“IT’S ESSENTIAL CINEMA. Socially conscious, but dreamlike, elegiac. Stunning pictorialism. In the opening shots of this film, one thinks of Goya and Velasquez; the clouds in the night sky evoke El Greco. Critic’s Pick.”
— Glenn Kenny, The New York Times“Having seen it a second time myself at home, I can attest that not only does the spell still take hold, but also that there is a strange solace, even refuge, to be found in its labyrinth of shadows. Dim the lights, cast your distractions aside and let Costa’s dark rooms merge with your own."
— Justin Chang, Los Angeles Times“A ravishing masterpiece. The mystery and wonder of Pedro Costa’s filmmaking defies any specific category... Gorgeous. Transcendent."
— Eric Kohn, Indiewire"The best looking and most emotionally resilient movie of the year so far. Somber but (somehow!) electrifying, its frequent wordlessness, its consummate stillness, are a thrill.”
— K. Austin Collins, Vanity Fair“A singular visual, aural, and emotional experience… A lush, almost luxuriantly beautiful approach to light and color… Vitalina Varela (the actress) is mesmerizing… Essential viewing.”
— Jim Hemphill, Filmmaker Magazine“Three and a half stars! A breathtakingly gorgeous movie about love, death and immigration. A tremendous performance [by Vitalina Varela].”
— Monica Castillo, RogerEbert.com“Spectacular images, ideas, emotions, and performances. Costa endows the tale with a pictorial majesty. It’s a film that recovers the colossal symbolic power of classical American cinema.”
— Richard Brody, The New Yorker“The best movie of the year.”
— Jonathan Rosenbaum, Sight and Sound“Ravishing. A singular addition to Costa’s oeuvre, one of the most enigmatic bodies of work in contemporary cinema.”
— Andrew Chan, 4Columns“Gorgeously photographed. Has a conceptual rigor comparable to the films of Jean-Marie Straub and Danièle Huillet and a visual beauty that evokes Rembrandt."
— J. Hoberman, The New York Review of Books“Breathtaking. Vitalina Varela is essential filmmaking from an essential filmmaker.”
— Andy Crump, Paste Magazine“Watching Vitalina Varela, I saw God — and I’m an atheist.”
— Paul Schindler, Gay City News“Every scene is a composition, an exquisite stage set, mysterious and shadowy… Ms. Varela’s face is as expressive as a silent-film star’s… Vitalina Varela is demanding, rewarding and ineffably stirring.”
— Joe Morgenstern, Wall Street Journal “Grade: A. A beautiful meditation on legacy, loss, and love. Visually masterful. Endlessly contemplative, transcendental.”
— Jonathan Christian, The Playlist“Masterful. Quite possibly the most beautiful film of 2020.”
— Jordan Cronk, Film Comment"One of the ten best films of the year."
— James Quandt, Artforum"Costa has made his most beautiful, haunting film yet. Vitalina is extraordinary."
— Film Comment"A plaintive and piercingly beautiful vision... Pedro Costa is one of our planet’s two or three greatest living filmmakers."
— Christopher Small, Sight & Sound“Staggeringly beautiful."
— Dave White, The Wrap“Spellbinding. Dazzling. Conjures chiaroscuro wonder after chiaroscuro wonder."
— Neil Young, The Hollywood Reporter
