Los Angeles Times by Kevin Thomas

A beautifully structured and photographed film, John Turturro's rapturous Passione offers a vibrant exploration and celebration of Neapolitan music in all its grit and glory, presenting 23 musical numbers that encompass a millennium's worth of influences.

Chicago Sun-Times by Roger Ebert

There's a freedom in his structure. This isn't a formal documentary, but as I mentioned, a meander.

Time Out by Joshua Rothkopf

If you're even slightly interested in folk music, there will be something here to simmer that curiosity into a full-on boil: the Arabic trip-hop stylings of monomonikered rapper-singer Raiz, raspy Pietra Montecorvino's Stevie Nicks–like dance tunes, a gorgeous sax solo from local jazz legend James Senese.

The New York Times by A.O. Scott

While Passione praises the spirit of its subjects, it also attends to the discipline and tenacity that makes them worth noticing.

New York Post by V.A. Musetto

The music is vibrant and the presentation is appealing.

IndieWire by Eric Kohn

Subtitled "a musical adventure," the actor-director's love letter to some 800 years of Neapolitan expression probes its subject with a wide romantic outlook.

St. Louis Post-Dispatch by Joe Williams

Turturro, who previously directed a musical called "Romance and Cigarettes," lingers on the sensual movements of the performers and the character faces of the onlookers.

San Francisco Chronicle by Mick LaSalle

I've seen many films about Italy, but this one - possibly because it's so colorful and stylized and possibly because the songs are such economical distillations of a state of mind - feels like being there.

Chicago Reader by J.R. Jones

Actor John Turturro follows his charming and colorful travel documentary "Rehearsal for a Sicilian Tragedy" (2009) with this assured and freewheeling look at the music of Naples (2010).

Portland Oregonian by Shawn Levy

In some regards, watching Passione is like being cornered by actor John Turturro and forced to watch a slide show of his trip to Italy.

Slant Magazine by Andrew Schenker

Expressionistic rather than analytical, Passione, John Turturro's cinematic ode to the music of Naples, Italy, unfolds as a compendium of tuneful performances bracketed with the barest of contextualization.

New York Daily News by Joe Neumaier

It can sometimes be hard to sit through, but another song is coming soon, and anyway, close your eyes and imagine you're on vacation, sipping vino in a piazza, soaking in the street life.

The A.V. Club by Sam Adams

As an actor, Turturro brings wit and a healthy sense of absurdity to many of his roles, but his directorial efforts are notably lacking in self-awareness or restraint.

Village Voice by Melissa Anderson

Works best when its director tamps down his impulse to enhance the performances with florid narratives, focusing on just the singer and the song.