Full-throttle melodrama about an ill-starred romance set against the backdrop of the siege of Sarajevo. A mother brings her teenage son to Sarajevo, where his father died in the Bosnian conflict years ago.
It's debatable whether the best love stories are also the "weirdest," as Emile Hirsch's character declares in "Twice Born." But they do require chemistry, the missing piece in his pairing with Penelope Cruz.
– Sheri Linden,
Los Angeles Times,
2 Jan 2014
rotten:
Sergio Castellitto's film projects a tumultuous love story against the backdrop of the Bosnian War for independence, and then seems unaware that the foreground overshadows it in the worst possible way.
– Todd Gilchrist,
TheWrap,
6 Dec 2013
rotten:
"Twice Born" chokes to death on its own melodrama.
– Kyle Smith,
New York Post,
6 Dec 2013
fresh:
A magnificent performance from Penelope Cruz.
– Richard Roeper,
Richard Roeper.com,
6 Dec 2013
rotten:
Yes, it's all as clunky and tasteless as the description suggests, and the awkward casting doesn't improve this overlong drama.