The Edge of Heaven (Auf der anderen Seite) Critic Reviews

The best approach is to begin with the characters, because the wonderful, sad, touching The Edge of Heaven is more about its characters than about its storyRead the full review

Oropelled by memorable performances by mostly unknown actors. The most famous of the ensemble, Hanna Schygulla, delivers a by turns serene and shattering performance as a mother struggling with loss, conscience and the first glimmers of unexpected connection. She's only one essential and unforgettable part of a flawless whole.Read the full review

The experience of seeing this film is cumulative, sober and profound.Read the full review

With impeccable skill, Akin has made a film roiling with cruelty but guided by tough political optimism. No, we can't all get along, but some us of are trying.Read the full review

Hopping from Germany to Turkey and back again, Akin is out to capture the ways that a globalized world can tear up our hearts, and repair them, too.Read the full review

By the end you know the characters in it so well that you can't believe you've seen the movie only once, yet on a second viewing it seems completely new. And that may be because the world they inhabit is immediately recognizable -- until we get to heaven, it's where we live -- and like no place you've been before.Read the full review

A story about generational expectations and cultural shifts, The Edge of Heaven raises questions it can't answer, which makes it only more powerful.Read the full review

Mr. Akin's film is so full of life that it leaves you breathless.Read the full review

The Edge of Heaven is marked by a number of remarkable performances.Read the full review