59
Metascore
10 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 88RogerEbert.comGlenn KennyRogerEbert.comGlenn KennyIt is reported that this movie’s scenario was inspired by the life of Schroeder’s own mother, and the film has a personal tone that is not always detectable in his other movies. It enhances a film that’s one of the most thoughtful in his body of work.
- 70Los Angeles TimesMichael RechtshaffenLos Angeles TimesMichael RechtshaffenWhile its insights into the consequences of selective memory loss continue to resonate the world over, at its heart, Amnesia is a beautifully acted depiction of confronting regret.
- 70The Hollywood ReporterJordan MintzerThe Hollywood ReporterJordan MintzerBarbet Schroeder offers up a touching look at unrequited love and neglected memory with the simpatico two-hander, Amnesia.
- 63Slant MagazineWes GreeneSlant MagazineWes GreeneAmnesia ultimately delivers rich insights about its main characters’ relationship to their backgrounds.
- 60VarietyScott FoundasVarietyScott FoundasThere are a lot of compelling ideas afloat in “Amnesia” that never fully congeal, but the undeniable sincerity and personal commitment of Schroeder’s vision help to carry the film over its rough patches.
- 58The A.V. ClubMike D'AngeloThe A.V. ClubMike D'AngeloSchroeder was reportedly inspired to make Amnesia as a tribute to his mother, who left Germany not long after the Nazis came to power and never wanted to return; he even shot the film in the house where she lived for many years (which was also a major location in his 1969 debut, More). But neither he nor his co-writers managed to prevent their ostensible subtext from swamping the text.
- 50The New York TimesManohla DargisThe New York TimesManohla DargisAmnesia, Mr. Schroeder has said, is a story partly based on his mother, who refused to speak German, so perhaps it’s no surprise that it’s strongest when it focuses on Martha, a character Ms. Keller inhabits gracefully.
- 50Village VoiceVillage VoiceUnder Schroeder’s direction, Keller and Riemelt deliver wistful, earnest performances that almost make up for the script’s shortcomings.
- 50Screen DailyLee MarshallScreen DailyLee MarshallThis plodding drama, centring on the friendship between a young German DJ and an ageing expatriate, never shakes the dust off the pages.
- 50Movie NationRoger MooreMovie NationRoger MooreFresh insights are rare and dramatic moments rarer in Barbet Schroeder’s meditation on Germans forgiving themselves for the Holocaust, Amnesia.