Zama

El Biffo

A sumptuous, nuanced and brutal tale of power, bureaucracy, and oppression. A+ for acting, casting, script, production design, costumes, sound design and cinematography (did I leave anything out?). In my opinion, this cements the status of Lucrecia Martel as an auteur of the highest order. I hope it won't be another ten years before we see her next film!

OFF_FRAME

Combine Jauja and Embrace of the Serpent and you will end up quite close to the tonal landscape of Zama. A somnolent, black-humoured and ridiculing look at the life of a languishing magistrate in the colonies of seventeenth century Paraguay. Built with entrancing sound design of the jungle mixed with drones that swarm and hint at the eventual engulfing of Diego de Zama, an outsider on foreign soil. Sublime 4.5 stars

João Biscaia

Magical surrealism as I'd never seen on film. Damned circumstance and the stillness of everything, despite the passing of the days. Nadie escribe al coronel. Zama, at the border, invents his own reality, Vicuña Porto invents his own name, the corregedor invents his war trophies, we invent our superstitions. Everything is magical, and everything is death.

Jason

A fundamental component of the practice of art-making (it is definitely a thing at which one practices) is developing and carrying out ideas regarding how to accomplish effects. Martel is a giant when it comes to devising audio-visual means. ZAMA is a masterpiece of the highest order. Having read the novel recently, I can say that decisions Martel makes in her adaptation consistently speak to nothing short of genius.

Lucas Granero

Un viaje espiralado hacia la demencia de la espera. Lo que queda de un hombre luego de que la esperanza lo carcome hasta convertirlo en otro, hasta mutar una vez más en otra cosa y empezar a caer de nuevo. Zama es la historia de un cuerpo que intante resistir, una fantasía colonial, una fiebre contagiosa. Martel, más que nunca, hace del sonido un aliado único para hacer de esta película un verdadero estado mental.

Matthew Martens

“I do for you what no one did for me: I say no to your hopes.” But wait, there's also my review for the Boston Hassle: https://bostonhassle.com/review-zama-2017-dir-lucrecia-martel/

ig_____or

I wish they had spend more time out in the jungle instead of getting in and out of rooms or arranging wigs. The film is a visual marvel but it felt a bit tiresome on several moments.

Daniel Roque

It's hard to keep focus on the main plot when there are so many characters stealing all the scenes in the background - that llama videobomb gave me life!