition is in short supply in the cinema, and Egoyan tackles his themes and explores his characters' crises with seriousness and compassion."
-- Sean Axmaker, SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER
"The work of an artist tormented by his heritage, using his storytelling ability to honor the many faceless victims."
-- Joe Baltake, SACRAMENTO BEE
"The impact of the Armenian genocide is diluted by too much stage business in the modern day."
-- Rob Blackwelder, SPLICEDWIRE
"Too timid to bring a sense of closure to an ugly chapter of the twentieth century."
-- Bill Chambers, FILM FREAK CENTRAL
"You have to pay attention to follow all the stories, but they're each interesting. The movie is well shot and very tragic, and one to ponder after the credits roll."
-- Cherryl Dawson and Leigh Ann Palone, THEMOVIECHICKS.COM
"Egoyan uses outrage and curiosity to craft an enigmatic and shifting act of memory, his impression of an event and its repercussions."
-- Duane Dudek, MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL
"There is a fabric of complex ideas here, and feelings that profoundly deepen them."
-- David Elliott, SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE
"Ararat is among the director's best work, a rendering of the past that offers hope for the future."
-- Pam Grady, REEL.COM
"Atom Egoyan has conjured up a multilayered work that tackles any number of fascinating issues"
-- D.K. Holm, DVDTALK.COM
"A difficult but worthy film that bites off more than it can chew by linking the massacre of Armenians in 1915 with some difficult relationships in the present."
-- Harvey S. Karten, COMPUSERVE
"Egoyan boldly inspires viewers to deal with issues of cultural memory and responsibility, especially in moments of confusion when family issues intersect with monumental historical facts."
-- Bruce Kirkland, JAM! MOVIES
"An impressive work in many regards -- the acting, the photography, the pace -- but it would've been even more so had Egoyan gone with his gut and been less indulgent of his brain."
-- Shawn Levy, OREGONIAN
|
|
"A compelling and thought-provoking drama on the Armenian genocide after World War I and its toxic impact on the spirits and lives of some contemporary Canadians."
-- Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat, SPIRITUALITY AND HEALTH
"Like all of Egoyan's work, Ararat is fiercely intelligent and uncommonly ambitious."
-- Mike D'Angelo, TIME OUT NEW YORK
"There's no doubting that this is a highly ambitious and personal project for Egoyan, but it's also one that, next to his best work, feels clumsy and convoluted."
-- Tom Dawson, BBCI FILMS
"Just about all of the film is confusing on one level or another, making Ararat far more demanding than it needs to be."
-- Daniel Eagan, FILM JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL
"After making several adaptations of other writers' work, Armenian-Canadian director Atom Egoyan broached an original treatment of a deeply personal subject."
-- Ken Fox, TV GUIDE'S MOVIE GUIDE
"A film that has many strengths, not the least of which is its towering ambition."
-- David Grove, FILM THREAT
"I whole-heartedly recommend that everyone see this movie-- for its historical significance alone."
-- JoBlo, JOBLO'S MOVIE EMPORIUM
"In the end, Egoyan's enormous talent and Mychael Danna's intense score keep Ararat interesting and emotional."
-- Mark Keizer, BOXOFFICE MAGAZINE
"A haunted, bountiful film that demands patience -- and rewards it."
-- Jim Lane, SACRAMENTO NEWS & REVIEW
"It's a deeply serious movie that cares passionately about its subject, but too often becomes ponderous in its teaching of history, or lost in the intricate connections and multiple timelines of its story."
-- Moira MacDonald, SEATTLE TIMES
|
|
|
ROTTEN 43%
Avg. Rating: 6.5/10 |
"Hardly makes the kind of points Egoyan wanted to make, nor does it exist as the kind of monument he wanted to build, to victims whose voices have never gained the ears of the world."
-- John Anderson, NEWSDAY
"Did the film inform and educate me? Yes. Did it move me to care about what happened in 1915 Armenia? No. And that is where Ararat went astray."
-- James Berardinelli, JAMES BERARDINELLI'S REELVIEWS
"Has its moments -- and almost as many subplots."
-- Mike Clark, USA TODAY
"Egoyan's movie is too complicated to sustain involvement, and, if you'll excuse a little critical heresy, too intellectually ambitious."
-- Robert Denerstein, DENVER ROCKY MOUNTAIN NEWS
"Egoyan's work often elegantly considers various levels of reality and uses shifting points of view, but here he has constructed a film so labyrinthine that it defeats his larger purpose."
-- Roger Ebert, CHICAGO SUN-TIMES
"The Armenian genocide deserves a more engaged and honest treatment."
-- Jonathan Foreman, NEW YORK POST
"Hands down the year's most thought-provoking film. But it pays a price for its intricate intellectual gamesmanship."
-- Stephen Holden, NEW YORK TIMES
"While obviously an extremely personal work, it remains inextricably stuck in an emotionally unavailable rut."
-- Kirk Honeycutt, HOLLYWOOD REPORTER
"In a strange way, Egoyan has done too much. He's worked too hard on this movie."
-- Desson Howe, WASHINGTON POST
"The metaphors are provocative, but too often, the viewer is left puzzled by the mechanics of the delivery."
-- Liam Lacey, GLOBE AND MAIL
|
|
"Ararat feels like a book report"
-- Marty Mapes, MOVIE HABIT
|
|
| Page:
1 | 2 |
|
* Who are the Approved Tomatometer Critics?
* Mouse over a tomato icon for a publication's original rating. Original rating not available for every publication.
* In fairness to critics whose last name begins with a letter at the end of the alphabet, certain pages are sorted in reverse order, z-a.
* Certain "Ararat" article data provided by the Movie Review Query Engine.
|
|
|
|
mikecandance
| In my bedroom, you'll find: "Plates and cups from midnight snacking, taped episodes of the Golden Girls and a body pillow shaped like a catfish." |
|
|
|
Log In 
