To Die Like a Man

Honeychurch

Thanks MUBI for bringing this-- never would have seen it w/o you. Lots of memorable scenes.

ijustgetbored

I found this neither overlong nor overly lush. The extended scenes and vibrant colors evoked literary magical realism as it would appear on-screen. It is indeed long, but the length evokes Tonia's journey in a realistic way: some parts of her experience are lengthy and ripe with meaning, while some parts pass by almost too quickly to process.

Axel

La brave Tonia, touchante de bonté, court après son mec suicidaire, après son fils assassin, après son public infidèle et elle n’a pas le temps de se trouver elle même. Par ce beau portrait onirique, Joao Pedro Rodrigues ne tombe pas dans le piège des clichés.

El Biffo

3.5 I am really tired of transsexuals being portrayed as tragic, even if it is a good film. It makes the whole film so predictable, and it kinda pisses me off and perpetuates a fucked-up paradigm. Also I watched this film because I liked this screenshot and thought that the synopsis was about this character, but she only has a minor role. This film is actually about white people.

FilmEdie

My 1st JPR - approached warily, given the obvious riffing on 13 Moons... But this is solid; unquestionably the product of a complex & well-developed vision. Exactly the beauty/depth/empathy/awareness combo I'm most drawn to. Characters that aren't so much tragic as frank about the tragedy of it all; quiet fierce full messy unapologetic dignity. Queerness. Nuanced, rich, & genuinely moving. Startling use of music 4.5

Daniel Roque

Spoilers à parte - até porque o título diz tudo - o funeral é a cena mais bem conseguida de todo o filme e talvez das mais tenebrosamente bonitas no cinema português. A Irene e a Maria Bakker são dignas de uma caturreira pela tarde a dentro com um bolo de chocolate a acompanhar.

analeorne

Everybody knows how skeptical i am about new Portuguese cinema; so i must say i was pleasantly surprised with 'To Die Like A Man'. As said in a review in Berkeley, SF, there are some scenes that could have been shortened (some are unnecessarily too long, like the one in which Tonia sings with her head against the car's window). With amazing photography and carefully assembled soundtrack. would definitely recommend.

Matthew_Lucas

Sublime tale of a drag queen whose life is consumed with caring for her junkie boyfriend, who wants her to become a woman. Rodrigues directs with long, fluid takes & vibrant color filters that create a singular and oddly enrapturing atmosphere.At its heart it's a celebration of humanity, a probing exploration of self-identity and image, of personal desires vs. expectations, striking a note that is so very, very true.