80
Metascore
11 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 100San Francisco ChronicleG. Allen JohnsonSan Francisco ChronicleG. Allen JohnsonWhat makes it brilliant is that it demonstrates how universal this distinctly Jewish musical has become, how it has been embraced by many cultures and how it is still influential today.
- 95TheWrapYolanda MachadoTheWrapYolanda MachadoIt’s the story of the conflict between Robbins and Mostel that unveils another layer of how the odds were truly stacked against the show.
- 88The Globe and Mail (Toronto)Brad WheelerThe Globe and Mail (Toronto)Brad WheelerToes will tap, a tear or two might be shed – a complex story about a deceivingly complex musical is adoringly told and ultimately simplified. “As long as humankind continues to have struggles,” asserts one talking head, “Fiddler on the Roof will be there.” File under: The more things change, the more they stay the same.
- 80The Hollywood ReporterDavid RooneyThe Hollywood ReporterDavid RooneyThe documentary makes a persuasive case as to why this show — grounded very specifically in the lives of a persecuted Jewish shtetl community in 1905 Imperial Russia — continues to connect deeply with audiences across vast divides of religion, race, generation, personal experience and sexuality. Its layers of meaning to anyone who has ever felt ostracized alone have cemented its eternal relevance.
- 80Rolling StonePeter TraversRolling StonePeter TraversFiddler: A Miracle of Miracles makes itself essential viewing by chronicling the turbulent genesis of a global sensation. But its real miracle is demonstrating why it continues to entertain and illuminate, from Tokyo to a Brooklyn middle school where an African-American girl now plays the role of Tevye’s wife, Golde, and back to Broadway.
- 80The New York TimesJason ZinomanThe New York TimesJason ZinomanSome shows deserve reverential treatment. And the love letter is, to use a word so associated with this show it influences the way many say it, tradition.
- 80Los Angeles TimesKenneth TuranLos Angeles TimesKenneth TuranThis engaging and enlightening documentary is stuffed with anecdotes, history and information. It makes excellent use of both new interviews and carefully selected archival footage to reveal the building blocks of all this accomplishment.
- 78Austin ChronicleAustin ChronicleIt’s tradition versus modernity, it’s defiance in the face of oppression, but more importantly, the film speaks to how Fiddler on the Roof resonates time and time again, across generations, to the human condition.
- 75Boston GlobePeter KeoughBoston GlobePeter KeoughAfter watching the movie, its relentlessly catchy numbers might keep playing for you; as one of the interviewees says, “You’ll be singing these songs for the rest of your life, whether you like it or not.”
- 70VarietyDennis HarveyVarietyDennis HarveyAn entertaining if hardly exhaustive overview of how the unlikely success came to be. The story it tells might easily have filled an engrossing documentary twice the length of this competent, not-particularly-inspired one.