64
Metascore
20 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 75Slant MagazineClayton DillardSlant MagazineClayton DillardAlex Gibney uses archival and Broadway footage so seamlessly that telling the difference between reality and recreation becomes not only difficult, but one of the film's central metaphors.
- What makes Finding Fela! just as poignant is the fact that Kuti, while still listened to and appreciated by millions, is not as ubiquitous a cultural institution as Davis or Brown. Gibney doesn’t fully, forcefully make the case in Kuti’s favor — but he does take a big step in the right direction, all while sketching a vivid, evocative portrait.
- 70The Hollywood ReporterDavid RooneyThe Hollywood ReporterDavid RooneyAlways interesting, frequently explosive, but also sprawling and unfocused.
- 63New York PostFarran Smith NehmeNew York PostFarran Smith NehmeThough the filmmaking is not terribly exciting, Fela’s life and music are.
- 60Village VoiceAlan ScherstuhlVillage VoiceAlan ScherstuhlOnce it gets going, it's fine, a somewhat scattered précis of the life and accomplishment of one of the 20th century's towering musicians, activists, and curiosities.
- 60Time OutKeith UhlichTime OutKeith UhlichThese scenes make you wish the rest of the movie had similar bite, but Gibney tends toward that dutiful doc style that mixes talking heads and archival clips into a flavorless stew—a bland complement to Fela’s zesty on- and offstage presence.
- 60The New York TimesNicolas RapoldThe New York TimesNicolas RapoldThe behind-the-scenes component, juiced with razzle-dazzle excerpts from the “Fela!” production, is sound, in theory. But — like many sequences — it’s not so tightly executed, and this strand tends to knock the documentary off balance.
- 50VarietyGeoff BerkshireVarietyGeoff BerkshireWhile the filmed stage performances are among the pic’s most galvanizing sequences, their inclusion underscores how flat Gibney’s combination of archival footage and talking-head interviews otherwise plays.
- 50The DissolveNoel MurrayThe DissolveNoel MurrayThe parts of Finding Fela that best handle the tricky nuances of Kuti’s worldview are the parts that show Jones and the Fela! creative team grappling with those same questions.