Fresh
A maddening movie that gives the viewer plenty to think about, but little to care about.
William Goss, Film.com
White Material
In the African heat, one woman stands alone
2010 · 1h 46m · NOT RATED
Drama
Directed by
Claire Denis
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White Material
Overview
In the midst of a volatile regime change in a Francophone African state, Maria Vial is fighting to sustain her family’s coffee plantation. With rebels and the army struggling for control, French peacekeeping forces move out, warning the remaining white residents that they’re on their own. But Maria refuses to be driven off the land, even as tragedy looms.
Director and cast
Critics on Rotten Tomatoes
Top critics, in their words
88%
Tomatometer
Fresh
White Material is unhurried in its storytelling but unshakable in its impact.
Calvin Wilson, St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Fresh
A thoughtful, if sometimes frustrating, tale of a Frenchwoman caught in the middle of a civil war in an unidentified African country.
Cary Darling, Dallas Morning News
Fresh
A poignant, haunting study of well-intentioned but doomed folly, embodied by a heroine whose bravery renders her blind to the world that is crumbling around her.
Rene Rodriguez, Miami Herald
Rotten
It's one of those movies where questions like "Why didn't they do that?" or "Wait, what's their relationship?" keep popping up. And for the most part, those questions never get answered.
Tom Long, Detroit News
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