The Guitar: Critic Reviews

The Guitar is a lark, at best, but when Burrows' healing indulgence extends to taking on lovers of both sexes, its goofiness acquires a certain hedonistic charm.

That the movie is easy on the eyes (Melody's fetching silhouette against those sunset river views) doesn't make it any less bogus.

Interesting only in showing how tin-eared scriptwriting (by Amos Poe) can make 2008 New York City seem less familiar than 1952 Japan.

Some new directors often opt for minimalism in the hope that less is more. This doesn't work for Amy Redford (Robert's daughter), who transitions from actress to filmmaker with The Guitar.

Written by Amos Poe and directed with moxie by Amy Redford, it's the ultimate movie about optimism.

You have to see it for yourself. It is that out-of-the-depths triumphant.

This beguiling wisp of a film charms and maddens in equal measure.

[A] bizarre art-house equiva lent of The Bucket Lisy.

A sobering and resonant tale.

We've probably all wondered what we'd do if given a few short months to live and the premise of The Guitar takes one self indulgent option

An interesting premise is weakened by directorial callowness, tonal uncertainty and an unengaging central performance.

A strong, kind-hearted start to a hopefully active career [for director Amy Redford].

I was seduced by Melody's story. Sucked in, enjoying Amy Redford's film despite myself.

The movie has more cliched rebirths in mind, and you'll resent where it goes.

After spending 45 of the movie's 95 minutes in an orgy of consumerism, The Guitar suddenly speeds up its tempo and begins bombarding us with plot developments.

Without its weirdo visual flourishes, The Guitar would be completely reprehensible.

Saffron Burrows is commanding as a distraught woman who finds a novel way to cope with tragedy, but the movie constantly subverts realistic detail with the fantastic in ways that are not dramatically satisfying.

To be brutally honest, there are many other things I would rather do with my final days than sit through this cliched mess all over again.