Ali & Ava

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2:13

Ali & Ava

2022

1h 34m

Drama

Romance

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

94%

Tomatometer

89 Reviews

67%

Popcornmeter

50+ Ratings

Both lonely for different reasons, ALI and AVA meet through their shared affection for SOFIA (6), the child of ALI's Slovakian tenants, whom AVA teaches. ALI finds comfort in AVA's warmth and kindness and AVA finds ALI's complexity and humor irresistible. Over a lunar month, sparks fly and a deep connection begins to grow. However, the legacy of AVA's past relationship and ALI's emotional turmoil at the breakdown of his marriage begins to overshadow their newfound passion.

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Critics Consensus

Ali & Ava's tender, naturalistic love story adds another powerful chapter to writer-director Clio Barnard's filmography.

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Christina Newland

iNews.co.uk

In Clio Barnard's realist Bradford-set drama, love between a Bengali-British property owner and an older classroom assistant is complicated, but powerful.

Rated: 4/5

Sep 19, 2024

Full Review

Justin Chang

Los Angeles Times

Barnard has made an ode to the beauty of messy, imperfect lives and their ability to converge at improbably perfect moments. Maybe it ends a beat too soon, but then so do some of your favorite songs.

Aug 4, 2022

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Mark Jenkins

Washington Post

What’s most satisfying about the movie is getting to know Ali and Ava separately. They’re endowed with warmth, depth and believability by Akhtar and Rushbrook, veteran supporting actors who are rarely cast in leading roles.

Rated: 3/4

Aug 2, 2022

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William Stottor

Loud and Clear Reviews

Ali & Ava might feel thematically slight, but this comforting drama warms the heart and soul with its central romantic relationship.

Rated: 3.5/5

Jul 18, 2024

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Morgan Rojas

Cinemacy

This middle-aged love story gives a fresh perspective on loneliness.

Rated: 3/5

Jan 28, 2023

Full Review

Gisela Savdie

Letra Urbana

The film manages to convey the state of loneliness of the characters, without falling into melodrama, while we feel how the pain penetrates our skin. [Full review in Spanish]

Rated: B+

Oct 6, 2022

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Mr. Hollywood

Enjoyed it more than I thought I would. Nothing new here but a familiar watch that is worth the time. And I discovered the song Slave to the Radio which made the movie for me.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

08/17/22

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mimi

Boring, drawn out, silly British movie!

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

08/11/22

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RZ

Nice, enjoyable RomCom.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

08/07/22

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Kate D

A love story. A story of two lovely people. Two people who are marginalised and different but bound together with compassion. The love for music in each of them lends itself to a gorgeous narrative. Banging beats, folky lilts. Watch the end credits.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

07/06/25

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Dave C

Telling the tale of lives intertwining at inopportune moments, with the chaos, ugliness, emotions, and pressures we all face whilst this Rock spins on its axis. It is set to the rhythms of two main characters, and their respective lives (jobs, families, friends, expectations, etc). It's a cross-section of how life is, with no frills, no airs and no graces... and it works. It's not new, but then it doesn't need to be for its story to be told

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

01/04/25

Full Review

Jen L

This is an excellent film. A human story set in a working class neighborhood in England. It's about two lonely people finding a connection to one another. The two leads are brilliant, the use of music is interesting and woven throughout to create an emotional cohesion between the two characters. Loved this. A sweet film about actual people and life. If you're sick of watching death, sex and fantastically wealthy people who have not one relatable thing about them, this is for you. Hopefully we aren't as rare as Hollywood would have us be.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

11/07/23

Full Review

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Clio Barnard

Director

Adeel Akhtar

Ali

Claire Rushbrook

Ava

Ellora Torchia

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Shaun Thomas

Callum

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Ali & Ava: Trailer 1

2:13

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Synopsis

Both lonely for different reasons, ALI and AVA meet through their shared affection for SOFIA (6), the child of ALI's Slovakian tenants, whom AVA teaches. ALI finds comfort in AVA's warmth and kindness and AVA finds ALI's complexity and humor irresistible. Over a lunar month, sparks fly and a deep connection begins to grow. However, the legacy of AVA's past relationship and ALI's emotional turmoil at the breakdown of his marriage begins to overshadow their newfound passion.

Director: Clio Barnard
Producer: Tracy O'Riordan
Screenwriter: Clio Barnard
Distributor: Greenwich Entertainment
Production Co: BBC Films, Moonspun Films, BFI Film Fund
Genre: Drama, Romance
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jul 29, 2022, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Aug 23, 2022
Runtime: 1h 34m

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