housecleaner (Henderson), who offers various metaphorical commentary about dirt, germs, and cleanliness and how much they are like the larger world. Reception Yes divided critics upon its release. It received an aggregate score of 55/100 on Metacritic and has a 58% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Roger Ebert assigned the film a full four stars; writing that "Potter's sin has been to make a movie that is artistically mannered and overtly political", he said that "what the dialogue brings to the film is a certain unstated gravity; it elevates what is being said into a realm of grace and care." Jonathan Rosenbaum also gave the work his highest rating, lauding it as "beautifully composed and deftly delivered". Desson Thomson of The Washington Post wrote, "For those who accept Potter's premise -- and why not embark on a challenging, enriching experience? -- this is a unique, bold adventure of the soul." Conversely, A. O. Scott of The New York Times, while admitting that "there is no denying Ms. Potter's skill at versifying -- or for that matter, at composing clear, striking visual images", disparaged her lines as doggerel and concluded that "her formal ingenuity [...] is yoked to ideas of almost staggering banality". Ann Hornaday of The Washington Post was also unfavorable, calling it "sporadically beautiful" but also "belabored and, ultimately, inert. It's a bold exercise, an interesting experiment, but a movie it ain't." Awards 2005 Brisbane International Film Festival: Interfaith Award for Promoting Humanitarian Values 2005 Seattle International Film Festival: Best Actress (Joan Allen) References External links Official site Official trailer 2004 films Films directed by Sally Potter 2004 drama films Films about race and ethnicity Sony Pictures Classics films American drama films British drama films 2000s English-language films 2000s American films 2000s British films