52
Metascore
8 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 83Entertainment WeeklyLisa SchwarzbaumEntertainment WeeklyLisa SchwarzbaumRodrigo Santoro (Paulo on Lost, Xerxes in 300, and even better, Raúl Castro in Che) is mighty matinee-idol charismatic himself in the title role, alternating between swaggering lady-killer and ravaged victim of self-destruction.
- 70The New York TimesJeannette CatsoulisThe New York TimesJeannette CatsoulisThough powerfully acted and dazzlingly shot (by Walter Carvalho) in heavenly black and white, Heleno is a feverish opera that, like its doomed antihero, loses vitality much too soon.
- 70Los Angeles TimesGary GoldsteinLos Angeles TimesGary GoldsteinThat's not to say Heleno, with its magnetic energy, sensual re-creation of 1940s and '50s Brazil and bold storytelling lacks punch; the movie is nothing if not watchable. But, by presenting more surface than depth to De Freitas' womanizing, arrogance and volatility (an implied closeness to his unseen mother is about as far as the film digs), it largely feels like an arm's length effort.
- 50Slant MagazineSlant MagazineThe film hints at a kicky, impressionistic style that director José Henrique Fonseca never effectively employs to actually communicate Heleno de Freitas's demons.
- 50The PlaylistKevin JagernauthThe PlaylistKevin JagernauthThe movie is basically The Portrait Of The Artist As A Young Mad Man, but don't be shocked if you find yourself asking just what art he was practicing in the first place.
- 40Village VoiceMichael AtkinsonVillage VoiceMichael AtkinsonYou're stuck daydreaming about a far, far better movie.
- 38New York PostFarran Smith NehmeNew York PostFarran Smith NehmeWhat you get instead of soccer is almost two hours of late-stage syphilis.
- 20Time OutTime OutFrom its flash-forward framing sequence to its glossy black and white images, the film emulates "Raging Bull" in nearly every particular, while failing to capture even a sliver of that tortured-soul sports-movie's insight or visceral power.