Fados (2007)
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96% of critics liked it
(26 reviews) -
79% of users liked it
(1,268 ratings)
If references to the fado -- an ancient Portuguese form of music -- fail to strike a chord with even the most cultured American viewers, this is only attributable to the genre's longtime obscurity. A Portuguese musical mode borne out of early 19th century Lisbon, and characterized by long, ornate,… More If references to the fado -- an ancient Portuguese form of music -- fail to strike a chord with even the most cultured American viewers, this is only attributable to the genre's longtime obscurity. A Portuguese musical mode borne out of early 19th century Lisbon, and characterized by long, ornate, emotionally heavy ballads lamenting lost loves and shattered dreams, the fado began to experience a stunning and unpredicted resurgence in the early 21st century. Carlos Saura's 2007 documentary Fados captures the musical genre at this point, as it begins to reattain popularity. As the third and concluding installment in the director's "musical trilogy" that began with Flamenco (1995) and Tango (1998), the film first traces the history of the fado form, then moves into a veritable concert of fado all-stars (or fadistas) including Mariza, Camane, Caetano Veloso, and others -- staged and filmed on a succession of elaborate sets such as a recreation of a period Lisbon bar. Saura also works in tributes to such past fado performers as Amália Rodrigues and Chico Buarque. ~ Nathan Southern, Rovi
- Rating, Runtime
- Unrated, 1 hr. 28 min.
- Directed By
- Carlos Saura
- Genres
- Documentary, Musical & Performing Arts, Art House & International
- In Theaters
- Mar 6, 2009 Wide
- On DVD
- Oct 20, 2009
- Studio
- New Yorker Films
Critic Reviews
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Jonathan Curiel, San Francisco Chronicle
For those who've never before heard fado, Fados will be a revelation -- a window into a music that (like blues music) can be poetic, heartbreaking, melodramatic and redemptive, all at the same time.
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Kevin Thomas, Los Angeles Times
Never is his film less than cinematic.
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Dan Kois, Washington Post
That you very likely know nothing about who those legends are concerns Saura not at all; made for aficionados, Fados is virtually context-free.
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V.A. Musetto, New York Post
In total, there are more than a dozen performance pieces, all stylishly lensed.
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Manohla Dargis, New York Times
Fados is Carlos Saura's big-screen film about the musical genre that is the soul music of Portugal.
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