90
The New York Times by A.O. Scott
More than a simple tribute or a fond remembrance, it is a remarkable and full-throated elegy, a work of art that is full of life.
What are people saying?
What are critics saying?
50
The Hollywood Reporter by Boyd van Hoeij
Barbosa doesn’t seem very interested in questioning Buchmann’s intentions — the idea of cultural appropriation never comes up, for starters — with the young man depicted as sincere if clearly naive.
75
The Globe and Mail (Toronto) by Brad Wheeler
Director Barbosa's love letter to his late friend is emotionally satisfying and cinematically splendid, with social commentary shoe-horned in for better or worse.
38
Slant Magazine by Clayton Dillard
The film seems to think that the mere recognition of Gabriel as a narcissist sufficiently complicates the character's sense of entitlement.
75
San Francisco Chronicle by David Lewis
Even if the proceedings sometime feel like a travelogue, the reconstructions of Gabriel’s last days alive, down to the exact locations and personal interactions, leave a strong impression.
70
On one level, the film can be classified as a journey of discovery, but what deepens interest is the way Barbosa constantly asks the viewer to question what it means to travel.
90
Village Voice by Jordan Hoffman
The location photography does much of the film’s heavy lifting, especially visits to Mount Kilimanjaro and Mulanje’s Sapitwa Peak. (The rumor is that a young J.R.R. Tolkien visited there, and Barbosa leans into this a bit for the big finish.) The star of the show, however, is the dialogue between cultures.
80
Los Angeles Times by Robert Abele
A beautifully filmed, subtly political travelogue with some central conundrums.
70
Screen International by Sarah Ward
Gabriel and the Mountain offers a moving look at the transformative nature of travel, both on those hopping around the world in search of a new perspective and those they encounter along the way.