Colette Maude

"This is very silly stuff, but mildly engaging none the less. Silver adeptly juggles the set pieces"  

"The plot is reasonably entertaining, and Davis handles the action sequences well"  

"Poor Goldie is left stomping around (...) Too bad, because slick direction and rich textures created by long-time Eastwood cinematographer Jack Green prove enticing"  

"Far too cosy to serve as an effective social or political metaphor; better to regard it as a solid ensemble piece."  

"After an unpromising beginning, which conveys the couple's tediously arrogant exchanges, the film gathers force in its examination of grief and longing (...) An overblown conclusion."  

"[An] intelligent script (...) Reiner captures just the right level of physical tension, but for the most part wisely emphasises the mental duels. Terrific."  

"The underwater scenes are spectacular (...) Why, given this kind of creative care, do the film-makers resort to racial stereotyping for Ariel's crustacean servant?"  

"While themes of indoctrination and conspiracy prove initially intriguing, the film quickly descends into fistfights and gunfire."  

"Its strength stems from the intense depiction of a man stripped of dignity and sexuality as a result of appalling injuries (...) A compelling, elegiac film"  

"The mix of comedy, '90s sensibility, and swashbuckling action is more hit than miss, even if the overall effect is rather slapdash."  

"Despite occasional lapses into sentimentality, the film is saved by its performances and its uncluttered depiction of harsh impoverished lives"  

"Together with moments of dry humour and fine performances, the political element lends the film gravity sufficient to counterbalance any sense of whimsy. Pure magic"

"In the absence of real substance, Donaldson's stylish direction borders on the self-conscious, though cinematographer Peter Menzies Jr captures images of startling richness and clarity."  

"The impulse to provide an authentic reconstruction of conditions in Auschwitz finds distractions (...) which swamp the stark brutalities."