71
Metascore
19 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 88Chicago TribunePatrick Z. McGavinChicago TribunePatrick Z. McGavinThe film recalls Martin Scorsese's "Mean Streets" and the minimalism of films such as Lars Von Trier's "The Idiots." Eason and cinematographer Didier Gertsch keep the cameras tight on the actors' bodies and faces, creating palpable unease.
- 80The A.V. ClubKeith PhippsThe A.V. ClubKeith PhippsEason's twist of fate and too-sudden ending seems as rooted in Washington Heights as the music that pours from the neighborhood's car windows, the smoke that billows from its late-night eateries, and the stoic resignation inscribed on its inhabitants' faces.
- 75New York PostMegan LehmannNew York PostMegan LehmannA leisurely, scene-setting start, peppered with authentic banter and winning localized humor, fleshes out the characters in Manito so well you feel as if you live alongside them.
- 75PremierePremiereUntil the point that changes everything, Manito is more a portrait of a neighborhood and its various characters--and this is the even more impressive part of the film. Once the disasters start to domino, the story becomes a bit familiar, a bit manipulative.
- 75New York Daily NewsElizabeth WeitzmanNew York Daily NewsElizabeth WeitzmanToward the finish, the movie takes a regrettable curve into melodrama, but the excellent performances never waver.
- 70The New York TimesDana StevensThe New York TimesDana StevensThough a dramatic (even melodramatic) narrative eventually takes shape, what you remember is the succession of moods and observations through which it emerges.
- 60New York Magazine (Vulture)Peter RainerNew York Magazine (Vulture)Peter RainerHas an appealing rawness.
- 60Film ThreatMerle BertrandFilm ThreatMerle BertrandWith Manito's raw portrayal of its characters and stripped-down cinematography, the undercurrent of impending tragedy is palpable.
- 50Austin ChronicleKimberley JonesAustin ChronicleKimberley JonesIf you shy away from that sick feeling in the pit of the stomach that comes when watching good people make bad decisions, then best to steer clear of Manito, a low-budget indie that reaches near-Greek proportions of tragedy brought on by lousy decision-making.