68
Metascore
12 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 75RogerEbert.comGlenn KennyRogerEbert.comGlenn KennyThe languidly-paced picture has a staggering array of beautiful images and vistas.
- 75The PlaylistKimber MyersThe PlaylistKimber MyersWith the deliberate pacing and spare approach, some audiences may find Vazante and its austerity a taxing experience, particularly in its first half. But just as Virgílio awakens Beatriz, we’re drawn into both their worlds for the remainder of the movie.
- 75Washington PostMichael O'SullivanWashington PostMichael O'SullivanThomas keeps things at a simmer for the longest time, forestalling the story’s ultimate boil-over until the final minute or so of the tale.
- 75San Francisco ChronicleDavid LewisSan Francisco ChronicleDavid LewisSavagely lyrical, Vazante offers a harsh, impressionistic take on slavery in 19th century Brazil. And though the storytelling leans toward the opaque, the film has a sense of authenticity and power that keep it interesting.
- 70The Hollywood ReporterDavid RooneyThe Hollywood ReporterDavid RooneyIt's a slow-burn drama with a fairly austere attitude toward conventional exposition, dialogue and character development, which will confine it to the commercial margins. But the film is also transfixing in its formal rigor, impressive craft and striking visual beauty.
- 60CineVuePatrick GambleCineVuePatrick GambleA slow-burning drama about slavery in all its forms, this austere, visually striking film combines a harrowing period of Brazilian history with devastating accuracy of emotion.
- 60VarietyJessica KiangVarietyJessica KiangWhen Thomas’ film does find its voice, it is as authentically immersive an experience of a harsh and loveless past as one could hope for, composed of the sensual details that can make the pleasures and horrors of 200 years ago feel like now.
- 60The New York TimesManohla DargisThe New York TimesManohla DargisBy the end, it’s hard not to wish that Ms. Thomas had traded a bit of her art-film drift for something more direct.
- 38Slant MagazineKeith WatsonSlant MagazineKeith WatsonDaniela Thomas seems stymied by her own images, unable to extract the turmoil and violence suggested by her story for fear of upsetting the austere surface harmony of her visuals.