Riveting but uncomfortable. No masterpiece.
Comment
10/30/08
Hunger (2008)
90
%
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:105
Fresh:94
Rotten:11
Average Rating:7.7/10
Consensus: Unflinching, uncompromising, vivid and vital. Steve McQueen’s challenging debut is not for the faint hearted, but still a richly rewarding retelling of troubled times.
Theatrical Release:31-10-2008
Synopsis: Renowned English video artist Steve McQueen's feature film debut, HUNGER, is a cinematic punch to the gut. McQueen brings a visceral intensity to his retelling of the hunger strike instigated by... [More]
Starring: Michael Fassbender, Liam Cunningham, Stuart Graham, Brian Milligan
Director: Steve McQueen
Reviews for Hunger
McQueen understands the first principle of cinema. On either side of its middle section, where the very wordiness stands ironic witness to the ultimate impossibility to explain, Hunger has the power and hieratic integrity of silent cinema.
10/30/08
There is an avoidance of affect and a repudiation of the traditional liberal-lenient gestures of dialogue, dramatic consensus and narrative resolution. This is a powerful, provocative piece of work, which leaves a zero-degree burn on the retina.
10/31/08
Top CriticImagine how most filmmakers would tell this story and then see ‘Hunger’: the differences are bold and powerful and restore faith in cinema’s ability to cover history free from the bounds of texts and personalities.
10/30/08
Top CriticThis is a stunning debut feature.
10/18/08
Top CriticA riveting, harrowing true story that forces us to examine exactly what's involved in putting your life on the line for a cause
11/25/08
Ambitious, technically excellent in its documentary-like immediacy, and played with true conviction by Fassbender (whose weight-loss is enough to make you wince), Hunger nonetheless leaves the brain undernourished.
10/30/08
Intense, disturbing and powerful mix of vision and detail: a recreation of a terrible time combined with a vivid and distinctive artistic sensibility. Truly powerful filmmaking.
10/30/08
Top CriticThe message, I guess, is that incarceration dehumanises both prisoner and guards alike. Here it also serves to exasperate audiences.
10/31/08
Anchored by Fassbender’s turn, Hunger is as much about the personal as the political. The real breakthrough, though, is McQueen, who turns in a film that dazzles and challenges in equal measure.
10/30/08
Top CriticTurner Prize-winning artist Steve McQueen makes an impressive feature debut.
10/18/08
Ultimately, the one thing that can’t be questioned is McQueen’s bold and unflinching talent.
10/30/08
Top CriticMcQueen has not just made a striking film. He has forced us to see how we might behave in strained and unfamiliar circumstances when those who rule us lead us into the mire.
10/30/08
Because the film does not signal any partiality, one's focus inevitably turns on the revolting deterioration of Sands' body - it's a remarkable performance by Michael Fassbender.
10/30/08
Hunger is breeze-block heavy, an unforgettable portrait of battered and self-battering masculinity, a visceral and vitally important reawakening of repressed memories.
10/31/08
Top CriticMore pro-terrorist propaganda.
10/31/08
No sides are taken: each man’s arguments are given due weight and it’s clear why, despite mutual respect, there’s a gulf between them.
10/30/08
Whatever your opinion, there is no denying McQueen packs more powerful imagery into his feature-length debut than most directors manage in a lifetime.
10/31/08
Breathtaking. Astonishing. My pick for Best Picture of the Year. See this for one of cinema's greatest ever scenes, tagged as "The Scene".
12/25/08
Trite, grim and feebly provocative.
10/18/08
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