- 9
Leaving aside Huston's bland acting and a few other flaws, Sayles's politically charged drama raises a rousing number of issues and ideas, inviting us to ponder them and draw our own conclusions.
—David Sterritt Christian Science Monitor
- 8
There is something honest and a little brave about the way Sayles refuses to provide closure at the end of his movie. Virtue is not rewarded, crime is not punished, morality lies outside the rules of the game, and because the system is rotten, no one who plays in it can be entirely untouched.
—Roger Ebert Roger Ebert
- 7
Certainly, no Sayles film is for everyone and Silver City is no different. His competing storylines demand more attention than the average Hollywood movie.
—Pam Grady Reel
- 7
A juicy political satire.
—Megan Lehmann New York Post
- 7
In a Hollywood of multiplex mush, a vote here counts for something.
—Peter Travers Rolling Stone
- 6
...is impeccably crafted and beautifully acted, with an emphasis on low-key, believable character dynamics and small, telling details.
—Tasha Robinson Onion AV Club
- 6
...comes tantalizingly close to brilliance in some scenes but fails to mesh as a whole.
—Leah Rozen People
- 6
...instead of tracing character paths, Sayles sacrifices solid storytelling in favor of forwarding a political (and environmental) ideology.
—Robert K. Elder Chicago Tribune
- 6
Sayles gets a little distracted along the way in his attempt to really nail it to Dubya, but as far as a sly look into the shadowy underbelly of politics goes, this gets our vote.
— E!
- 6
...a pointed, unsubtle political satire...
—Maitland McDonagh TV Guide
- 5
Because politics see little elaboration in Silver City, the film takes on the appearance of the floating dead fish of the final shot. It's a fabulous image: a metaphor for Dubya's shady politicking, but also one for Sayles's own filmmaking.
—Ed Gonzalez Slant Magazine
- 4
...an earnest, drab indictment of power and corruption in the American West.
—A. O. Scott New York Times
- 4
...a film that should involve us more than it does.
—Kenneth Turan Los Angeles Times
- 4
...again and again misses the human and leaving cartoons that satisfy only as agitprop.
—Jon Strickland LA Weekly
- 3
Silver City may be the mustiest political-conspiracy tale ever filmed; it's like Chinatown rewritten by Ralph Nader.
—Owen Gleiberman Entertainment Weekly
- 3
...takes on a loaded social context with the grace of a rail-splitter.
—Michael Atkinson Village Voice