91
Metascore
11 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 100The New York TimesAlissa WilkinsonThe New York TimesAlissa WilkinsonFor the fan, it’s an intensely moving experience. But even for the viewer without much knowledge of Sakamoto’s work, “Opus” holds its own as the rare cinematic space for contemplation.
- 100New York Magazine (Vulture)Bilge EbiriNew York Magazine (Vulture)Bilge EbiriA spare, lovely work directed by the late musician’s son, Neo Sora, Ryuichi Sakamoto: Opus is even more haunting on a big screen, where its shimmering black-and-white photography and elegant camera moves actually heighten the intimacy of the performance.
- 100The Hollywood ReporterSheri LindenThe Hollywood ReporterSheri LindenSora has made a work of magnificent minimalism. Its vision of immortality might be most stirring in the moments when Sakamoto’s elegant hands hover above the keyboard at the end of a piece. It’s as though he’s coaxing the final chords to resonate just a bit longer before they fade into something like silence but now, after his conjuring, much richer.
- 91IndieWireSophie Monks KaufmanIndieWireSophie Monks KaufmanWe are afforded the intimate sight of a man who gave his life to music making a final offering.
- 90VarietyTodd GilchristVarietyTodd GilchristFar more than a showcase of his talent and productivity, Ryuichi Sakamoto: Opus lets Sakamoto deliver an elegy, and in the process, an autobiography of his creative journey, as captured through the precision and poetry of director Neo Sora’s camera.
- 89Austin ChronicleKimberley JonesAustin ChronicleKimberley JonesFilmed in magnificent monochrome with the kind of richness that reminds you black and white are colors too, Ryuichi Sakamoto | Opus will put you in a contemplative place.
- 88RogerEbert.comGlenn KennyRogerEbert.comGlenn KennyThis is a terrific document and a testament.
- It’s hard not to feel like Sakamoto is in the room with you.
- 80The GuardianLeslie FelperinThe GuardianLeslie FelperinIt’s a work suffused with emotional tones and shades, surprisingly not all of them sad even though the subject knew at the time of filming he had mere weeks left before he’d die of cancer.
- 75Slant MagazineKenji FujishimaSlant MagazineKenji FujishimaUnder Sora Neo’s direction, each number becomes a mini-study of Sakamoto and the grand piano he plays on.