Sight and Sound
"...An accomplished soufflé of a film, witty and diverting - a thoroughly civilised pleasure..." 07/01/1998 p.44-5Rolling Stone
"...Uniquely funny and touching....This extraordinary film walks a tightrope between humor and heartbreak..." 03/19/1998 p.72 Entertainment Weekly
"...An exquisitely comic fish-out-of-water sojourn....[Hurt's is one of 1998's] unsung great performances..." -- Rating: A- 01/22/1999 p.110 Entertainment Weekly
"...John Hurt does exquisite work....A canny, endearing Jason Priestley costars..." 05/30/1997 p.50-1 Box Office
"...It's a tribute to Hurt's immense acting talent that he can make Giles both sympathetic and ridiculous. Priestly is also enjoyable..." 02/01/1998 p.51 Los Angeles Times
"...LOVE AND DEATH ON LONG ISLAND is sharp, sophisticated and completely delicious, a purposeful comedy that focuses on the power of screen images to uproot lives..." 04/06/1998 p.C22 Chicago Sun-Times
"...[The film] steps carefully in the American scenes, and finds a way to end without cheap melodrama or easy emotion..." 03/13/1998 p.37 Premiere
"LOVE AND DEATH doesn't take the easy way out, and it lingers in the memory." 04/01/2006 p.105 James Berardinelli's ReelViews 9 of 10
Love and Death on Long Island is many things wrapped into one: a social commentary (it tackles the thorny issue of film as pure art versus film as mindless entertainment), a buddy picture/love story (Ronnie and Giles have one of the most interesting relationships found anywhere on a movie screen these days), and a "fish out of water" tale (Victorian relic Giles forced into the modern world). Yet, despite the many laughs Love and Death offers, it never takes cheap shots. It has a vibrant, beating heart - and that makes the comedy all the more worthwhile. - James Berardinelli
Leonard Maltin's Movie And Video Review 9 of 10
[A] quiet gem... A marvel of nuance and quiet observation, with Hurt simply perfect in the lead; impressive feature directing debut for Kwietniowski... - Leonard Maltin
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