The Seagull

Name: The Seagull
Director: Michael Mayer
Released: 2018

Synopsis

At a picturesque lakeside estate, a love triangle unfolds between the legendary diva Irina, her lover Boris, and the ingénue Nina.

70
The Hollywood Reporter
This Seagull proves a worthy if hardly definitive adaptation of the classic drama.
70
New York Magazine (Vulture)
Despite a few scenes that are too on the nose, The Seagull... turns out to be very fine. Above all, it’s a platform for a handful of definitive performances.
70
Screen Daily
The Seagull, Anton Chekhov’s classic play about failed hopes and tangled attractions, is solid and satisfying in Michael Mayer’s intimate retelling for the screen.
70
Los Angeles Times
Although the action, set in the early 1900s, unfolds almost entirely in and around a Russian lakeside estate, the film rarely feels static or stagy, with enough brisk editing, active camerawork and intimate framing to make for satisfying cinema.
67
The A.V. Club
He’s (Mayer) assembled a terrific cast and mostly stayed out of their way, but the result still feels frustratingly arm’s-length, lacking the odd electricity of Louis Malle’s semi-staged "Vanya On 42nd Street."
58
IndieWire
Theater lovers will enjoy seeing these actors take on such iconic roles, but they’ll find themselves wishing they were seeing the same great talent on the stage.
50
Variety
In a sense, each new take on Chekhov sheds insight on the timelessness of the material, and yet, this one does more to reveal missed opportunities for the next team to explore.
50
Slant Magazine
The film is content to present Anton Chekhov's ideas rather than grapple with their provocative and complex subtexts.