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Fados

EMAILPRINTNew Yorker Films

Fados reviews
70
9.0 User Score:

Generally favorable reviews

Based on 8 critic reviews
How did we calculate this?

Based on 2 votes
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Movie Info

Genre(s): Musical

Written by: Ivan Dias
Carlos Saura

Directed by: Carlos Saura

Release Date:
Theatrical: March 6, 2009
DVD: October 20, 2009

Running Time: 90 minutes, Color

Origin: Portugal | Spain

Language(s): Portuguese

Summary

RATING: Not Rated

Starring Mariza, Camané, Carlos do Carmo, Cuca Roseta, Catarina Moura, Argentina Santos, and Maria de Nazaré

A collection of world music framed by elaborate stage production pays homage to music affectionately known at the "Portuguese Blues".

What The Critics Said

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

83

Entertainment Weekly Lisa Schwarzbaum

Fados connects today's leading interpreters with legendary fadistas of the past. And it's the last title to be released under the banner of the venerable New Yorker Films.

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80

Los Angeles Times Kevin Thomas

A centerpiece of the film is a tribute to the late, legendary Amália Rodrigues, a woman of commanding, majestic beauty and presence, who is seen with her pianist in rehearsal, searching out every nuance of a song she is to perform. Unfortunately, Fado's other performers are not identified.

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75

San Francisco Chronicle Jonathan Curiel

For those who've never before heard fado, Fados will be a revelation - a window into a music that (like blues music) can be poetic, heartbreaking, melodramatic and redemptive, all at the same time.

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75

Boston Globe Wesley Morris

As a production, Fados is pretty with its reflected surfaces and many projected images. But at times it hurts for the bite and texture of life outside that studio. For all the dolorous singing about and shots of streets, it'd be nice to hit one.

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75

New York Post V.A. Musetto

There are no talking heads, but lots of singing heads and sexy dancing bodies, many of them belonging to stars in Spain. In total, there are more than a dozen performance pieces, all stylishly lensed.

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70

The New York Times Manohla Dargis

This veteran Spanish director has, in his latest, created both a tribute to an art form and a performance archive.

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70

Washington Post Dan Kois

The movie, set entirely on a beautifully lit soundstage filled with musicians, dancers, mirrors and projection screens, presents some of the country's most acclaimed fadoistas, singing tributes to the art form and some of its greatest legends.

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50

Village Voice Nick Pinkerton

Saura is formally ambitious--a troupe travels through the film, articulating lyrics in dance--but the movie missteps when departing wholly from the intrinsic nostalgia of its subject, as the seventysomething director imposes his idea of contemporary cool.

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What Our Users Said

The average user rating for this movie is 9.0 (out of 10) based on 2 User Votes

Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

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