A Talking Picture
  • Release Date: Dec 10, 2004
User Score
5.7 out of 10

Mixed or average reviews- based on 10 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 6 out of 10
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 10
  3. Negative: 4 out of 10

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  1. Matthew
    Jun 22, 2005
    10
    It is a rare film that asks questions of those who watch it, and this is one of those films. What happens when our civilization's enlightened discourse falls short of the mark? Oliveira does not propose an answer, in its place, he gives an explosion. The explosion at the end recontextualizes everything that has come before it: the long (some might say boring) tableaux become beautiful because they are revealed as ephemeral; the whimsical (some might say pointless) song and conversations become heartfelt because, after the explosion, human hearts (and the rest of the body) have disintegrated. This is not a thinking man's film; it is for people who have faith in their own emotions.… Expand
  2. seth
    Apr 11, 2005
    10
    Very solid film, I enjoyed every last minute. It worked on the level of travelogue, if you're interested in european culture and want to tag along for an interesting trip it's fun in that way. It's ultimately about much more and this greater level of depth is why the movie's a 10 and not just a fun little trifle.

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
75 out of 100

Generally favorable reviews - based on 14 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 12 out of 14
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 14
  3. Negative: 0 out of 14
  1. Chicago Reader
    Reviewed by: Jonathan Rosenbaum
    80
    Initially this seems naive and archaic, but it conceals a Buñuelian stinger in its tail.
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  2. Variety
    Reviewed by: Deborah Young
    70
    A film destined to divide Manoel de Oliveira's fans but also to win him new ones, A Talking Picture is his simplest, most linear story in memory.
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  3. Village Voice
    Reviewed by: Dennis Lim
    70
    Still astonishingly vital at 96, the Portuguese maestro Manoel de Oliveira here takes a becalmed trip through stormy waters.
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