Al Midan 2013

David Edelstein, New York Magazine/Vulture: The Square is inner-world-shaking. Read more

Farran Smith Nehme, New York Post: "The Square" isn't a nuanced or complete view of Egyptian politics, but it's an enthralling view of fervent reformists, willing to go back to Tahrir as often as it takes. Read more

Joe Morgenstern, Wall Street Journal: "The Square" stands as a valuable document of a tormented time, an anatomy of a revolutionary movement doomed by a paucity of viable institutions, and by the movement's failure to advance a coherent agenda. Read more

Moira MacDonald, Seattle Times: The camera becomes a revolutionary: running, chasing, breathlessly jittery, up in the face of interrogators. Read more

Jay Weissberg, Variety: The Square understands that the Revolution itself is a work in progress, and while its immediacy means it, too, will soon be superseded, it stands as a vigorous, useful account. Read more

Mike D'Angelo, AV Club: Think of The Square as a bulletin from the front-one of many to come, in all likelihood. Read more

Ty Burr, Boston Globe: What does a revolution feel like from the inside? I'm not sure we'll ever get closer than "The Square," an electrifying, at times heartbreaking documentary from the Egypt-born, Harvard-educated documentarian Jehane Noujaim. Read more

Peter Rainer, Christian Science Monitor: A powerhouse documentary that takes us into the eyes of several storms. Read more

Lisa Kennedy, Denver Post: Noujaim's film attests to how quickly joyous weeping in the streets gave way to sectarian arguments over the army's role and fissures in promising alliances. Read more

Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times: "The Square" bears witness to history in an articulate, thoughtful and intensely dramatic way. Read more

Mark Jenkins, NPR: Ultimately, one of the principal appeals of the D.C.-born Egyptian-American filmmaker's documentary is its intimacy. Read more

John Powers, NPR: If, like me, you watched all this on TV, the ongoing turmoil began to feel like a distant, abstract blur. Noujaim takes us inside this history by centering on three protesters, each from a different background. Read more

Elizabeth Weitzman, New York Daily News: Pulses with an immediacy that will leave you simultaneously enlightened and stunned. Read more

A.O. Scott, New York Times: "The Square," while it records the gruesome collision of utopian aspirations with cold political realities, is not a despairing film. Read more

Simon Houpt, Globe and Mail: If the resulting film is unwieldy - five editors, five "additional editors," and six assistant editors are credited - it also brims with angry urgency. Read more

David Fear, Time Out: The Square offers more than just pictures of a revolution; it lets you into the mind-set of those fighting for their future, and that makes all the difference. Read more

Michelle Orange, Village Voice: The Square moves quickly, its reams of raw footage complemented by fleet and skillful editing. Read more

Ann Hornaday, Washington Post: Epitomizes nonfiction film not just as a way to deepen knowledge and understanding, but also as an art form. Read more