39
Metascore
17 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 70VarietyDerek ElleyVarietyDerek ElleyMixed Indian and Western cast --turn the true story of a case that changed British law into an old-style melodrama (in the best sense) complete with a feel-good ending.
- 63New York Daily NewsJack MathewsNew York Daily NewsJack MathewsRai's acting is frustratingly passive in Provoked, and the script is laced with prison and courtroom cliches. But the movie gets most of the facts straight and the flashbacks to the wife's abuse are harrowing.
- 58Entertainment WeeklyLisa SchwarzbaumEntertainment WeeklyLisa SchwarzbaumBased on a true story, this Indian variation on a theme of "The Burning Bed" emphasizes the psychological freedom the inmate finds behind bars.
- 50Washington PostAnn HornadayWashington PostAnn HornadayUnfortunately, Provoked possesses the tiny production values and schmaltzy music of a prime-time special, despite its ensemble of terrific actors.
- 40L.A. WeeklyL.A. WeeklyUnfortunately, syrupy music, reductive characterizations and bland cinematography turn her case into an earnest feminist fable that plays like an afterschool special for grown-ups.
- 40The New York TimesJeannette CatsoulisThe New York TimesJeannette CatsoulisUnfortunately, in keeping its inflammatory subject matter at arm’s length, Provoked does exactly the same to its audience.
- 30Los Angeles TimesCarina ChocanoLos Angeles TimesCarina ChocanoChopped into episodes headed by typewritten dates, Provoked turns the case of a lifetime into something straight out of Lifetime.
- 25New York PostV.A. MusettoNew York PostV.A. MusettoA clueless Mundhra tackles the subject with a heavy hand and a contrived script. The result is a daytime soap mixed with a second-rate women-behind-bars flick.
- 20Village VoiceVillage VoiceShort-changing issues of race and wearing its heart way out on its sleeve, it's the film's amateur exposition that's most dumbfounding -- poised to provoke more sarcasm than righteous indignation.