77
Metascore
14 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 100VarietyJay WeissbergVarietyJay WeissbergThe film exquisitely balances character study with shrewd commentary on the precarious hierarchy of class distinctions, the turbulent persistence of sexual desire and the lingering privileges of Paraguay’s elite.
- 100RogerEbert.comSheila O'MalleyRogerEbert.comSheila O'MalleyEmotions never before experienced come surging to the surface. How Martinessi pulls this off — in what is his first feature — is nothing less than extraordinary.
- 80CineVuePatrick GambleCineVuePatrick GambleThis deeply felt Paraguayan drama shines a light on the nation’s fractured identity by crossing numerous generational and class divides.
- 80The Observer (UK)Wendy IdeThe Observer (UK)Wendy IdeA superb first feature from Marcelo Martinessi, this entirely female-driven story is full of gentle wit and playful observations on the crumbling upper echelons of Paraguayan society – there are parallels with early Lucrecia Martel, and with Sebastián Lelio’s exploration of older female sexuality, Gloria.
- 80The GuardianPeter BradshawThe GuardianPeter BradshawMartinessi shrewdly combines subtlety, melancholy, satirical observation and candour about sex.
- 80The New York TimesA.O. ScottThe New York TimesA.O. ScottThis isn’t a perfect movie — sometimes the machinery of plot-focused screenwriting hums a little too insistently, especially toward the end, disrupting the quieter, richer music of everyday life — but its clearsighted sensitivity makes it a satisfying one.
- 75Slant MagazinePat BrownSlant MagazinePat BrownAna Brun’s performance as Chela anchors our attention where Marcelo Martinessi’s understated visuals might otherwise lose it.
- 70The Hollywood ReporterDavid RooneyThe Hollywood ReporterDavid RooneyMinor-key and subdued to a fault, the drama nonetheless builds emotional involvement by infinitesimal degrees through its acute observation of characters and social context and its ultra-naturalistic performances.
- 50The A.V. ClubMike D'AngeloThe A.V. ClubMike D'AngeloBrun, who had never acted onscreen before (like almost the entire cast), won Berlin’s Best Actress prize, and her guarded yet tremulous performance is the film’s primary virtue. But she can’t singlehandedly bring depth to the superficial scenario that Martinessi has engineered for this intriguing character.