56
Metascore
15 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 80Los Angeles TimesKevin ThomasLos Angeles TimesKevin ThomasSweet, however, are the uses of melodrama in the skilled hands of Tornatore, for he transcends the lurid and the coincidental with range, depth and insight, and a bold, confident, suspenseful style, to create a fable of love and redemption.
- 75Entertainment WeeklyLisa SchwarzbaumEntertainment WeeklyLisa SchwarzbaumRussian-born Xenia Rappoport gives it her tragic-heroine all as an abused Ukraine prostitute-turned-sneaky housemaid in Italy in The Unknown Woman.
- 70Chicago ReaderAndrea GronvallChicago ReaderAndrea GronvallThe melodrama form allows Tornatore to examine such current issues as human trafficking and black-market babies within a yarn that, for all its sentiment, is never less than gripping.
- 70VarietyDeborah YoungVarietyDeborah YoungBrings peaks of violence and suspense to the vivid story of a young East European prostitute-turned-cleaning lady intent on carrying out a mysterious mission in Italy.
- 63TV Guide MagazineMaitland McDonaghTV Guide MagazineMaitland McDonaghThe film is flat-out gorgeous and contains moments of sheer lunacy.
- 60The New York TimesStephen HoldenThe New York TimesStephen HoldenMs. Rappoport’s sturdy performance helps keep this outlandish melodrama from collapsing into unintended comedy.
- 58Christian Science MonitorPeter RainerChristian Science MonitorPeter RainerRappoport is a powerhouse performer but the movie is an unstable concoction of political melodrama, film noir, and weepie.
- 50SalonAndrew O'HehirSalonAndrew O'HehirIt's an exceptionally well-made example of the kind of delirious, semi-Gothic, overcooked melodrama filmmakers from the Boot have long specialized in.
- 50San Francisco ChronicleMick LaSalleSan Francisco ChronicleMick LaSalleThe movie's one flaw is this: The whole movie hangs on the gradual unraveling of the central mystery and is made with the expectation that the audience is fascinated and hanging on every tidbit.
- 20Village VoiceVillage VoiceRepellent piece of garbage.