76
Metascore
22 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 100The Hollywood ReporterDavid RooneyThe Hollywood ReporterDavid RooneyThis is a beautifully crafted work and an acute evocation of its period both in look and attitude, and it’s no less deeply absorbing for being somewhat muted in tone.
- 100VarietyJustin ChangVarietyJustin ChangDecidedly not revolutionary cinema, Something in the Air instead quietly demystifies its subject. The tone of the piece is wryly affectionate but never indulgent; the experiences depicted feel emotionally true and lived-in without ever catching the viewer up in a rush of intoxication or excitement.
- 100Village VoiceStephanie ZacharekVillage VoiceStephanie ZacharekIn Something in the Air, that past—a version of Assayas's own—is rendered in visuals so specific and evocative, it's perpetually alive.
- 91Film.comFilm.comIt proves that the screen is the place where a memory can be reborn.
- 80Time OutJoshua RothkopfTime OutJoshua RothkopfAssayas evokes the atmosphere so vividly, you begin to breathe in his tale, rather than watch it.
- 80New York Daily NewsElizabeth WeitzmanNew York Daily NewsElizabeth WeitzmanAssayas may have been inspired by biographical memories, but “Air” is so sensitively observed that it simultaneously evokes a universal, and eternal, state of adolescence as well.
- 75The PlaylistOliver LytteltonThe PlaylistOliver LytteltonThere’s so much to like about the film, and it’s a mark of Assayas’ skill that it's a hugely engaging watch despite the blankness of the characters.
- 63Slant MagazineSlant MagazineDespite a fixation on fire as a cleansing agent (explosions, burning paintings, or a blazing house), the film, enveloping as it is, proves woefully short on burning dramatic or thematic intensity.
- The opening sequences of this film from director Olivier Assayas are gripping, as students flee baton-wielding police, then embark on a late-night vandalism spree at a school. But the drama becomes mired with too many characters, too many shots of pretty Italian scenery and an unfocused story.