Tetro

Name: Tetro
Genre: Drama, Mystery
Released: June 11, 2009
Duration: 127 min
Rating: 65
Cast: Alden Ehrenreich, Maribel Verdú, Vincent Gallo

2009

METASCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 26 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 34 Ratings

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6.7

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6.7	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 34 Ratings

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Tetro

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Movie Details & Credits

American Zoetrope | Release Date: June 11, 2009 | R

Starring: Alden Ehrenreich, Maribel Verdú, Vincent Gallo

Summary: Tetro is Francis Ford Coppola's first original screenplay since "The Conversation." It is his most personal film yet, arising from memories and emotions from his early life, though totally fictional. It is the bittersweet story of two brothers, of family lost and found and the conflicts and secrets within a highly creative Argentine-ItalianTetro is Francis Ford Coppola's first original screenplay since "The Conversation." It is his most personal film yet, arising from memories and emotions from his early life, though totally fictional. It is the bittersweet story of two brothers, of family lost and found and the conflicts and secrets within a highly creative Argentine-Italian family. (American Zoetrope Releasing)… Expand

Director: Francis Ford Coppola

Genre(s): Drama, Mystery

Rating: R

Runtime: 127 min

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Metascore

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Critic Reviews

100

Calvin Wilson

Shot mostly in black and white and imbued with a romanticism that's at once nostalgic and exhilarating, Tetro sneaks up on you. What threatens to be a mere exercise in style proves to be as involving as it is inventive. Read full review

Andrew O'Hehir

Certainly it isn't the greatest of Coppola's pictures, or even of his independent productions, but those are pretty high standards. It has a verve and vitality that's been missing from his pictures for 25 years, and its various and visible flaws all result from too much of that verve rather than too little. I enjoyed it tremendously. Read full review

Wesley Morris

A family melodrama with charm. Read full review

J. Hoberman

For writer-director Coppola, Tetro is a cri de coeur, one more from the heart. Read full review

Owen Gleiberman

Like Orson Welles, Francis Ford Coppola has gone from being the filmmaker of his time to becoming a make-it-up-as-you-go-along indie free-shooter. Read full review

Todd McCarthy

When Coppola finds creative nirvana, he frequently has trouble delivering the full goods. Tetro represents something of a middle ground in that respect. Read full review

Richard Corliss

Alas, in Tetro he (Coppola) has made a movie in which plenty happens but nothing rings true. Read full review

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User Reviews

AlanY

Jul 17, 2009

Visually and dramatically spellbinding. The dramatic tension is perfectly paced, the principal actors are riveting, and I especially liked the cinematography. This is not a mass-market film, but the work of an artist.

1 of 1 users found this helpful

StanleyKubrick

Jul 28, 2016

One of Francis Ford Coppola's most personal and beautiful films with great locations (Argentina), a good cast (Klaus Maria Brandauer!) and wonderful b&w cinematography (Mihai Malaimare Jr.).

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

Fisher

Nov 11, 2013

Vincent Gallo is extremely talented in many ways. He is also complex sensitive, poetic and very funny. The public responses to him vary greatly. He is completely misunderstood and those who misunderstand his intensions and humor will certainly misunderstand his masterful works of art.Vincent Gallo is extremely talented in many ways. He is also complex sensitive, poetic and very funny. The public responses to him vary greatly. He is completely misunderstood and those who misunderstand his intensions and humor will certainly misunderstand his masterful works of art. Gallo's performance in Tetro is fantastic… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

Drew

Jun 18, 2009

Coppola is back! I couldn't be happier with the film. It had a great story, great acting, it was beautiful to look at, and I was captivated by it the whole time. Bravo, Mr. Coppola.

1 of 1 users found this helpful

CaroleG

Jul 2, 2009

It is very hard to have a successful story based solely on revelations of what happened in the past. Somehow, magically, Coppola pulled this off with "The Conversation," in which he held us fascinated, as the puzzle of what happened slowly gets solved. With "Tetro," there is no coherent It is very hard to have a successful story based solely on revelations of what happened in the past. Somehow, magically, Coppola pulled this off with "The Conversation," in which he held us fascinated, as the puzzle of what happened slowly gets solved. With "Tetro," there is no coherent story, i.e., a story that utterly coheres. I have to ascribe this to Coppola's using material that is very personal and then trying to make it interesting to the viewer; alas, he drags in whatever he thinks will work, even though the action-enhancing parts are not all of a piece. Because there is no story to follow, we are dependent on the two main characters, but I was unable to care about either of them. All this negativity aside, the film is gorgeous to watch, in its dramatic black and white, an occasionally unexpected angle, the way the camera can make us focus on a small area as though it were the entire world, reminiscent of old Japanese films such a "Tokyo Story." I wanted to love this film. I barely liked it. The very beginning held my interest, and then for a long time the grievances were played and re-played, which I found boring, and finally there were bursts of action that took the film to a level of improbability from which it was impossible to suspend disbelief. I heard Coppola on the radio recently talking about himself--it was utterly fascinating. Great talkers and great directors are not necessarily great writers. I wish someone else had written "Tetro."… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful

DawdlingPoet

Jan 15, 2022

This has the look and feel of Roma, in that its a bit slow paced, its set abroad in the modern day and its (primarily) in black and white (plus it features subtitles). I liked the classical/continental style music played in the background, quite laidback and somewhat jazzy sounding at firstThis has the look and feel of Roma, in that its a bit slow paced, its set abroad in the modern day and its (primarily) in black and white (plus it features subtitles). I liked the classical/continental style music played in the background, quite laidback and somewhat jazzy sounding at first and more classical and ethereal sounding later on.

This is a film quite heavy in reminiscence (not always in a positive way), depicting characters who are mostly philosophising, to an extent. It has an element of mystery about it, which is good I guess and things do speed up pace wise a bit mid way through.

It won't appeal to everyone (it may seem a bit indulgent perhaps?) but its certainly a nice example of a mostly laidback watch I suppose. It mainly focuses on the relationship between siblings - family rivalry perhaps. It looks at times like a theatrical production depicted partly on stage, hence it has a bit of a dreamlike element to it.

Also, it is a film that references films and writing, so perhaps its a bit of a filmmakers film but that's absolutely fair enough. The director is the infamous Francis Ford Coppola, of 'The Godfather' fame. It does have a bit of an ageless feel about it.

Yes, I think I would overall recommend this.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

amk76mak

Jun 28, 2009

Just want to say that i love the Dracula and Apocalypse But..... You everyone begging for FFC and don/t see that whole 15 years he shot holy crap.

1 of 2 users found this helpful

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