66
Metascore
8 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 80Village VoiceDaphne HowlandVillage VoiceDaphne HowlandThe Judge is packed tight; it’s enlightening and suspenseful and paced for maximum enjoyment. In the end, it’s not just about Kholoud Al-Faqih, but you’ll be very glad to have met her.
- 80Los Angeles TimesKenneth TuranLos Angeles TimesKenneth TuranA side benefit of seeing The Judge is that it reveals the rarely seen everyday side of Palestinian society, where ordinary people just want to have a good life and be treated fairly by their family. People who need a fair-minded adjudicator like Kholoud Al-Faqih and are fortunate to have her.
- 75San Francisco ChronicleCarla MeyerSan Francisco ChronicleCarla MeyerIn 2009, Kholoud Al-Faqih became the first female judge in the Palestinian Shariah (or religious) court system. As Erika Cohn’s fascinating documentary The Judge shows, al-Faqih has fought for justice for Palestinian women ever since.
- The documentary is an inspiration to women – not just in the Middle East – who are determined to rise to the top of their professions, despite the odds being stacked against them.
- 63Washington PostWashington PostThe Judge presents a rare Western view of the Middle East that doesn’t frame Palestinians’ lives in reference to Israel, which is barely mentioned. It also offers a robust counternarrative to stereotypes of Arab and Muslim women as powerless.
- 60The New York TimesJeannette CatsoulisThe New York TimesJeannette CatsoulisThough voices both welcoming and hostile to women judges are represented, Ms. al-Faqih’s likely Sisyphean battle to reach her position feels insufficiently underlined.
- 60VarietyJay WeissbergVarietyJay WeissbergGreater attention to how and when information is revealed would make “The Judge” a far more valuable film.
- 60The GuardianPeter BradshawThe GuardianPeter BradshawThe Judge is a thoughtful, sympathetic study.