The film reaches an unexpected crescendo in the final ten minutes or so, as Panahi follows his doorman on rubbish-collection routine. Unexpectedly cathartic, this sequence is a powerful testament to Panahi's filmmaking dexterity, his capacity to find poetic substance in the most ordinary of situations. THIS IS NOT A FILM is built from nothing, and yet every moment has a powerful urgency to it.
Gabe Klinger
October 26, 2012