73
Metascore
16 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 83The Film StageMichael SnydelThe Film StageMichael SnydelJames’ depiction of the trial is methodical, juxtaposing testimonies from the Sung family, employees, jurors, and lawyers – including Vance. But the film is foremost empathetic to the experiences of the Sung family.
- 80Screen DailyTim GriersonScreen DailyTim GriersonAbacus: Small Enough To Jail isn’t as grand or engrossing a treatise as Hoop Dreams or The Interrupters, but in its intimate, well-observed way, the film is deeply moving and subtly shaming.
- 80Village VoiceKristen Yoonsoo KimVillage VoiceKristen Yoonsoo KimBy focusing on the Sungs, [James] puts real, human faces to this corporation, leaving little doubt they’re the ones to root for.
- 75The PlaylistKevin JagernauthThe PlaylistKevin JagernauthWhile the film never reaches the kind of emotional peaks of James’ best work like “Hoop Dreams” or “The Interrupters,” Abacus: Small Enough To Jail is no less compelling. And it serves a very important reminder, particularly at a time when more than ever, it seems banks are putting profit in front of people.
- 70The Hollywood ReporterStephen DaltonThe Hollywood ReporterStephen DaltonA minor but touchingly human subplot to the financial crash, Abacus: Small Enough to Jail is both an affirmation and an indictment of the American Dream.
- 70VarietyOwen GleibermanVarietyOwen GleibermanThe movie is diligent and, to a degree, absorbing — a legal/business saga that’s also the story of a family in crisis.
- 70The New York TimesBen KenigsbergThe New York TimesBen KenigsbergIt’s a kind of stealth home movie: a portrait of two generations of an immigrant family in the United States.
- 63Slant MagazineChuck BowenSlant MagazineChuck BowenSteve James is clearly positioning the film as a rallying cry, and its weaknesses as art might bolster its strength as reformatory theater.
- 60CineVueBen NicholsonCineVueBen NicholsonBy focusing on the family, James makes Abacus about resilience and humility rather than the mechanics of litigation and in doing so underscores - perhaps more strongly than in other louder films on similar subjects - the injustice of the situation.
- 58The A.V. ClubIgnatiy VishnevetskyThe A.V. ClubIgnatiy VishnevetskyAs for what all of this represents, Small Enough To Jail doesn’t draw any conclusions that its many interviewees aren’t willing to voice themselves.