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The Arbor


The critical consensus

Not an easy watch, but outstanding performances from Christine Bottomley (Early Doors), Majinder Virk and Natalie Gavin as daughters and mum respectively are among the many compensations.

***(*)(*)Alison Rowat, The Herald, 21/10/2010

This halfway house may be a novel approach but there’s more than a whiff of Nick Park’s Creature Comforts about it, and that coupled with the unrelenting grimness makes The Arbor something of a chore.

Paul Greenwood, Evening Times, 21/10/2010

Barnard has created a modernist, compassionate biopic: a tribute to (Dunbar's) memory and her embattled community.

****(*)Peter Bradshaw, The Guardian, 21/10/2010

Though it's a hard watch, it's a devastating insight into the realities that sometimes lie behind the creative process.

***(*)(*)Alistair Harkness, The Scotsman, 23/10/2010

Rather than being distanced by Barnard’s formal experimentation, we end up engrossed.

****(*)Tom Dawson, The List, 22/10/2010

It’s a powerful story, but muddled by the nagging distraction of having these voices lip-synched by actors.

***(*)(*)Philip Kemp, Total Film, 21/10/2010

Moving, bold, unconventional and impeccably staged, The Arbor is a worthy tribute to a powerfully artistic voice.

****(*)Anna Smith, Empire Online

Barnard's bold treatment is vivid and accomplished.

***(*)(*)Siobhan Synnot, The Scotsman, 26/10/2010


Features about The Arbor

The Arbor: examining Andrea Dunbar's legacy

Sheila Johnston, The Telegraph, 18/10/2010

Andrea Dunbar: A genius from the slums

Jonathan Romney, The Independent, 17/10/2010

Sound vision: lip-synching and looping in the movies

Ben Walters, The Guardian, 21/10/2010

Clio Barnard's The Arbor is out of lip-synch with reality

David Cox, The Guardian, 25/10/2010

Where and when?

General release. Check local listings for show times.

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