Xan Brooks of The Guardian gave the film 3 out of 5 stars, writing: "Viewed as an acting masterclass, the film is bruisingly impressive in its way. The principal actors raise the roof; each gets to do their big turn for the camera. But it feels a little schooled, a little staged, like a workshop at the Actors' Studio; this impression isn't helped by the over-insistent score, which drops like a lead weight after each full-throated exchange."[21]