72
Metascore
10 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 83Portland OregonianMarc MohanPortland OregonianMarc MohanCanadian director Richie Mehta ("Amal") based Siddharth on his own random encounter with a father searching for his missing son, and the film never feels less than utterly real in its depiction of both everyday Indian life and the hopelessness that comes so naturally in this sort of tragic situation.
- 80The New York TimesStephen HoldenThe New York TimesStephen HoldenIts portrayal of impoverished, careworn people barking at one another and protecting their territory in a daily struggle is bracingly hardheaded.
- 80Los Angeles TimesSheri LindenLos Angeles TimesSheri LindenMehta explores matters more complex and unsettling than movie-tidy, against-the-odds heroism. In Tailang's fine performance, the enormity of Mahendra's mission registers in all its devastating weight.
- 75San Francisco ChronicleSan Francisco ChronicleAll this happens in an India that is both grim and beautiful: bustling, bureaucratic, colorful, harsh, full of cute children playing, full of downtrodden adults hustling for the next buck, full of life in general. It all feels very real. So does the ending.
- 75Washington PostStephanie MerryWashington PostStephanie MerryThe story itself never wavers when it comes to portraying the truth.
- 75Boston GlobePeter KeoughBoston GlobePeter KeoughThough at times Siddharth can resemble a well-photographed report on India’s social and economic ills, Mehta subtly employs different styles to sustain the poetry, poignancy, and drama.
- 75The Globe and Mail (Toronto)Liam LaceyThe Globe and Mail (Toronto)Liam LaceySimple but engrossing.
- 70Village VoiceAlan ScherstuhlVillage VoiceAlan ScherstuhlThe photography fascinates even when the story flags, and the film bristles with small revelations.
- 70The Hollywood ReporterNeil YoungThe Hollywood ReporterNeil YoungThis quietly impassioned indictment of child-labor takes its time to get going but then builds steadily to a surprisingly strong finale.
- 50Slant MagazineWes GreeneSlant MagazineWes GreeneA well-intentioned story of an impoverished father searching for his missing child is muddled by an ambitious sociological agenda in Richie Mehta's film.