--- title: "Rosetta: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/rosetta/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/rosetta" critics_score: 69 critics_reviews: 9 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Rosetta (1999): what the critics said Critics' score 69 from 9 reviews: 5 positive, 4 mixed, 0 negative. Most critics respond positively to Rosetta, with praise centring on Émilie Dequenne’s physically committed performance and the Dardennes’ harsh, close observation of a young woman struggling to get by. The favourable reviews find the realism gripping and humane, drawing attention to Rosetta’s persistence and desperation rather than treating the austerity as an end in itself. Dequenne also earns praise from less persuaded critics, making her performance the clearest point of agreement. The spread runs from strong enthusiasm to qualified admiration, with reservations clustering around the film’s narrow focus and uncompromising approach. The Guardian finds it forceful but limited by the lack of social context and family background, while Variety sees its austerity as a barrier to broader appeal. The disagreement is chiefly over how much that close focus achieves: admirers find empathy and immediacy, while the more reserved reviews want a fuller account of the circumstances surrounding Rosetta. ## Los Angeles Times — Kenneth Turan Fi1m's normalised score 95/100 (inferred from the text). 26 November 1999. Turan calls the film a triumph of humanistic cinema, gripping and deeply empathetic. He praises Emilie Dequenne’s performance and the Dardennes’ close, unsparing portrayal of Rosetta’s desperation. [Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1999-nov-26-ca-37740-story.html) ## Empire — David Parkinson Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 1 January 2000. Parkinson gives a positive verdict on the film’s harsh, uncompromising realism. He particularly praises the Dardennes’ dispassionate depiction of the heroine’s struggle to get by. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/rosetta-2-review/) ## Slant Magazine — Glenn Heath Jr. Rating 3.5/5. 14 August 2012. The review presents Rosetta as a staggering, relentlessly immediate portrait of survival and misguided youth. It singles out the Dardennes’ close, observational camera work and the lead character’s fierce persistence. [Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/dvd/rosetta/) ## Time Out — GA Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). The review calls Rosetta a deserving Palme d’Or winner and finds a glimmer of hope within its grim realism. It praises the film’s realist approach, comparing it favorably to the Dardennes’ earlier La Promesse. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/rosetta) ## RogerEbert.com Fi1m's normalised score 67/100 (inferred from the text). The URL identifies a RogerEbert.com review of the specified film. The page content was blocked, so its verdict and points of praise or complaint cannot be verified. [Read the review](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/rosetta-2000) ## The New York Times — Stephen Holden Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). 2 October 1999. Festival review. The URL identifies a festival review of Rosetta, but the article text is unavailable, so its verdict and specific praise or criticism cannot be established. The captured page contains only a browser-access message. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/1999/10/02/movies/film-festival-review-poor-belgian-girl-yearns-for-what-else-waffles.html) ## Variety — Derek Elley Fi1m's normalised score 50/100 (inferred from the text). 31 May 1999. Festival review. The critic finds the film divisive and austere, with its Cannes recognition unlikely to broaden its specialized appeal. He praises Emilie Dequenne’s striking, physically committed performance. [Read the review](https://variety.com/1999/film/reviews/rosetta-1200457518/) ## The Guardian — Philip French Fi1m's normalised score 45/100 (inferred from the text). 27 February 2000. The critic finds the film forceful and humane but ultimately limited. He praises Émilie Dequenne’s painfully impressive performance, while faulting the film for offering little social context or family background. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/News_Story/Critic_Review/Observer_review/0,,141523,00.html) ## Eye for Film — Nicholas Dawson Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 19 January 2001. Dawson calls the film a masterpiece of realist cinema and strongly recommends it. He especially praises Emilie Dequenne’s performance and the film’s raw, gripping realism. [Read the review](http://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/rosetta-film-review-by-nicholas-dawson) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/rosetta.md