Sayles must have felt the need to weigh in on the last election. But if he was going to do it, a little more planning, writing -- and especially casting -- would have helped.
– Roger Moore,
Orlando Sentinel,
19 Nov 2004
rotten:
The plot of Silver City is movieish in the extreme, with filthy abandoned mines subbing for the bars and alleys of urban noir, but it's no more than mild cheese.
– David Denby,
New Yorker,
6 Oct 2004
rotten:
Though there's nothing wrong with moral outrage, it doesn't always aid the telling of a complex story. More subtlety might have worked better.
– Claudia Puig,
USA Today,
30 Sep 2004
fresh:
Sayles has assembled a large, eclectic, talented cast.
– Eleanor Ringel Gillespie,
Atlanta Journal-Constitution,
23 Sep 2004
fresh:
Sayles' prolix narrative, weighed down with subplots and characters and canvassing many social ills, dilutes the impact of a work that should nevertheless still make an impact on thoughtful viewers.