- 9
...a delightfully wry comedy...
—Carina Chocano Los Angeles Times
- 9
...a rollicking social comedy...
—Lisa Schwarzbaum Entertainment Weekly
- 9
...an ingeniously woven Czech comedy-drama, which recalls the early brilliance of filmmaker Milos Forman...
—David Sterritt Christian Science Monitor
- 9
Humor is found in the most unlikely of characters here, but most importantly, Hrebejk's view of the everyman (and woman) reminds us that it's a small world after all.
— E!
- 8
If you're looking for a film that's intellectually engaging and entertaining, Up and Down splendidly fits the bill.
—Tim Knight Reel
- 8
It's been a long time since a movie allowed so many diverse narratives to fold into so unexpected, unified and satisfying a story...
—Achy Obejas Chicago Tribune
- 8
...this fluidly paced film, with its keen observation of the confused longing for love, family and stability in an inherently unstable world, nonetheless keeps faith with the Czech genius for holding the tonal line between tragedy and the absurd.
—Ella Taylor LA Weekly
- 7
...lacks any formulas or solutions, and is content to show us its complicated characters, their tangled lives, and the way that our need to love and be loved can lead us in opposite directions.
—Roger Ebert Chicago Sun-Times
- 7
...an absorbing look at a country still struggling to adjust more than a decade after the fall of communism.
—V. A. Musetto New York Post
- 6
...skips from buoyant satire to domestic melodrama, leaving behind a curious mix of emotions.
—A. O. Scott New York Times
- 6
Up and Down is not exactly the toughest movie on the block, but especially compared to most American comedies, it conveys a sense of scrofulous rue.
—J. Hoberman Village Voice
- 6
Hrebejk admits that Amores Perros and Soderbergh's Traffic were his major inspirations, not only in terms of the multi-layered plot but also the aesthetic scheme.
—Joe McGovern Slant Magazine
- 6
...remains clear-eyed and satisfyingly complex right to the bitter end.
—Ken Fox TV Guide
- 5
...sags into a dreary, humorless family melodrama that lacks the space to develop more fully.
—Scott Tobias Onion AV Club