74
Metascore
20 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 90The Hollywood ReporterThe Hollywood ReporterThis searing, stylish account of World War II heroism from Denmark's Ole Christian Madsen avoids period realism, conveying the story of two heroes of the Danish resistance as a noir thriller, complete with shadowy alleys, double-crosses galore and the requisite femme fatale.
- 83Christian Science MonitorPeter RainerChristian Science MonitorPeter RainerA pretty good example of the kind of movie Hollywood used to turn out by the yard.
- 80VarietyTodd McCarthyVarietyTodd McCarthyAn absorbing, shades-of-gray look at home-front intrigue in Nazi-occupied Denmark during World War II. Ole Christian Madsen’s accomplished fourth feature plays out on a much larger canvas than he’s used previously and offers nuance and ambiguity in equal measure with violence and tragedy.
- 80Village VoiceVillage VoiceFlame & Citron is the film that the horribly overrated "Black Book" could have been, had Paul Verhoeven not indulged in the puerile reversals of sensitive Nazis and treacherous partisans.
- 75Entertainment WeeklyOwen GleibermanEntertainment WeeklyOwen GleibermanDirector Ole Christian Madsen combines sharp scenes of moral inquiry with a few too many functional, oldfangled espionage twists.
- 75The A.V. ClubNoel MurrayThe A.V. ClubNoel MurrayOne of the most expensive Danish movies ever made, and at times, it's glossy to a fault.
- 70Wall Street JournalJoe MorgensternWall Street JournalJoe MorgensternIf you're looking for an action thriller, this isn't it. The pace is deliberate, the tone is pensive, albeit punctuated by occasional violence, and the style is exceedingly lean; characters reveal themselves mainly through moral choices.
- 70The New York TimesManohla DargisThe New York TimesManohla DargisWhat Flame & Citron has are decent men taking down Nazis (always a crowd pleaser) and some appealing actors — notably Mr. Lindhardt, Mr. Mikkelsen and Christian Berkel as the head of the Copenhagen Gestapo.
- 70NPRMark JenkinsNPRMark JenkinsThe movie's storytelling can be as old-fashioned as its appearance. Some sequences are quick and messy, but others are grand and theatrical.
- 50New York PostV.A. MusettoNew York PostV.A. MusettoAs directed by Ole Christian Madsen, the thriller features well-choreographed shootouts and assassinations. But the script is too melodramatic and complicated for its own good.