75
Metascore
13 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 90The New York TimesGlenn KennyThe New York TimesGlenn KennyMr. Gomis’s cinematic style is spectacularly multifaceted.
- 83The Film StageEd FranklThe Film StageEd FranklThis is a formally complex work, too long perhaps and occasionally opaque in its meaning, but a daring ride to those wanting to glimpse the best of African cinema.
- 83The A.V. ClubMike D'AngeloThe A.V. ClubMike D'AngeloThe film’s tonal range is formidable enough to suggest that this director may be a major talent who’s now emerging from relative obscurity, thanks to the Berlin prize and subsequent attention at festivals in Toronto and New York. It’s always exciting to discover someone who’s eager to toss the manuals aside.
- 80The New YorkerRichard BrodyThe New YorkerRichard BrodyThe movie is a virtual documentary of city sights and moods, and also a bitter exposé of a country without a social safety net.
- 70The Hollywood ReporterJordan MintzerThe Hollywood ReporterJordan MintzerIt’s intense if somewhat choppy filmmaking, although the passion of the amateur cast and vividness of the Kinshasa locations help make up for the narrative shortcomings.
- 70Village VoiceAlan ScherstuhlVillage VoiceAlan ScherstuhlGomis’s handheld cameras work to keep up with the actors, who seem to move with rare freedom, but he also stages some exquisite and complex flourishes.
- 60Screen DailyLee MarshallScreen DailyLee MarshallUndemonstrative but at the same time oddly compelling - rather like its eponymous main character - Felicité is a challenging, perhaps overlong, but also quietly resonant slice of new African cinema.
- 60CineVuePatrick GambleCineVuePatrick GambleFélicité is an emotionally effective heart-tugger, thanks largely to Véro Tshanda Beya's dignified lead performance.
- 50Slant MagazineClayton DillardSlant MagazineClayton DillardAlain Gomis never reconciles throughout how the film's disparate parts are meant to fit together.