Viva
Magnolia Pictures | Release Date: April 29, 2016 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
69
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 19 Critic Reviews
Positive:
15
Mixed:
4
Negative:
0
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
91
Entertainment WeeklyLeah GreenblattApr 28, 2016
Havana’s crumbling trapped-in-time beauty also plays a starring role, but it’s Medina who provides the movie’s raw, tender heart. Read full review
90
Wall Street JournalJoe MorgensternApr 28, 2016
A startlingly beautiful movie. Read full review
80
The New York TimesStephen HoldenApr 28, 2016
It infuses a too-familiar story with so much heart that you surrender to its charm and forgive it for being unabashedly formulaic. Read full review
75
The Seattle TimesJohn HartlMay 12, 2016
Slick and raunchy when it might have been grindingly realistic, Viva is finally all heart. Read full review
75
San Francisco ChronicleMick LaSalleMay 5, 2016
The lively setting helps, but the main attration here is the familiar story, which has been around forever and yet never gets old. Read full review
75
Miami HeraldRene RodriguezApr 28, 2016
Viva is "Rocky" in drag and sequins, transplanted to Havana. The movie is pure formula, but it’s surprisingly effective anyway, because director Paddy Breathnach and screenwriter Mark O’Halloran don’t sugarcoat the reality of life on the island. Read full review
75
Slant MagazineDiego SemereneApr 25, 2016
The drag in the film rejects the U.S.-centric obsession with "realness" and the acrobatics that come with it. Read full review
75
The Film StageJordan RaupJan 26, 2016
With a docudrama approach capturing moments of reflective tranquility next to the beach or on a rooftop, Viva feels deeply rooted in its location. Read full review
70
VarietyGuy LodgeMay 5, 2016
Viva appealingly makes up for a coy approach with gutsy, grabby follow-through on the high notes. Read full review
70
Los Angeles TimesKenneth TuranApr 28, 2016
Nothing happens you won't see coming, but it's all so deftly done you're more than happy to wait for the inevitable to arrive. Read full review
70
The Hollywood ReporterStephen FarberJan 8, 2016
Despite the predictable touches in the script by Mark O’Halloran, director Paddy Breathnach reveals a sensitive touch with the material. Read full review
67
Austin ChronicleSteve DavisJun 15, 2016
This young actor is good, very good in fact. Watching him become beautifully alive in Viva is this little gem’s greatest pleasure. Read full review
67
The A.V. ClubMike D'AngeloApr 28, 2016
Perugorría is such a terrific, soulful actor that he makes Viva’s predictable dramatic trajectory — disapproving dad slowly grows to accept his child’s differences, while the kid gradually learns to forgive his father’s lifelong absence — seem a bit less moldy. Read full review
63
Washington PostMichael O'SullivanMay 5, 2016
The story is slightly melodramatic, but director Paddy Breathnach finds ways to make it surprisingly moving at times, in the same way that he makes the Havana slums look paradoxically beautiful. Read full review
63
RogerEbert.comGlenn KennyApr 29, 2016
Neither character talks all that much, but both actors project complex intelligence and consistent emotional acuity. Read full review
60
Village VoiceMonica CastilloApr 27, 2016
Despite its gorgeous views and a pair of strong turns from veteran Cuban actors Perugorría and García, the film doesn't connect to the heart of its central character. Read full review
58
The PlaylistRodrigo PerezApr 28, 2016
A moving movie that tries too hard to please and thus never truly satisfies. Read full review
50
The Globe and Mail (Toronto)Barry HertzApr 28, 2016
An unlikely Irish-Cuban co-production, Viva is, like its central subject, beautiful to look at but ultimately lacking depth. Read full review
40
Arizona RepublicRandy CordovaMay 12, 2016
A movie that never quite comes to life, despite its title. Read full review
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