68
Metascore
9 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 90TheWrapClaudia PuigTheWrapClaudia PuigThe captivating documentary Chavela, directed by Catherine Gund (“Born to Fly”) and Daresha Kyi, mesmerizes with its impressionistic blend of archival photos, musical performances, concert footage and candid interviews with the legendary singer herself, as well with her ardent friends like Pedro Almodóvar and former lovers.
- 80Los Angeles TimesSheri LindenLos Angeles TimesSheri LindenCelebrating a great ranchera interpreter without sugarcoating her, this straightforward film honors her approach.
- 75Chicago TribuneMichael PhillipsChicago TribuneMichael PhillipsMore than a female singing cowboy, Vargas was ranchera incarnate, whether singing the material of drinking companion Jose Alfredo Jimenez or her own cathartic cries from the heart. The film is a fond but clear-eyed tribute.
- 75The Globe and Mail (Toronto)Brad WheelerThe Globe and Mail (Toronto)Brad WheelerThe story is simply told: the rise, fall and comeback of a lesbian trailblazer and soul-crushed singer. Chavela the person is more fascinating than Chavela the film – a tequila-sunrise love letter to an unknown icon.
- 67Austin ChronicleMarjorie BaumgartenAustin ChronicleMarjorie BaumgartenA well-chosen collection of friends and former lovers provides reminiscences that flesh out Chavela’s challenging personality. However, the documentary provides scant information about the challenges Chavela faced in her career.
- 63Slant MagazineWes GreeneSlant MagazineWes GreeneThe film's hopscotching-in-time structure, informed by specific remembrances of Chavela Vargas's life, is refreshingly unconventional.
- 63RogerEbert.comNick AllenRogerEbert.comNick AllenThe film is too ordinary to feel like it does her legacy complete artistic justice.
- 63Washington PostMark JenkinsWashington PostMark JenkinsThe result is a solid if conventional bio.
- 50The New York TimesBen KenigsbergThe New York TimesBen KenigsbergThose looking to learn the basic outlines of the life of the singer Chavela Vargas could do worse than watch Chavela, but this plodding documentary from Catherine Gund and Daresha Kyi rarely transcends simple biography