Angels Crest 2011

Stephen Holden, New York Times: Despite several solid performances, the characters are too hazily sketched and too loosely linked to form a meaningful chain. Read more

Nick Schager, Time Out: The film can't locate the bone-deep sense of tragedy of Leslie Schwartz's novel -- it just keeps belching out empty, grief-stricken histrionics devoid of insight. Read more

Noel Murray, AV Club: It relies too much on two particularly played-out indie cliches: a spare, plunky soundtrack, and a narrative structure that teases out characters' backstory far longer than necessary. Read more

Peter Rainer, Christian Science Monitor: A garbled melodrama striving to be tragic drama. Read more

Eric D. Snider, Film.com: The movie's real strength is Gaby Dellal's careful, subtle direction. She avoids the pitfalls of melodrama and histrionics that often plague movies about loss, keeping her actors' emotions grounded in recognizable truth. Read more

John DeFore, Hollywood Reporter: Drama about the small-town aftermath of a child's accidental death can't match its sincerity with dramatic heft. Read more

Gary Goldstein, Los Angeles Times: Catherine Trieschmann's script, based on the novel by Leslie Schwartz, barely scratches the potentially loaded surfaces it serves up. Read more

Joe Neumaier, New York Daily News: There's actually less here than meets the eye. Read more

Sara Stewart, New York Post: Dellal gets respectable performances all around ... but they can't elevate "Angels Crest" ... beyond its one obvious and depressing note ... Read more

Ronnie Scheib, Variety: While there is a great deal of weeping and wailing going on in the town of Angels Crest, little of it is connected to a comprehensible or cohesive plot. Read more

Nick Pinkerton, Village Voice: Parental sorrow is a fine big theme; all that's missing here is the detail-work to humanize it. Read more