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Songs My Brothers Taught Me

2015

Chloé Zhao

John Reddy, Jashaun St. John, Irene Bedard, Taysha Fuller ...

6.8

356

Drama This complex portrait of modern-day life on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation explores the bond between a brother and his younger sister, who find themselves on separate paths to rediscovering the meaning of 'home'.

	Author	Review
United States	David Rooney The Hollywood Reporter	"A film about troubled yet enduring identity that's stirring in its own quiet, unhurried way."	POS
United States	Dennis Harvey Variety	"[It] may in fact be a little too low-key for some viewers, yet its poetic minimalism is atmospheric, with eventual emotional payoff in some incisively written scenes and a surprisingly effusive wrap-up."	POS
United Kingdom	Peter Bradshaw The Guardian	"A deeply intelligent and sympathetic rendering of real-life situations (...) Rating: ★★★★★ (out of 5)"	POS
United States	Stephen Holden The New York Times	"Because [Zhao's] laissez-faire approach makes little effort to fit the fragmentary scenes into a tidy portrait of reservation life, 'Songs My Brothers Taught Me' feels more authentic than if she had chosen to impose a tighter structure"	POS
United Kingdom	Dan Fainaru Screendaily	"It becomes like a kind of compelling documentary report on things which should be inadmissible in the modern world"	POS
United States	Godfrey Cheshire rogerebert.com	"The story’s ending, complete with lyrical voice-over, conveys the beauty and emotional attraction of the place and its traditions (…) Rating: ★★½ (out of 4)"	POS
United States	Mike D'Angelo AV Club	"Despite its unique setting, 'Songs My Brothers Taught Me' is pretty ordinary (...) Viewers will be torn between admiring its laid-back naturalism and wishing it possessed just a little more oomph."	NEU
United Kingdom	Ian Freer Empire	"A striking debut from a blistering talent. What it lacks in narrative oomph it makes up for in beautiful imagery, natural performances and a worldview all its own (…) Rating: ★★★★ (out of 5)"	POS

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