Tabu (2012)
85%RT Audience Score: 77%
Awards & Nominations: 20 wins & 46 nominations
Tabu is a film that is as enigmatic as it is mesmerizing. Miguel Gomes’ direction is a masterclass in storytelling, weaving together a tale of love, betrayal, and colonialism that spans both time and continents. The film’s use of black and white cinematography is nothing short of breathtaking, and the recurring crocodile serves as a haunting reminder of the film’s underlying themes. Tabu is a film that will frustrate some audiences and fascinate others, but for those willing to take the plunge, it is a cinematic experience unlike any other.
Tabu is a film that will leave you feeling like you just went on a wild ride through time and space. It’s a jigsaw puzzle of a movie that will frustrate you at times, but ultimately fascinate you with its unique storytelling style. The crocodile that keeps popping up is a recurring character that will have you scratching your head, but in a good way. Miguel Gomes has created a film that is both tragic and uplifting, and will leave you with a sense of wonder and awe. It’s definitely worth seeking out if you’re in the mood for something different and daring.
Production Company(ies)
Hell’s Kitchen Films, Universal Pictures,
Distributor
NA
Release Type
Theatrical
Filming Location(s)
Lisbon, Portugal
MPAA / Certificate
Not Rated
Year of Release
2012
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Color:Color
Black and White -
Sound mix:Dolby Digital
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Aspect ratio:1.37 : 1
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Runtime:NA
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Language(s):Portuguese, English, Polish
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Country of origin:Portugal
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Release date:Release Date (Streaming): Oct 29, 2013
Genre(s)
Drama
Keyword(s)
starring Teresa Madruga, Isabel Muñoz Cardoso, Laura Soveral, Ana Moreira, Henrique Espírito Santo, Carloto Cotta, directed by Miguel Gomes, written by Miguel Gomes, Mariana Ricardo, drama, box office performance, budget, reviewed by Michael O’Sullivan, Ty Burr, John Hartl, Betsy Sharkey, Farran Smith Nehme, Ian Buckwalter, Dustin Chang, Jordan M Smith, C.J Prince, Daniel Green, Pat Padua, produced by Maren Ade, Sandro Aguilar, Caio Gullane, Fabiano Gullane, Janine Jackowski, Luís Urbano, Jonas Dornbach, Thomas Ordonneau, MPAA rating, Portuguese (Brazil), Pilar, Santa, Aurora, Ventura, crocodile, lost love, classic cinema, colonialism, repression, social responsibility, cultural mingling, experimental flair, swooning romance, mysterious, visually striking, experimental, jigsaw puzzle, black and white, allegorical aspirations, anti-sentimentalism, tragic, uplifting, daring, minimal aesthetics, Tabu
Worldwide gross: $1,108,473
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $1,429,070
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,508
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 155,842
US/Canada gross: NA
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada opening weekend:
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): NA
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): NA
Production budget ranking: NA
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
ROI to date (est.): NA
ROI ranking: NA
Laura Soveral – Old Aurora
Ana Moreira – Young Aurora
Henrique Espírito Santo – Old Ventura
Carloto Cotta – Young Ventura
Isabel Muñoz Cardoso – Santa
Director(s)
Miguel Gomes
Writer(s)
Miguel Gomes, Mariana Ricardo
Producer(s)
Maren Ade, Sandro Aguilar, Caio Gullane, Fabiano Gullane, Janine Jackowski, Luís Urbano, Jonas Dornbach, Thomas Ordonneau
Film Festivals
Berlin
Awards & Nominations
20 wins & 46 nominations
Academy Awards
All Critics (60) | Top Critics (22) | Fresh (53) | Rotten (7)
It takes a while to get to the meat of the movie, but it’s well worth the wait.
April 5, 2013 | Rating: 3/4
Michael O’Sullivan
Washington Post
TOP CRITIC
It almost seems a parody of willfully obscure art-house fare. Yet it has an undertow that sucks you in as often as it strands you back on shore.
February 14, 2013 | Rating: 2.5/4
Ty Burr
Boston Globe
TOP CRITIC
A kind of jigsaw puzzle, spiced up with references to “White Mischief,” “Out of Africa” and “The Snows of Kilimanjaro,” that will frustrate some audiences and fascinate others.
February 7, 2013 | Rating: 3/4
John Hartl
Seattle Times
TOP CRITIC
The audience is left to imagine much of the story, though it is clear it involves love, betrayal, guilt, regret and a recurring crocodile.
January 24, 2013 | Rating: 2/5
Betsy Sharkey
Los Angeles Times
TOP CRITIC
Portuguese director Miguel Gomes’ latest film moves through different styles and eras, and proves that shooting in black and white is as versatile as it ever was.
December 28, 2012 | Rating: 3.5/4
Farran Smith Nehme
New York Post
TOP CRITIC
Few films are this smart about subtly couching their allegorical aspirations within more straightforward narratives; fewer still are able to do so with such energetically inventive virtuoso style.
December 27, 2012 | Rating: 9.5/10
Ian Buckwalter
NPR
TOP CRITIC
Gomes’s playing on colonialist past and its taboo contrasting with the make-believe nature of the African part of the film is just brilliant. Tragic yet uplifting, daring in it’s minimal aesthetics, Tabu isn’t anything like I’ve seen out there.
February 28, 2021
Dustin Chang
Floating World
Miguel Gomes has made a liquid film of period romance that delves into social responsibility, cultural mingling and the torturous nature of repression, all the while maintaining a playful anti-sentimentalism that reeks of fresh air.
November 12, 2020
Jordan M. Smith
IONCINEMA.com
A romantic film about lost love and classic cinema, Tabu is definitely worth seeking out.
July 2, 2019 | Rating: 7.5/10
C.J. Prince
Way Too Indie
A beguiling black and white drama that spans both decades and continents, this is mesmeric, conscientious filmmaking at its most ambitious and expansive.
February 2, 2019 | Rating: 4/5
Daniel Green
CineVue
The toothy scene-stealers are a Herzoggian reminder of nature and mortality that is part of a well-crafted cinematic reality.
August 30, 2018
Pat Padua
DCist
It fits snugly with recent European films like Chantal Akerman’s “Almayer’s Folly” and Claire Denis’ “White Material,” which have explored the ongoing legacy of colonialism.
February 21, 2018
Steve Erickson
Gay City News…
Plot
Two elderly women search for the man their recently deceased friend had a passionate affair with in her youth in the visually striking and experimental drama, Tabu.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
Tabu stars Teresa Madruga as Pilar and Isabel Muñoz Cardoso as Santa.
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