61
Metascore
13 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 80Chicago ReaderFred CamperChicago ReaderFred CamperKar Kar's singing is wonderfully expressive, and an improvised song to his wife at her grave site demonstrates the emotional wellspring of his music.
- 80VarietyKen EisnerVarietyKen EisnerEducational value aside, pic is exciting for its extended performance sequences, with the most notable finding Traore and Farke strolling with guitars through the acoustically amazing atrium of an abandoned mud schoolhouse.
- 75Boston GlobeTy BurrBoston GlobeTy BurrFor fans of African music, "Sing" is a rich archeological dig; for newcomers with open ears, it might be a revelation.
- 70Village VoiceLaura SinagraVillage VoiceLaura SinagraThe reverent pacing lags a bit, but the film's meditation on the struggle to find spirituality that reconciles Islam with tribal belief systems is powerful in its understatement, and its wordless observation of France's Malian community quietly evidences daily cultural preservation amid the hard labor.
- 67Entertainment WeeklyOwen GleibermanEntertainment WeeklyOwen GleibermanOne of those sanctifying docs that rambles when it should explore.
- 63New York PostV.A. MusettoNew York PostV.A. MusettoEnjoyable if only to hear KarKar perform his mournful and personal songs, including a tender tribute to his late wife.
- 60Film ThreatPhil HallFilm ThreatPhil HallA meandering and disappointing documentary about one of Africa's most beloved yet elusive musical giants.
- 50The A.V. ClubKeith PhippsThe A.V. ClubKeith PhippsDirector Jacques Sarasin lazily relies on a talking-heads/archival-footage approach to tell Traoré's story, doing little to put it in context and assuming a lot more knowledge of Malian history than most viewers possess.
- 50Washington PostMichael O'SullivanWashington PostMichael O'SullivanIt never really feels like we've gotten to know the man himself, leaving the figure at the heart of I'll Sing for You a cipher.