70
The Hollywood Reporter by Boyd van Hoeij
Rosefeldt and a very game Blanchett spring one surprising creation on the viewer after the other. But what it all adds up to is of course up for debate.
What are people saying?
What are critics saying?
90
The surprise here is that Rosefeldt has managed to deliver an intellectually-charged, cheeky, and very funny film that feels unruly and expansive in spite of its tight 12-day shooting schedule and its focus on just one performer.
50
The Film Stage by Daniel Schindel
The film is more of a clip show, awkwardly cutting together elements once presented in a drastically different manner. In doing so, it obfuscates the power of a manifesto, allegedly what it means to pay tribute to.
80
ScreenCrush by E. Oliver Whitney
Even if you’re unfamiliar with the movements in the film, Manifesto is still a brilliant display of Blanchett’s unstoppable talent and Rosefeldt’s ability to use one art form – filmmaking – to explore so many others.
50
Slant Magazine by Elise Nakhnikian
The film’s visceral pleasures often work at cross purposes with the cerebral message of the manifestos.
75
The A.V. Club by Esther Zuckerman
Each of Blanchett’s characters exists in a complete environment, and Rosefeldt’s camera is keen to reveal the gags and treasures contained within each.
80
We Got This Covered by Lauren Humphries-Brooks
As a work of cinematic art, it defies codification. It begs for multiple viewings, if only to pick apart the concepts that it introduces, changes, and interacts with over the course of its run time.
83
Rosefeldt’s visual panache and Blanchett’s astonishing versatility bring cinematic verve to something that could’ve easily come off as too dryly conceptual.
80
Audiences needn’t be intimidated: Manifesto may not adhere to any conventional narrative structure, but it’s compulsively watchable all the same
70
Screen International by Tim Grierson
Unavoidably uneven but fairly engaging throughout, Manifesto is a cavalcade of provocative ideas, arresting visuals and fabulous wigs.