It engages us from beginning to end without strong narrative, or narratives. It lives through the quality of Holofcener's dialogue and the performances that she has drawn from her actors.
– Stanley Kauffmann,
The New Republic,
21 Apr 2006
fresh:
Holofcener builds scenes around motifs that resonate marvelously.
– David Edelstein,
New York Magazine/Vulture,
21 Apr 2006
fresh:
As a creator of characters, Holofcener has strong instincts for emblematic situations and telling habits, yet she takes a reticent approach to development -- she observes her subjects closely, but doesn't necessarily interpret.
– Jessica Winter,
Time Out,
25 May 2006
fresh:
This is a dense and sophisticated work about mortality, materialism, madness, jealousy and pity a movie in which the fabulous duds are ripped off the "Sex and the City" gals and they're left teetering on the edge of the abyss...
– Andrew O'Hehir,
Salon.com,
7 Oct 2006
fresh:
This delicious, seriocomic tale of four friends in affluent, liberal, west L.A. grappling with midlife crises, metrosexual spouses and household remodeling takes on an avoided subject: money, and how it affects our relationships.