--- title: "Buena Vista Social Club: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/buena-vista-social-club/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/buena-vista-social-club" critics_score: 78 critics_reviews: 13 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Buena Vista Social Club (1999): what the critics said Critics' score 78 from 13 reviews: 11 positive, 2 mixed, 0 negative. Most critics are warm, and the praise goes almost entirely to the musicians rather than to the filmmaker. Review after review dwells on the same things: the veteran players’ ease and skill, their good humour in interview, the pleasure of the songs, and Havana’s crumbling streets as a backdrop. The consensus is that the film works because Wenders stands back and lets the music and the personalities carry it, and that the Carnegie Hall concert arrives as the reward it is meant to be. The reservations, where they exist, are about Wenders. Roger Ebert likes the music but complains that the camera circles endlessly and the editing cuts songs up before they can finish. Sight and Sound finds the direction clumsy and intrusive. Slant Magazine thinks it little more than concert footage, made by an outsider who keeps clear of politics. The spread is narrow: eleven of thirteen are positive, none negative, and even the mixed notices concede the music is worth hearing. ## The Guardian — Philip French Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 19 September 1999. The critic calls it a wonderful new movie, exuberant and unpretentious in its focus on popular Cuban music and the 'son de Cuba'. It highlights the musicians' virtuoso performances and resilience amid Havana's decay, while placing them in social context without easy political points. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/1999/sep/19/philipfrench) ## The New York Times — Stephen Holden Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 4 June 1999. The review hails the film as an exhilarating documentary that captures stirring performances and the unquenchable joy of the Cuban musicians at Carnegie Hall and elsewhere. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/1999/06/04/movies/film-review-a-cuban-band-s-testament-to-the-powers-of-the-music.html) ## Time Out — TR Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). The reviewer calls the project a 'blinder' and praises how it documents the musicians' reactivation and triumphant concerts without the filmmaking getting in the way of their deserved acclaim and performances. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/buena-vista-social-club) ## Empire — Neil Jeffries Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 1 January 2000. Wenders' documentary captures the magic of veteran Cuban musicians collaborating with Ry Cooder. The critic praises its human portraits and effortless transfer of musical joy to film, calling it addictive. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/buena-vista-social-club-review/) ## Los Angeles Times — Kenneth Turan Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 4 June 1999. The critic celebrates the film’s focus on the rejuvenating power of the music, the charming veteran musicians, and the crumbling beauty of Havana, calling the sounds intoxicating and timeless. [Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1999-jun-04-ca-43949-story.html) ## Variety — Eddie Cockrell Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 18 February 1999. Festival review. The review calls the film a seductive performance-interview documentary showcasing sexy, spirited music by remarkable elderly musicians and praises Wenders’ warm, orthodox approach. [Read the review](https://variety.com/1999/film/reviews/buena-vista-social-club-1200456594/) ## Evening Standard Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 10 April 2012. Wenders' film is a glorious look at ageing Cuban musicians and their Carnegie Hall concert. The critic highlights the characters' charm and the breathtaking casual artistry of their playing as making it an aurally rich, visually fertile treat. [Read the review](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/buena-vista-social-club-7433966.html) ## IndieWire — Danny Lorber Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 11 June 1999. The critic finds the documentary a marvelous and inspired look at elderly Cuban musicians whose talents deserve wider recognition. It singles out the rich visual scheme and the musicians' exceptional performances for particular praise. [Read the review](https://www.indiewire.com/criticism/culture/review-wenders-inspired-music-doc-buena-vista-social-club-82212/) ## RogerEbert.com — Roger Ebert Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 25 June 1999. The critic praises the seductive music and the stories of the rediscovered veteran musicians but faults the repetitive circling camerawork, shaky handheld shots, excessive focus on Ry Cooder, and constant intercutting that prevents full songs from playing uninterrupted. [Read the review](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-buena-vista-social-club-1999) ## Sight and Sound — Peter Curran Fi1m's normalised score 50/100 (inferred from the text). The critic finds Wim Wenders' direction clumsy and intrusive, with awkward cutaways and synchronization issues that interrupt the music, but still sees the film as a valid celebration of the Cuban musicians' sophistication, optimism, and late-career triumphs. [Read the review](http://old.bfi.org.uk/sightandsound/review/211) ## Slant Magazine Fi1m's normalised score 50/100 (inferred from the text). 19 August 2001. The review describes the film as glorified concert footage that celebrates the musicians while remaining detached and apolitical. It praises the music's emotional depth but criticizes Wenders as an outsider who fails to fully engage with the material or context. [Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/buena-vista-social-club/) ## Eye for Film — Angus Wolfe Murray Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 19 January 2001. The critic celebrates the elderly Cuban musicians' talent and vitality, noting that age does not diminish artistic quality. The vibrant energy of the music and the faded grandeur of Havana stand out as the film's unique strengths. [Read the review](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/buena-vista-social-club-film-review-by-angus-wolfe-murray) ## Paste — Craig D. Lindsey Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 5 June 2024. The critic praises Wenders' documentary as a warm, glorious musical salute to aging Cuban musicians, highlighting the joyful performances and personal stories that give these artists their due recognition. The film is celebrated for capturing the collaborative beauty and triumphant spirit of the music. [Read the review](https://www.pastemagazine.com/movies/wim-wenders/buena-vista-social-club-wim-wenders-documentary-cuba) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/buena-vista-social-club.md