The story of a pair of children born within moments of India gaining independence from England, growing up in the country that is nothing like their parent's generation. A Canadian-British film adaptation of Salman Rushdie's novel of the same name.
There are enough intermittent passages of power and beauty to get you through the slow spots.
– Peter Rainer,
Christian Science Monitor,
3 May 2013
rotten:
Faithfully adapted from Salman Rushdie's award-winning 1981 novel, the movie feels both too packed and too slight, overflowing with vivid details but lacking the structure to support their weight.
– Barbara VanDenburgh,
Arizona Republic,
9 May 2013
rotten:
The film is beautifully shot, with vivid production design. But because of the tale's lack of cohesion, it doesn't carry enough emotional heft.
– Claudia Puig,
USA Today,
9 May 2013
rotten:
The effort to pack an already overstuffed picaresque epic into a film of more than two hours ends up an indigestible stew.