65
Metascore
22 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 90The New York TimesJanet MaslinThe New York TimesJanet MaslinAs directed exquisitely by Gillian Armstrong in a headstrong spirit that recalls her debut feature, "My Brilliant Career," this elliptical tale makes up in visual beauty whatever it lacks in universal meaning.
- 89Austin ChronicleMarjorie BaumgartenAustin ChronicleMarjorie BaumgartenKeeping with the spirit of its lead characters, Oscar and Lucinda is a movie best met with a gambler's faith: You may not be certain what it means in the end, but its magnificent payoff is nevertheless a sure thing.
- 80The A.V. ClubKeith PhippsThe A.V. ClubKeith PhippsIt accumulates weight as it goes along, ultimately becoming as thoughtful and emotionally involving as it is beautiful to behold.
- 75ReelViewsJames BerardinelliReelViewsJames BerardinelliDespite some obvious overplotting, Oscar and Lucinda is a mostly effective and often affecting motion picture that touches our hearts while daring our minds to balk at its implausible coincidences.
- 75Chicago Sun-TimesRoger EbertChicago Sun-TimesRoger EbertHere there is a dry wit, generated between the well-balanced performances of Fiennes and Blanchett, who seem quietly delighted to be playing two such rich characters.
- 75The Globe and Mail (Toronto)Rick GroenThe Globe and Mail (Toronto)Rick GroenIn a sometimes misguided narrative, their scenes together are right on track -- they add lightness, even a shimmering hint of humour, to a symbol-laden drama. Theirs is a unique romance that has a sparrow's frail beauty -- it beats with a trembling, fluttering heart.
- 70SalonCharles TaylorSalonCharles TaylorWhatever the reason, Oscar and Lucinda winds up feeling like a collection of bits in search of vision and an emotional surge.
- 50San Francisco ChronicleRuthe SteinSan Francisco ChronicleRuthe SteinThe film version is gorgeous to look at and contains amusing performances from Ralph Fiennes and Cate Blanchett in the title roles. But it fails to get inside the minds of gamblers as Peter Carey so admirably did in his Booker Prize-winning novel.
- 50San Francisco ExaminerBarbara ShulgasserSan Francisco ExaminerBarbara ShulgasserWhile Blanchett glows with intelligence, passion and a quirky kind of beauty, the movie she is in fails her in a number of essential ways.
- 50Film ThreatTom MeekFilm ThreatTom MeekThere's a lot of talent in this offbeat drama about two odd balls from Down Under, but somehow all the pieces don't quite fit together.