Manifesto
FilmRise | Release Date: May 10, 2017 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
72
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 21 Critic Reviews
Positive:
16
Mixed:
5
Negative:
0
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
90
Los Angeles TimesSheri LindenMay 25, 2017
Whatever Rosefeldt intended, Manifesto doesn’t quite set forth a manifesto of its own. But it’s a blast of fresh air. And like many of the gauntlet throwers it cites, it risks looking foolish and, in the process, creates something gorgeously defiant. Read full review
90
TheWrapDan CallahanApr 26, 2017
The surprise here is that Rosefeldt has managed to deliver an intellectually-charged, cheeky, and very funny film that feels unruly and expansive in spite of its tight 12-day shooting schedule and its focus on just one performer. Read full review
88
Washington PostPat PaduaJun 8, 2017
It’s a treat to watch an actress at the top of her game, flexing her interpretive muscles in a showcase that is inventive and thought-provoking. Read full review
88
RogerEbert.comSheila O'MalleyMay 11, 2017
The film is thought-provoking, visually arresting, and occasionally very self-important. Read full review
83
The PlaylistNoel MurrayJan 28, 2017
Rosefeldt’s visual panache and Blanchett’s astonishing versatility bring cinematic verve to something that could’ve easily come off as too dryly conceptual. Read full review
80
Time OutStaff (Not credited)Dec 5, 2017
It’s all very theatrically crafted, with sweeping cameras and intricate design, and feels just the right side of an art-world joke: knowing and amusing at points, serious enough, never just a gag. Call me boring, though, but it could have done with some footnotes. Read full review
80
The New York TimesGlenn KennyMay 10, 2017
As an oblique examination and critique of political and art history and their various interactions over the 20th century, Manifesto is both witty and provocative. It is not, however, a motion picture for people seeking a plot. Read full review
80
We Got This CoveredLauren Humphries-BrooksApr 27, 2017
As a work of cinematic art, it defies codification. It begs for multiple viewings, if only to pick apart the concepts that it introduces, changes, and interacts with over the course of its run time. Read full review
80
ScreenCrushE. Oliver WhitneyJan 28, 2017
Even if you’re unfamiliar with the movements in the film, Manifesto is still a brilliant display of Blanchett’s unstoppable talent and Rosefeldt’s ability to use one art form – filmmaking – to explore so many others. Read full review
80
VarietyPeter DebrugeJan 28, 2017
Audiences needn’t be intimidated: Manifesto may not adhere to any conventional narrative structure, but it’s compulsively watchable all the same Read full review
75
Rolling StoneDavid FearMay 10, 2017
That's what Blanchett is doing here. She adds a human element. She can turn anything into art. Even artistic navel-gazing. Read full review
75
The A.V. ClubEsther ZuckermanMay 9, 2017
Each of Blanchett’s characters exists in a complete environment, and Rosefeldt’s camera is keen to reveal the gags and treasures contained within each. Read full review
70
SalonMax CeaJun 27, 2017
Despite the hit-and-miss nature of this highfalutin concept-art, Manifesto comes across as successfully, outrageously funny. As authentically enthusiastic as Rosefeldt seems to be about manifestos, he seems equally aware of the pretentious ridiculousness lurking within them. Read full review
70
Village VoiceSerena DonadoniMay 11, 2017
The actress is equally committed, regardless of whether content and context click, but she soars when they do. Read full review
70
The Hollywood ReporterBoyd van HoeijJan 28, 2017
Rosefeldt and a very game Blanchett spring one surprising creation on the viewer after the other. But what it all adds up to is of course up for debate. Read full review
70
Screen DailyTim GriersonJan 28, 2017
Unavoidably uneven but fairly engaging throughout, Manifesto is a cavalcade of provocative ideas, arresting visuals and fabulous wigs. Read full review
60
Total FilmPhilip KempNov 22, 2017
Marx, Tristan Tzara, André Breton, Werner Herzog; Constructivism, Dadaism, Futurism… on it goes. Impressive, sure, but ultimately stultifying. Read full review
50
San Francisco ChronicleWalter AddiegoJun 21, 2017
There’s something to be said for simply watching Blanchett at work. Without the contribution of this exceptionally talented actress, Manifesto would be rough going indeed. With it, the film rises — barely — above the category of “enough already.” Read full review
50
Entertainment WeeklyChris NashawatyMay 11, 2017
The goal of any manifesto is making its aims as clear as possible. But it’s never clear what this Manifesto is aiming for besides a cheeky roll call of intellectual camps. Ph.D.s in art theory will chuckle knowingly as everyone else eyes the exit. Read full review
50
Slant MagazineElise NakhnikianApr 22, 2017
The film’s visceral pleasures often work at cross purposes with the cerebral message of the manifestos. Read full review
50
The Film StageDaniel SchindelMar 9, 2017
The film is more of a clip show, awkwardly cutting together elements once presented in a drastically different manner. In doing so, it obfuscates the power of a manifesto, allegedly what it means to pay tribute to. Read full review
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