69
Metascore
9 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 90The New York TimesA.O. ScottThe New York TimesA.O. ScottMore than a simple tribute or a fond remembrance, it is a remarkable and full-throated elegy, a work of art that is full of life.
- 90Village VoiceJordan HoffmanVillage VoiceJordan HoffmanThe location photography does much of the film’s heavy lifting, especially visits to Mount Kilimanjaro and Mulanje’s Sapitwa Peak. (The rumor is that a young J.R.R. Tolkien visited there, and Barbosa leans into this a bit for the big finish.) The star of the show, however, is the dialogue between cultures.
- 80Los Angeles TimesRobert AbeleLos Angeles TimesRobert AbeleA beautifully filmed, subtly political travelogue with some central conundrums.
- 75The Globe and Mail (Toronto)Brad WheelerThe Globe and Mail (Toronto)Brad WheelerDirector Barbosa's love letter to his late friend is emotionally satisfying and cinematically splendid, with social commentary shoe-horned in for better or worse.
- 75San Francisco ChronicleDavid LewisSan Francisco ChronicleDavid LewisEven if the proceedings sometime feel like a travelogue, the reconstructions of Gabriel’s last days alive, down to the exact locations and personal interactions, leave a strong impression.
- 70Screen DailySarah WardScreen DailySarah WardGabriel and the Mountain offers a moving look at the transformative nature of travel, both on those hopping around the world in search of a new perspective and those they encounter along the way.
- 70VarietyJay WeissbergVarietyJay WeissbergOn one level, the film can be classified as a journey of discovery, but what deepens interest is the way Barbosa constantly asks the viewer to question what it means to travel.
- 50The Hollywood ReporterBoyd van HoeijThe Hollywood ReporterBoyd van HoeijBarbosa doesn’t seem very interested in questioning Buchmann’s intentions — the idea of cultural appropriation never comes up, for starters — with the young man depicted as sincere if clearly naive.
- 38Slant MagazineClayton DillardSlant MagazineClayton DillardThe film seems to think that the mere recognition of Gabriel as a narcissist sufficiently complicates the character's sense of entitlement.