Madame Satã
Wellspring Media | Release Date: July 9, 2003 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
59
METASCORE
Mixed or average reviews based on 17 Critic Reviews
Positive:
10
Mixed:
6
Negative:
1

Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
80
Village VoiceJ. Hoberman
It can feel a bit slight and, given the epic sweep of its subject's life, somewhat underplotted. But there's no denying the incendiary power of Ramos's performance -- he's present in nearly every scene. The movie is as much the story of his transformation into Madame Satã as it is João Francisco's. Read full review
80
Washington PostCurt Fields
Shot almost entirely on location with a hand-held camera, director Karim Ainouz's film draws you in close. The charisma and intensity of Lazaro Ramos as Joao holds you there. Read full review
75
Philadelphia InquirerSteven Rea
Whether or not Ainouz's stylish directorial debut gets to the "real" Madame Satã is beside the point, but as a celebration of a figure who fashioned his own identity from pieces of pop culture and street poetry, from song and fashion and fury, it's memorable. Read full review
75
San Francisco ChronicleEdward Guthmann
In his thrilling feature debut, Madame Sata, Brazilian filmmaker Karim Ainouz doesn't glorify dos Santos but examines the hot, reckless fever of his life in all its thorny complexity. Read full review
70
The New York TimesStephen Holden
It is a voluptuous, hot-blooded portrait of a social outcast, a black, homosexual criminal who in acting out his gaudiest Hollywood dreams, transcendently reinvented himself. Read full review
70
TV Guide MagazineKen Fox
However intriguing from a theoretical perspective, this gorgeously shot film is first and foremost and purely sensual experience. Filled with the sights and sounds of Rio of a bygone era, the whole thing virtually pulses with excitement. Read full review
70
VarietyDavid Rooney
While it's a little shapeless and dramatically overwrought, the film remains entertaining thanks to its fascinating subject, sharp visuals and fiercely proud central performance. Read full review
70
The Hollywood ReporterSheri Linden
An intensely realized, beautifully shot drama. Read full review
63
PremierePeter Debruge
In this vibrant character study, newcomer Lázaro Ramos plays Francisco with an almost animal intensity. Read full review
63
The Globe and Mail (Toronto)Liam Lacey
Truly strange, and often captivating. Read full review
50
Christian Science MonitorDavid Sterritt
No-nonsense critiques of Brazil's endemic poverty and deeply flawed criminal-justice system lend substance to what otherwise might have seemed a flimsy and sensationalistic tale. Read full review
50
New York Daily NewsJami Bernard
The movie covers only the early years of his (Joao Francisco dos Santos) rise to fame and apparently enduring legend, but the camera never pulls back to provide a social or historical context. Read full review
50
New York PostJonathan Foreman
One of those films that takes up a potentially fascinating subject only to fumble it. Read full review
50
Miami HeraldRene Rodriguez
The result leaves the movie feeling like a one-note take on a complex subject. Read full review
50
Austin ChronicleMarjorie Baumgarten
As a biopic, the movie has several shortcomings, but as a background story Madame Satã is full of atmosphere. Read full review
40
Film ThreatMerle Bertrand
Madame Sata may be based on real events, but it's certainly not a very pleasant introduction to Rio's bohemian scene, circa 1931. Nor is it a very pleasant movie to endure in its own right. Read full review
25
Seattle Post-IntelligencerWilliam Arnold
Contains much abuse and brutality, an annoying celebratory air of pimp-chic and enough explicit gay sex scenes to qualify as (very tepid) soft-core porn. Read full review
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