Entertainment Weekly by Leah Greenblatt

Havana’s crumbling trapped-in-time beauty also plays a starring role, but it’s Medina who provides the movie’s raw, tender heart.

Wall Street Journal by Joe Morgenstern

A startlingly beautiful movie.

The New York Times by Stephen Holden

It infuses a too-familiar story with so much heart that you surrender to its charm and forgive it for being unabashedly formulaic.

Miami Herald by René Rodríguez

Viva is "Rocky" in drag and sequins, transplanted to Havana. The movie is pure formula, but it’s surprisingly effective anyway, because director Paddy Breathnach and screenwriter Mark O’Halloran don’t sugarcoat the reality of life on the island.

Slant Magazine by Diego Semerene

The drag in the film rejects the U.S.-centric obsession with "realness" and the acrobatics that come with it.

The Film Stage by Jordan Raup

With a docudrama approach capturing moments of reflective tranquility next to the beach or on a rooftop, Viva feels deeply rooted in its location.

The Seattle Times by John Hartl

Slick and raunchy when it might have been grindingly realistic, Viva is finally all heart.

San Francisco Chronicle by Mick LaSalle

The lively setting helps, but the main attration here is the familiar story, which has been around forever and yet never gets old.

The Hollywood Reporter by Stephen Farber

Despite the predictable touches in the script by Mark O’Halloran, director Paddy Breathnach reveals a sensitive touch with the material.

Los Angeles Times by Kenneth Turan

Nothing happens you won't see coming, but it's all so deftly done you're more than happy to wait for the inevitable to arrive.

The A.V. Club by Mike D'Angelo

Perugorría is such a terrific, soulful actor that he makes Viva’s predictable dramatic trajectory — disapproving dad slowly grows to accept his child’s differences, while the kid gradually learns to forgive his father’s lifelong absence — seem a bit less moldy.

Village Voice by Monica Castillo

Despite its gorgeous views and a pair of strong turns from veteran Cuban actors Perugorría and García, the film doesn't connect to the heart of its central character.

The Playlist by Rodrigo Pérez

A moving movie that tries too hard to please and thus never truly satisfies.