I am not usually impressed by film portrayals of artists. I found extremely disappointing the way geniuses such as Frida Kahlo, Turner and Van Gogh have been crudely portrayed in cinema. Films usually portray them as being mentally ill or shallow - when in fact they were the bleeding edge of human thinking.
Amadeo lies somewhere between these extremes. Although the film glamorised Amadeo's rich background, it did it with class. The sets, choices of clothes by Joana Cardoso, and props are incredible. The photography by Rui Poças is one of the best you'll see in any film, at any time in history. The direction by Vicente Alves do Ó is flawless.
I would like to stress that this film was under the attack of several "critics" in Portugal. These so called critics never produced anything even remotely remarkable. This film is a thing of beauty and should've been better lauded.
