77
Metascore
13 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 90The New York TimesJeannette CatsoulisThe New York TimesJeannette CatsoulisCirco offers a touching chronicle of a dying culture harnessed to ambitions that remain very much alive.
- 90Los Angeles TimesKenneth TuranLos Angeles TimesKenneth TuranA marvel of a documentary, a clear-eyed and affectionate film that tells a remarkable story with both visual and personal sensitivity. More impressive still, it's largely the work of one man.
- 83The A.V. ClubNoel MurrayThe A.V. ClubNoel MurrayThough Circo is pretty bleak, Schock doesn't skimp on the exotic wonder of a life on the road, surrounded by color and danger.
- 80The Hollywood ReporterSheri LindenThe Hollywood ReporterSheri LindenA well-told tale, and though its compact running time makes it a fine TV fit, its visual poetry is worth a big-screen look.
- 80Village VoiceErnest HardyVillage VoiceErnest HardyCirco is filled with beautiful images and haunting moments, especially in the third act, when the family unravels as the film culminates in a final triumphant, haunting image.
- 75New York PostV.A. MusettoNew York PostV.A. MusettoCirco is more like "The Smallest Show on Earth" than "The Greatest Show on Earth," the 1952 Oscar winner, but it does provide a look at a unique family and a disappearing way of life.
- 75San Francisco ChronicleWalter AddiegoSan Francisco ChronicleWalter AddiegoThe most amazing act in the Gran Circo Mexico doesn't take place in the ring - it's the grind between performances.
- 75Boston GlobeLoren KingBoston GlobeLoren KingCirco offers a fascinating mix of backstage drama and family dynamics.
- 60Time OutDavid FearTime OutDavid FearCirco zeroes in on the interpersonal strife within this collapsing clan - an angle that only occasionally lifts the film above confessional exotica.
- The film engages sporadically but mostly fails to take advantage of its under-documented milieu.