Bumblebee
Mary Poppins Returns
Halloween
Outlander
Log in with Facebook
OR
By creating an account, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies, and to receive email from Rotten Tomatoes and Fandango.
Please enter your email address and we will email you a new password.
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Critic Consensus: No consensus yet.
All Critics (31) | Top Critics (12) | Fresh (23) | Rotten (8)
"When We Leave" has a predetermined arc that almost chokes its life, but for frustrated witnesses to this passion play, Kekilli offers redemption.
A powerhouse melodrama that feels didactic and manipulative even as it rips your heart out.
The whole sad enterprise is watchable because of Kekilli.
Unfortunately, Aladag was not as nuanced in her approach as her star.
There are some intense, moving sequences, but too much emotional badgering and a general shortage of finesse.
Aside from its conclusion, "When We Leave'' is credible and well-observed.
The movie is suffocated by its own grim determinism.
...an old-fashioned melodrama with all the heightened emotions and focus on the struggles of an almost saintly heroine that you would expect from a work in that genre.
What elevates When We Leave is the three-dimensional acting and the larger context.
It's grueling, but Kekilli is fantastic.
...a routine, interminably paced drama...
The personal and the political are represented here. When We Leave is distinguished by strong performances, especially from Kekilli.
In "When We Leave," Umay(Sibel Kekilli) suffers another beating from her husband Kemal(Ufuk Bayraktar) after she was caught lying about where she spent the day. In fact, she had gotten an abortion, the first step in leaving her husband, with their son Cem(Nizam Schiller), to return to her native Germany, away from Turkey where she always felt isolated and alone. At home, her younger sister Rana(Almila Bagriacik) is getting ready for her wedding while their parents(Derya Alabora & Settar Tanriogen) are curious how long she will be staying. Yeah, about that...Umay's plan is to stay permanently, planning on working and studying, and burning her passport to make her point. In which case, a plan is made to return Cem to his father... "When We Leave" is for the most part a compelling drama on the difficult subject of honor killing, exploring it with much needed complexity, especially the hypocrisies involved. For a lot of the movie, this is accomplished through very good performances and subtlety. But the movie self-destructs with a horrible ending(maybe not for the reasons you are thinking) and a scene where the movie grandstands to horrifying effect. As an unintended side effect, Umay, who for the most part comes off as sympathetic, starts to seem a little self-centered, not realizing that her actions have repercussions for others, especially her family.
Super Reviewer
View All Quotes
View All