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100
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Chicago Tribune Michael Wilmington
Be forewarned: Dog Days, like many of Seidel's films, will drive some moviegoers to rage and walkouts with its unrelentingly depressing tone. But it also a remarkable, deeply disturbing work by a brilliant filmmaker.
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90
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Variety Deborah Young
An acid portrait of contemporary Austria (and by extension, the whole middle class) as unspeakably dull, violent and stupid. The film itself, miraculously, is just the opposite: vibrantly inventive, aesthetically rigorous, sardonic and occasionally quite brilliant.
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80
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The New York Times A.O. Scott
The believability comes from the casting: he has found a group of actors and nonprofessionals who interact spectacularly well.
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75
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San Francisco Chronicle Edward Guthmann
His (Seidl) camera is shocking in its intimacy, his film surprisingly casual in its depiction of extreme behavior and the randomness of violence.
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75
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New York Post V.A. Musetto
Dog Days has much in common with "Code Unknown" -- both dart among several characters who may occasionally cross paths.
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70
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Los Angeles Times Manohla Dargis
Strangely entertaining.
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70
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TV Guide Ken Fox
Looks very much like a documentary: It's grainy and raw, and Seidl's actors -- a mix of actors and non-professionals -- are often unglamorously posed under what appears to be natural light.
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70
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The Hollywood Reporter
Willfully provocative, much like a small child performing outrageous acts just to get some attention.
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50
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Chicago Sun-Times Roger Ebert
It is admirable and well-made, but unutterably depressing and unredeemed by any glimmer of hope.
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50
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Christian Science Monitor David Sterritt
Some scenes of Ulrich Seidl's first fiction feature (he's already a respected documentary maker) are so brutal and degrading that they're hard to watch. Others are highly atmospheric and sometimes quite funny.
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