When do we first sense reality slip away? Do we? Can the film be accepted on its own terms? Can the point of view be trusted?
– Roger Ebert,
Chicago Sun-Times,
21 Jun 2012
fresh:
The movie casts such a seductive air of mystery that the resolution feels anticlimactic, yet there's plenty to enjoy along the way, particularly Hawke's nuanced lead performance as a quiet man with secrets of his own.
– Ben Sachs,
Chicago Reader,
21 Jun 2012
rotten:
A thankless lead vehicle for Ethan Hawke who's left largely stranded by writer-director Pawel Pawlikowski's opaque adaptation of Douglas Kennedy's novel.
– Gary Goldstein,
Los Angeles Times,
21 Jun 2012
fresh:
Those who prefer tidy, "Murder, She Wrote" closure are advised to shop elsewhere.
– Colin Covert,
Minneapolis Star Tribune,
28 Jun 2012
rotten:
"The Woman in the Fifth" leaves so many holes unfilled that instead of ending up intriguing, it's just plain frustrating.