By turns funny, brilliant, shocking and downright terrible, this choppy, two-hour-plus voyage is for Polanski aficionados who don't mind watching their favorite, aging enfant terrible going gleefully under.
– Desson Thomson,
Washington Post,
1 Jan 2000
fresh:
This material obviously appeals to his sense of mischief, which remains alive and well.
– Janet Maslin,
New York Times,
30 Aug 2004
fresh:
Rich and darkly disturbing, it's also wickedly entertaining.
– Geoff Andrew,
Time Out,
9 Feb 2006
rotten:
Strong playing by topliner Peter Coyote can't compensate for a script that's all over the map and a tone that veers from outre comedy to erotic game-playing.
– Derek Elley,
Variety,
26 Mar 2009
fresh:
It's a matter of some dispute whether Roman Polanski's letter to the darker side of the romantic impulse, but there's little question that this is his most emotionally complex movie.