Propelled by a captivating, wrenching performance by Karine Vanasse as Hanna, a 13-year-old girl adrift in a sea of powerful emotions in Montreal in 1963.
90
Village VoiceJessica Winter
Village VoiceJessica Winter
Karine Vanasse, as the protagonist Hanna, is perfectly cast because she has the body of a woman and the sweet, sexless face of a child.
90
L.A. WeeklyChuck Wilson
L.A. WeeklyChuck Wilson
Maintains a reflective, bittersweet tone that's almost tactile.
A challenging concept conveyed here most impressively onscreen.
75
Seattle Post-IntelligencerPaula Nechak
Seattle Post-IntelligencerPaula Nechak
Exquisite and fragile in visuals and tone, yet has some difficulty with a choppy narrative.
75
Portland OregonianKim Morgan
Portland OregonianKim Morgan
A coming-of-age movie that stands apart from the rest.
75
Philadelphia InquirerDesmond Ryan
Philadelphia InquirerDesmond Ryan
Stands apart from the trite conventions of most coming-of-age drama chiefly through the originality of Pool's approach and the honesty and conviction of Karine Vanasse's portrait of Hanna.
75
Chicago TribuneMichael Wilmington
Chicago TribuneMichael Wilmington
Shows us a filmmaker, unafraid of her emotions, unafraid to mine her past, someone clear-eyed, non-egoistic, full of life and warmth.