
The Immigrant
2013, Drama/History, 1h 57m
112 Reviews 10,000+ RatingsWhat to know
critics consensus
Beautiful visuals, James Gray's confident direction, and a powerful performance from Marion Cotillard combine to make The Immigrant a richly rewarding period drama. Read critic reviews
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Movie Info
Cast & Crew
Ewa
Bruno Weiss
Orlando
Belva
Clara
Rosie Hertz
News & Interviews for The Immigrant
Critic Reviews for The Immigrant
All Critics (112) | Top Critics (52) | Fresh (95) | Rotten (17)
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The physical look of the movie is a revelation of a lost past.
September 22, 2014 | Full Review… -
The film, too, changes shape as it goes along, beginning as something resembling social realism before developing into an old-fashioned "woman's picture."
September 12, 2014 | Rating: 4.5/5 | Full Review… -
Gray's beautiful, dark film is a reminder of the difficulties faced by immigrants in any place and at any time.
September 11, 2014 | Rating: 4/5 -
The film is an achievement. Its complex reckoning of moral decency deserves a bigger audience.
June 11, 2014 | Full Review… -
Gray's movie is an almost flawlessly articulated example of the kind of thing we like to say they just don't make any more: serious, adult, character-driven and impassioned.
June 6, 2014 | Rating: 3.5/4 | Full Review… -
At times, Khondji's golden portraiture can make the characters seem encased in amber. But there's a tremendous payoff for the patient.
June 5, 2014 | Rating: 3/4 | Full Review…
Audience Reviews for The Immigrant
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Sep 19, 2017Glossy production values undone by unsatisfying drama. Marion Cotillard wears a passively worried face throughout as the tiltular Polish Immigrant forced into selling her body to make money to secure the release of her sister at the Ellis Island infirmary. She is enabled in this pursuit by the predatory Joaquin Phoenix, whose off-the-handle acting seems several decades out of time, but give him points for elfort. Appearing as an all-tooconvenient wedge between them is Phoenix' magician cousin Jeremy Renner who takes a shine to the shy newcomer. Their conflict feels forced and phony, met with a particularly laughable conclusion. Eye-catching costumes & turn-of-the-century.period detail though.Doctor S Super Reviewer
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Jan 05, 2017Great actors in this unique film. I recall this movie coming out a few years back, but didn't think I'd get into it. Well, I gave it a shot and it was actually pretty good. Great story.Nani V Super Reviewer
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Apr 15, 2015This film just came out of nowhere. I really enjoyed it with some great performances.Ian W Super Reviewer
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Sep 25, 2014Post war drama directed by James Gray, starring Marion Cotillard, Joaquin Phoenix, and Jeremy Renner was quite a heavy weight watching. It was nominated for the Palme d'Or at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival, and I believe that it was close to the top! The working titles of the film were Low Life and The Nightingale, and I am really glad that the better name option was later discovered. The story takes us in year 1921, when a Catholic Polish woman Ewa (Marion Cotillard) and her sister Magda (Angela Sarafyan) arrive at Ellis Island, New York City as immigrants. Looking for a better life after escaping their ravaged home in post-Great War Poland did not start well. Magda is quarantined because of her lung disease, and Ewa , who was raped on the ship, is almost deported! A stranger named Bruno (Joaquin Phoenix) notices her and her fluency in English and bribes an officer to let her go. Bruno takes Ewa to his house, but soon Ewa discovers that she has to make money to get Magda out...Bruno lets her dance at the Bandits' Roost theatre but that is not enough. She becomes a prostitute for her boss Bruno who starts getting romantically interested in her as well... According to the director James Gray, the movie is "80% based on the recollections from my grandparents, who came to the United States in 1923", and he described it as "my most personal and autobiographical film to date", but he was also inspired by Giacomo Puccini's opera Il Trittico. It is a significant work of art which sometimes carries a heavy burden but lacks momentum which drags the events even slower. Performances were outstanding and probably the strongest part of the cinematic experience! Worth watching!Panta O Super Reviewer
The Immigrant Quotes
Ewa Cybulski: | "Is it a sin for me to survive when I have done so many bad things?" |
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