Benda Bilili!
National Geographic Cinema Ventures | Release Date: September 30, 2011 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
77
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 11 Critic Reviews
Positive:
10
Mixed:
1
Negative:
0

Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
91
Entertainment WeeklyLisa SchwarzbaumOct 1, 2011
This unsentimental, smartly assembled film is equally attentive to the cacophony of African poverty and the balm of harmony provided by these pied pipers of hope. Read full review
90
Los Angeles TimesKenneth TuranOct 6, 2011
Benda Bilili! earns its exclamation point. It's a feel-good movie that actually makes you feel good, a story that will have you shaking your head in astonishment and moving your feet to some unstoppable rhythms. Read full review
90
The New York TimesDavid DeWittSep 29, 2011
Benda Bilili! is brutally real, a document of willpower that shows not only the magic of transcendence - which may be fleeting - but also the transformation of aspiring to it, every struggling step of the way. Read full review
90
Village VoiceErnest HardySep 27, 2011
But real-life hard-knock plot twists, as well as some tweaking of form (there's no narrator or voiceover of any kind; the film's subjects outline their grim realities largely through their rhythmically upbeat songs) make the film absolutely riveting, as does the fiercely rousing music. Read full review
80
EmpirePhilip WildingSep 25, 2011
Wielding inspiration and uplift in equal measure, this musical odyssey is one of the cinematic journeys of the year. Don't miss it. Read full review
80
The Hollywood ReporterDuane ByrgeSep 25, 2011
Most magically, if one were to listen to their music but not know anything about their heart-wrenching situation, their compositions sound as if they've come from the luckiest and happiest performers in the world. Read full review
75
The Globe and Mail (Toronto)Jennie PunterOct 13, 2011
An unabashed crowd-pleaser. Read full review
70
VarietyJay WeissbergSep 25, 2011
Audiences will find the group's triumph inspiring. Read full review
63
Washington PostStephanie MerryOct 20, 2011
The band's success is never diminished. The fickle music industry can seem so arbitrary: A talented singer with connections might not make the cut, while a middling performer in the right place at the right time rockets to fame. Staff Benda Bilili's unlikely triumph is an epic feat, with or without anyone's help. Read full review
63
Slant MagazineAndrew SchenkerSep 25, 2011
The film's inquiry into the artistic method remains somewhat at the superficial level, but the directors do a fine job of emphasizing both the circumstances that lead to the music's creation and the satisfying result of the irrepressible sounds. Read full review
40
Time OutDavid FearSep 27, 2011
It may be petty to dismiss such a rags-to-much-better-rags story, but given how manipulatively constructed this music doc is, even in its rawest moments, you still leave feeling like you've been played. Read full review
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