
Tulpan
2008, Drama/Comedy, 1h 40m
71 Reviews 2,500+ RatingsWhat to know
critics consensus
Kazakh sheep herders get their cinematic due in this lovely, unsentimental debut from director Sergei Dvortsevoy. Read critic reviews
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Critic Reviews for Tulpan
All Critics (71) | Top Critics (33) | Fresh (68) | Rotten (3)
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But in addition to the brutality of Tulpan's environment, and its merciless impress on the inhabitants, the film succeeds foremost, most surprisingly, as comedy. The trials and tribulations of Asa are worthy of Samuel Beckett.
June 17, 2013 | Full Review… -
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November 17, 2011 | Rating: 4/5 -
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September 14, 2010 | Rating: 3.5/4 | Full Review… -
Perceptive and humorous, this gentle drama is uplifting and resonant.
November 13, 2009 | Rating: 4/5 | Full Review… -
Dvortsevoy exhibits the storytelling composure and technical proficiency of a veteran, while his keen eye for a pastoral poetic flourish places 'Tulpan' firmly among the year's most endearing cinematic experiences.
November 13, 2009 | Rating: 4/5 | Full Review… -
[A] beguiling feature debut.
November 13, 2009 | Rating: 4/5 | Full Review…
Audience Reviews for Tulpan
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Feb 22, 2016Dvortsevoy blurs the line between fiction and reality as he offers us an unforgettable peek at an almost alien universe, displaying a remarkable control of his shaky camera and capturing some incredible fortuitous shots against the barren, ruthless sight of the Kazakhstan steppe.Carlos M Super Reviewer
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Jan 31, 2012Really good movie, though one that's more on the quieter side, but it's a lovely little movie nonetheless. I think part of the movie's charm is really how simple it is and how that simplicity is used to create a compelling story with a character who's torn between two lifestyles. The cast feels completely natural as well, as if they were a real family. Granted living in a steppe for a month prior to filming will do that to you, but the movie felt like it just captured a slice in the life of this family and doesn't feel like you're watching a movie at all. Apparently the Kazakhstan government thought that this movie was even more degrading than Borat. Of course they are wrong about this. I don't think the movie is out to represent how all Kazakh people live in "poor" conditions. On top of that, the family in the movie is presented as hard-working and loving (with the exception of Asa and Ondas's dislike of each other), yet this representation is more degrading than Borat? If anything it tries its hardest to shed that image. So kudos to this movie for having respect for its story and its characters. I wouldn't recommend this movie to everybody, seeing as Transformers fans will be bored to tears, but I think it's worth seeing.Jesse O Super Reviewer
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Jun 24, 2010A drama about rural life in the Kazakhstan Hunger Steppe. Living with his sisters family, brother Asa attempts to marry the only eligible woman around, so he can become a herdsman, while everyone else attempts to get by in the barren wasteland, by tending the sheep, listening to Boney M played loud, reciting the day's radio news or pretending a stick is a horse (little Nuka roams around the film set, oblivious to everything) . All the actors bar one had no acting experience so the film feels like more of a documentary than a fiction, and the story is good, and gently humourous. And it will definitely improve your knowledge of Kazakhstan if all you've watched so far is BORAT. <img src="http://www.newint.org/columns/media/film/2009/12/01/428-30-tulpan.jpg">Lesley N Super Reviewer
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Apr 13, 2009An interesting tale of the true Kazakstan..in other words the non Borat version. After being taken with the intriguing people of the Steppe, the film drifts slightly and is inconsistent. Attention span alert for those easily distracted..give it a skip.John B Super Reviewer
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