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The Boys of Baraka (2005)
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Reviews Counted:41
Fresh:30
Rotten:11
Average Rating:6.8/10
Consensus: The interviewed boys are compelling subjects, but the documentary would be better if the filmmakers had provided more factual details.
Theatrical Release:Nov 30, 2005 Limited
Synopsis: On September 12, 2002 twenty "at risk" 12-year-old boys from the tough streets of inner-city Baltimore left home to attend the 7th and 8th grade at Baraka, an experimental boarding school located... [More]
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Reviews for The Boys of Baraka
| Tomatometer | Critic | Review | Category |
|---|---|---|---|
 4.5/5 |
Raw emotions, both uplifting and depressing, are captured. Full Review |
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 2/5 |
I feel that all its acclaim and awards are meant more for the cause than for the artistic or journalistic achievements of presenting the cause. Full Review |
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3/5 |
leaves out vital pieces of information, such as how and why the school was founded and who pays for it Full Review |
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Rough but heartfelt, The Boys of Baraka addresses an important issue with conviction. Full Review |
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0/4 |
After Born into Brothels won an Academy Award for Best Documentary, it was only a matter of time before the imitators started coming along. Full Review |
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Click to read the article Full Review |
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3/4 |
Ends on a mixed note of hope and helplessness that clings to the consciousness for days. Full Review |
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2.5/4 |
Imagine if "Hoop Dreams" (1994), the documentary about Chicago high schoolers who dream of making the NBA, had slammed to a halt after the kids' junior year, and you'll get a feeling for the way "The Boys of Baraka" leaves you hanging. Full Review |
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3/4 |
It's galling to think American kids must go abroad for a chance to turn their lives around. But it's also inspiring to see the changes that are possible. Full Review |
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2.5/4 |
Is public indifference to the circumstances that produce these dead-end expectations fueled as much by the hopelessness depicted in well-meaning documentaries like 'Baraka' as by violent gangsta rap narratives and cliched boyz-n-the-hood movies? Full Review |
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3/4 |
This documentary makes you wonder what our nation's schools would be like if educators had all the resources they need and deserve . . . and if students here had as much individual instruction as they need and deserve. Full Review |
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A |
The Boys of Baraka leaves you outraged in the way only the best documentaries can. Full Review |
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3/5 |
You can see the direction that the documentary started to take, but thanks to the sudden shift in content, it has an unfinished feeling. Full Review |
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Click to read the article Full Review |
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Regardless of its shortcomings, The Boys of Baraka introduces a project that seems to do for Baltimore what Jaime Escalante did for inner-city Latino kids in Los Angeles. For this we must be grateful. Full Review |
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3.5/4 |
Almost brazenly bereft of artistic shaping, The Boys of Baraka still has the core of direct, human interest that sustains many documentaries. Full Review |
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3/4 |
A potent mixture of heartbreak and crushing irony. Full Review |
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3.5/4 |
A potent emotional experience. Full Review |
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C |
It is all very sketchy and superficial. Full Review |
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3/4 |
Here is a movie that makes you want to do something. Cry, or write a check, or howl with rage. Full Review |
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