Critic Reviews

Aladag's point, I think, is that no matter how righteous we may feel about this kind of zero-sum cultural collision, for the human beings involved it often results in unbearable tragedy.

When We Leave is a film without villains. Instead, it features a set of circumstances that inevitably and needlessly spin out of control.

This melodrama about spousal abuse and honor killings might be too grim to bear, but Kekilli keeps it centered.

Kekilli, more than an unofficial spokeswoman for rebellious Euro-Muslim youth, sells a simple and deterministic story through her sheer presence and precise reaction shots.

It is frequently gripping and sincere in its intentions, but never quite as revelatory, or as devastating, as it should be.

As powerful as the movie is, it stays on the outside of a culture looking in.

Kekilli sensitively portrays Umay's conflicted despair, and the relationship with her son is beautifully rendered.

Kekilli delivers a perfectly tuned performance. Too bad the script is often clunky and melodramatic, as the first-time director, Vienna-born Feo Aladag, tries to manipulate viewers' emotions.

A doleful melodrama. There are some intense, moving sequences, but too much emotional badgering and a general shortage of finesse.

The film has the look of unflinching truth, yet it too often feels like a calculated ploy to stoke viewers' liberal-guilty consciences.