Colibel Terrible acting, screenplay and direction.

FuzzyTagz If the ambition is to provide two hours of instantly forgettable, popcorn-munching escapism, it succeeds.

ThedevilChoose When a movie has you begging for it to end not even half way through it's pure crap. We've all seen this movie and this characters millions of times, nothing new in it. Don't waste your time.

Nayan Gough A great movie, one of the best of this year. There was a bit of confusion at one point in the plot, but nothing serious.

gridoon2018 Considering that about 90% of a "A Pure Formality" takes place inside a decrepit police station, the writer-director, Giuseppe Tornatore, does a good job of preventing it from feeling too static (with the help of some brilliantly edited fractured flashbacks). What starts as a typical police procedural turns into something more philosophical, symbolic, powerful. It wouldn't be far off the mark to call this a two-hour episode of "The Twilight Zone", and as such it is as exhausting at times as the night of interrogation is for Gerard Depardieu. But it pays off, and the two stars (well, one star and one famous director in a rare starring role) are well-matched. *** out of 4.

Keldi Victoria Konung The incomparable Giuseppe Tornatore, stunning Roman Polanski and magnificent Gerard Depardieu. The only way! How I can't like it!? I like films that make me think and feel ... I was impressed by plot and the style & atmosphere of film. It was incredible – it gets me empathize to the characters from the first to last minute.The screenplay for this film is absolutely amazing - completely unusual story and highly symbolic/philosophical subtext! You spend more than half of the movie thinking it will go one way, but then it absolutely change direction...again and again...If you like good thrillers - you definitely must watch "A Pure Formality"

sashairk A masterpiece, in a true meaning of this word. Yet, a very few people know about this gem; further, out of those few who saw it, only a small minority truly understood and appreciated it. It is a work of art, with masterfully written dialogs, haunting music (one of a very few instances where Gerard Depardieu sings) and a shocking ending. Never take for the 'face value' what you see there; there are many hints spread across it (actually, from the very beginning) that only towards the end make sense. It is the movie only for those who enjoy films like "The Sixth Sense," but this one is made on a much more sublime and sophisticated level. One of my favorite movies, if not The One.

scroff Having watched this movie for the first time in 1994 while at film school, I was struck by the elegant mixture of genres crafted into this film. For any film-maker wanting to prove his or her ability to engage and surprise an audience this film is a must. Most striking (apart from the unbelievable cinematography) is the conundrum like dialogue between characters and the inability as an objective viewer to discern who has the moral high ground until the director allows you such luxury. The pacing of dialogue, and the surreal characters that share the same space as foils to Depardieu and Polanski's characters, hark back to an older more energetic era of film. The performance from both leads should be compulsive viewing for all film students. For those not familiar with Guiseppe Tornatore's work, another must see is the internationally acclaimed Cinema Paradiso which is truly an outstanding piece of work.