The Water Diviner

"An often capriciously mixed cocktail of war film and cross-cultural family melodrama, 'The Water Diviner' marks an ambitious if emotionally manipulative directing debut" 

"A preposterous, would-be sweeping historical romance that's far too slight and silly to carry the weight of real history" 

"A robust, assured war drama (... ), Russell Crowe taps a deep well of symbolism, cultural empathy and good old-fashioned storytelling" 

"An ambitious and sentimental period drama (...) Rating: ★★½ (out of four)" 

"Russell Crowe's directorial debut is a solid, old-fashioned piece of film-making set in Australia and Turkey during the First World War and its aftermath that is guilty of some strange historical oversights. (...) Rating: ★★★ (out of five)" 

"This is a sugary drama, in which Crowe's big emotional moment looks as if some assistant director applied a trickling tear to his cheek with an eyedropper. (...) Rating: ★★ (out of five)" 

"It has sincerity, sensitivity and is often ravishing to look at but is let down by a chocolate box love story. (...) Rating: ★★★ (out of five)"