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MOVIES / ON DVD / PRAYING WITH LIOR
Praying with Lior

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Praying with Lior (2008)

72%
86%
100%
N/A
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N/A
72 %
Reviews Counted: 18 Fresh: 13  Rotten:5 Average Rating: 6.8/10
Rated: Not Rated
Runtime: 1 hr 37 mins
Theatrical Release: Feb 1, 2008 Limited
Synopsis:
Diagnosed with Down syndrome, Lior is considered by some a "spiritual genius" and by others a mere nuisance. This inspiring documentary follows the boy's unique story, culminating in his bar mitzvah. [More]
Diagnosed with Down syndrome, Lior is considered by some a "spiritual genius" and by others a mere nuisance. This inspiring documentary follows the boy's unique story, culminating in his bar mitzvah. [Less]

Genre: Education/General Interest

Director: Ilana Trachtman
Producer: Ilana Trachtman
Composer: Andy Statman

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Ratings Image

A messy brew, sometimes manipulative, with no real conclusions, as Lior, though highly functional, cannot explain his deep sense of religion and those around him are too supportive to question.

Full Review | Comment
05/01/08 04:56 PM
Michele Kenner
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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This is the latest feel-good documentary to turn a spotlight on a much-misunderstood disorder, and per usual it demands that you unleash your sense of humor and table your pity.

Full Review | Comment
04/25/08 02:29 PM
Janice Page
Boston Globe
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Charming as Lior is, this triumphant little movie leaps from good to great by exploring the Liebling family dynamic.

Full Review | Comment
03/27/08 05:04 PM
Rachel Beckman
Washington Post
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Praying with Lior focuses on this precocious, lovable lad, while giving time as well to the special challenges he presents to others.

Full Review | Comment
02/05/08 07:50 AM
David Noh
Film Journal International
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Praying With Lior documents the extraordinary life of Lior Liebling, a rabbi’s son with Down syndrome.

| Comment
02/04/08 03:21 PM
Jeannette Catsoulis
New York Times
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Provides a complex, compelling depiction of the intrinsic relationship between love for God and one's kin.

Full Review | Comment
02/03/08 09:59 AM
Nick Schager
Cinematical
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Praying with Lior is a tremendously moving and invigorating film, but Lior's love for davening is minimally responsible.

Full Review | Comment
02/02/08 04:35 PM
Jordan Hiller
Bangitout.com
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Uninterested in exploring the larger history of beliefs and traditions concerning mentally challenged people and their closeness to God.

Full Review | Comment
02/01/08 01:46 PM
Maitland McDonagh
TV Guide's Movie Guide
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Ilana Trachtman's gentle profile does make for touching viewing, but she leaves too many questions unanswered.

Full Review | Comment
02/01/08 12:29 PM
Elizabeth Weitzman
New York Daily News
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Lior is a special boy, but the film remains refreshingly down-to-earth about his abilities and limitations, and in the four-month buildup to his bar mitzvah, it wonders openly about where this rite of passage might take him.

Full Review | Comment
01/31/08 02:59 PM
Scott Tobias
Onion AV Club
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An emotionally rich documentary about the extraordinary Bar Mizvah of a spiritually vibrant 13 year-old boy with Down Syndrome.

Full Review | Comment
01/31/08 01:54 PM
Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat
Spirituality and Practice
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A gentle, tender-hearted portrait of a devout young Jew with Down syndrome, Lior will not be for everyone, ...but its messages of family and love are pretty seductive.

Full Review | Comment
01/31/08 10:10 AM
John Anderson
Newsday
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In the Oscars of my mind there exists a category for Cutest Performance, and Lior Liebling just took home the golden statuette.

Full Review | Comment
01/31/08 09:58 AM
Rob Humanick
Slant Magazine
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Lior's big moment is an underdog weeper for the ages; I only wish the 80 minutes that preceded it had been as powerful.

Full Review | Comment
01/31/08 08:46 AM
Michelle Orange
Reeler
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This portrait of mentally challenged Lior Liebling, renowned within his tight-knit Jewish community for his closeness to God, is heartfelt but lacks context.

Full Review | Comment
01/31/08 03:15 AM
Maitland McDonagh
Time Out New York
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This doc is a hardcore tearjerker.

Full Review | Comment
01/29/08 01:40 PM
Julia Wallace
Village Voice
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Amid an escalating U.S. trend toward commercial entertainment that earnestly or exploitatively taps religious demographics, Praying With Lior explores a rather extraordinary instance of real-world faith, sans condescension or proselytizing.

Full Review | Comment
01/29/08 01:24 PM
Dennis Harvey
Variety
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If you can watch Praying With Lior without shedding a tear, it’s time for an emotional checkup.

Full Review | Comment
12/21/07 12:41 PM
John P. McCarthy
Boxoffice Magazine
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