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      Timbuktu

      PG-13 2014 1 hr. 37 min. Drama List
      98% 125 Reviews Tomatometer 77% 5,000+ Ratings Audience Score A Malian cattleman (Ibrahim Ahmed) and his family face the wrath of Islamic fundamentalists after a tragic accident. Read More Read Less

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      Timbuktu

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      Critics Consensus

      Gracefully assembled and ultimately disquieting, Timbuktu is a timely film with a powerful message.

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      Audience Reviews

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      Alec B The film's narrative proves to be a strong argument against religious extremism (essentially by arguing that no one could ever follow such strict rules to the letter, even those enforcing them) while also never feeling that it has an ax to grind. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 12/13/23 Full Review isla s This is a slow moving film, one that gives you a good insight into the lives of regular people in the area. Its a relatively thoughtful film although the lack of plot direction felt a bit frustrating. Its by no means full of strong, bloody violence, which may come as a relief to some. I thought it seemed like a 'fly in the wall documentary' style of film. In terms of portraying a specific culture, it was interesting. While it isn't especially graphic in terms of violence, there are certainly bleak moments too. I'd say this is an interesting, thoughtful docu-drama overall. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Audience Member Remarkably well crafted look at the impact of radical Islam on decent minded and pious Muslims in Mali. The horrors and corruption of this type of ideology are laid bare in a never dull picture that deserves a lot of credit. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 01/28/23 Full Review dave s One can't help but wonder if, instead of just being a really good film, Timbuktu couldn't have been a great one. Set in the arid Saharan desert in and around Timbuktu, it's a visual feast of vast expanses and rolling dunes. The story, timely and relevant, involves the arrival of Islamic fundamentalists and the imposition of their laws on those in the area, poor villagers who are simply content to eke out a meager existence from the harsh environment. While the film has its powerful moments, it sometimes feels as though it has lost its way as it introduces various storylines and a multitude of characters. Instead of focusing on one scenario (the conflict over the cow and the fishing net, for example), it tends to meander about like the winding streets of Timbuktu. It's a good film, just not a great one. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 03/30/23 Full Review Audience Member There are moments in this film of real beauty and also moments where it genuinely moves you. The disparate strands never really tie together though and the unifying theme of 'aren't Jihadists mean!' isn't deep enough or nuanced enough to hang the whole film on. Rated 2 out of 5 stars 02/04/23 Full Review nefasto r Although it is difficult to dislike a film with such gorgeous visuals and powerful messages, I also think that, because of this elements, should have been way better. It is like it fell short of its potential. Nevertheless "Timbuktu" its a view I would recommend, because it shows realities so far from us that makes them so easy to forget. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Read all reviews Post a rating

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      Critics Reviews

      View All (125) Critics Reviews
      Dwight Brown National Newspaper Publishers Association Calling Sissako a brilliant filmmaker is an understatement. Mar 7, 2017 Full Review Nigel Andrews Financial Times It's skilful, sardonic, honourably humane. Are those qualities, today, enough? Rated: 3/5 Dec 30, 2015 Full Review Adam Nayman The Walrus Sissako, who always has balanced his social conscience with a stridently comic sensibility, frames the Islamists as figures of fear, but also of mockery. Dec 30, 2015 Full Review Diego Batlle Otroscines.com Timbuktu is filmed with the habitual class, sensibility and lyricism of this remarkable director [Abderrahmane Sissako]. [Full review in Spanish] Rated: 3.5/5 Jun 22, 2023 Full Review Michael J. Casey Michael J. Cinema Some movies need time and distance to establish themselves and prove their greatness. 'Timbuktu' only needs 17 minutes to establish itself as a masterwork. Rated: 4.5/5 Oct 11, 2021 Full Review Dustin Chang ScreenAnarchy Timbuktu is a strong statement against the extreme Islamic militants who seem to take the moral high ground and impose their laws upon people they don't understand. Feb 21, 2021 Full Review Read all reviews

      Movie Info

      Synopsis A Malian cattleman (Ibrahim Ahmed) and his family face the wrath of Islamic fundamentalists after a tragic accident.
      Director
      Abderrahmane Sissako
      Screenwriter
      Abderrahmane Sissako, Kessen Tall
      Production Co
      arte France Cinéma, Les Films du Worso, Arches Films, Dune Vision, Orange Studio
      Rating
      PG-13 (Thematic Elements|Some Violence)
      Genre
      Drama
      Original Language
      French (France)
      Release Date (Streaming)
      May 26, 2015
      Box Office (Gross USA)
      $1.1M
      Aspect Ratio
      Scope (2.35:1)
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