While Rodriguez punches through the indie clutter to announce herself as a superb new movie talent, so Kusama scores big points in her first main event.
88
Boston GlobeJay Carr
Boston GlobeJay Carr
A terrific little uppercut of a boxing movie and close to a perfect one.
88
New York PostJonathan Foreman
New York PostJonathan Foreman
Refreshing and surprising, the way independent movies are supposed to be.
88
Charlotte ObserverLawrence Toppman
Charlotte ObserverLawrence Toppman
The effect is as potent as a straight right to the solar plexus.
80
Village VoiceJ. Hoberman
Village VoiceJ. Hoberman
A near-irresistible button-pusher that's agile enough to hold a mirror to its own aspirations: The Sundance prize-winning filmmaker and her prize discovery, Michelle Rodriguez, merge in the image of a self-invented amateur boxer.
75
San Francisco ChronicleEdward Guthmann
San Francisco ChronicleEdward Guthmann
The movie belongs to Rodriguez: A gorgeous woman with a powerful body and the face of an Aztec princess, she's also a natural talent who instinctively understands the importance of economy in good acting.
75
Miami HeraldRene Rodriguez
Miami HeraldRene Rodriguez
Gets everything right.
75
New York Daily NewsJami Bernard
New York Daily NewsJami Bernard
Uplifting and moving in a traditional Hollywood way, while also seeming as raw and unfiltered as cinema vérité.
75
Philadelphia InquirerSteven Rea
Philadelphia InquirerSteven Rea
Rodriguez is riveting, with a drop-dead cynical charm.
75
San Francisco ExaminerWalter Addiego
San Francisco ExaminerWalter Addiego
There's a sense of genuineness throughout Girlfight.