--- title: "Time Regained: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/time-regained/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/time-regained" critics_score: 72 critics_reviews: 11 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." --- # Time Regained (1999): what the critics said Critics' score 72 from 11 reviews: 7 positive, 4 mixed, 0 negative. Most critics respond warmly to Time Regained, with praise centred on Ruiz’s inventive visual treatment of Proust’s shifting memories and chronology. The cinematography, sets and period detail draw repeated admiration, while several reviews find the adaptation intellectually accomplished without sacrificing pleasure or emotion. Performances receive less consistent attention, though Variety singles out Marcello Mazzarella as Proust, and IndieWire praises John Malkovich’s restraint. The main divide concerns how much familiarity with Proust the film demands, with responses ranging from enthusiastic to distinctly mixed rather than outright negative. Even favourable reviews acknowledge that its fragmented storytelling can be difficult to follow. IndieWire finds it confusing and rambling but absorbing when approached as a sequence of scenes. The AV Club offers the strongest reservation: it admires the cinematic handling of temporal shifts but finds too little emotional connection with the characters to carry viewers unfamiliar with the novel. ## The Guardian — Philip French Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 11 June 2000. French praises the film as magnificent, describing it as a dazzling rendering of Proust’s final volume. He singles out its kaleidoscopic scope and its interplay between Proust as writer and participant. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2000/jun/11/dvdreviews.reviews) ## The New Yorker — Richard Brody Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 8 December 2016. Brody regards Ruiz’s adaptation as a triumph that brings the filmmaker’s artistry to exquisite new heights. He singles out its inventive visual effects and meticulous recreation of Proust’s era. [Read the review](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2016/12/19/raul-ruiz-adapts-marcel-prousts-masterwork) ## Empire — William Thomas Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 1 January 2000. Thomas finds Ruiz’s adaptation an exquisite, sophisticated achievement, though its shifting focus can marginalize some of its stars. He especially praises the inventive visual techniques and the sumptuous cinematography and set design. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/time-regained-review/) ## Radio Times — David Parkinson Rating 4/5. The critic calls the film a technically dazzling and intellectually accomplished literary adaptation. They praise Ruiz’s imaginative use of narrative, memory, emotion and dream to convey Proust’s complex novel. [Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-1ivag4/time-regained/) ## Slant Magazine — Jake Cole Rating 4/5. 18 November 2018. Cole praises Ruiz’s ambitious adaptation as visually and emotionally rich. He singles out the Blu-ray’s intricate art direction, cinematography, and sound mixing. [Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/dvd/time-regained/) ## Time Out — TCh Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). The available description suggests a positive verdict on Ruiz’s ambitious adaptation. It singles out the film’s unusual blend of avant-garde art film and lavish literary period drama. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/time-regained) ## Variety — David Rooney Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 20 May 1999. Rooney finds the film engrossing and entertaining despite its fragmented, difficult-to-follow adaptation of Proust. He praises its polished period production and standout performances, especially Marcello Mazzarella as Proust. [Read the review](https://variety.com/1999/film/reviews/time-regained-2-1117499770/) ## RogerEbert.com Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). The page is blocked by a browser check, so the critic’s verdict cannot be verified. No praise or complaint from the review is visible. [Read the review](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/time-regained-2000) ## The New York Times Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). 16 June 2000. The accessible page does not reveal the critic’s verdict. It provides no praise or complaint that can be reliably attributed to the review. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/2000/06/16/movies/film-review-seeing-proust-through-the-prism-of-surrealism.html) ## IndieWire — David Bourgeois Fi1m's normalised score 55/100 (inferred from the text). 30 September 1999. Festival review. The critic finds the film confusing and rambling for viewers unfamiliar with Proust, but ultimately absorbing if experienced as a series of scenes. He particularly praises the casting, singling out John Malkovich’s restrained performance. [Read the review](https://www.indiewire.com/news/general-news/nyff-99-review-a-haunting-rambling-vision-of-prousts-time-regained-82040/) ## The AV Club — Scott Tobias Fi1m's normalised score 45/100 (inferred from the text). 29 March 2002. Tobias finds the film an accomplished but ultimately hard-to-follow adaptation that will leave viewers unfamiliar with Proust behind. He praises Ruiz’s inventive translation of the novel’s temporal shifts into cinematic form, while faulting the characters’ lack of emotional resonance. [Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/time-regained-1798195837) --- © 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/time-regained.md