| Good Review | Best Picture Nominee | Bad Review |
|---|
| A wondrously weird slice of Cajun magic realism... [title] explodes with energy and colour. (Movie Talk) | |
| Depending on whether you love or loathe such stuff, you're likely to either applaud with Lloyd Webber-esque glee, or plan to flee at the nearest opportunity. (The National) | |
| There are many heroes in [director]'s spunky, polished political thriller. But the biggest hero is Hollywood itself. (Boston Phoenix) | |
| This is movie magic -- history coming to life, before our eyes. (Seattle Times) | |
| [title] must be the most beautiful film of the year, a technical marvel, and magic realism at its most magical. (Daily Mail [UK]) | |
| Somehow exhibits high art while it walks a fine line between serious historical re-purposing, inflammatory comic excess and brutal violence. (Spectrum) | |
| Old age isn't for sissies, and neither is this film. (Chicago-Sun Times) | |
| Succeeds less on the merits of aesthetics than its willingness to give in to crowd-pleasing effervescence. (Projection Booth) | |
| An edge-of-your-seat ride through recent history featuring a great performance at its center. (Advocate) | |
Oscar Nominees (2009)
Best Picture Settings
Only Best Picture Appearance
