Amigo

R

Released Aug 19, 2011

2h 8m

Drama

War

List

60%

45 Reviews

Tomatometer

56%

250+ Ratings

Audience Score

A Filipino leader (Joel Torre) must decide whether to keep the peace with the American troops occupying his village or join the insurgency with his brother and son.

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Audience Member

Interesting look by John Sayles at the American imperialist occupation of the Philippines in the early 20th century

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/14/23

Full Review

Audience Member

That last scene was the bomb! Another exceptional performance from Joel Torre.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/12/23

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Audience Member

A powerful historical drama that examines the complexities of counter-insurgency and life under occupation.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

02/04/23

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Audience Member

An excellent film filled with ideas and insights.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/18/23

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Audience Member

Although its fiction, having read some diaries of GIs during the Philippine-American war, particularly Gen. Aguinaldo's own account, the movie was entertaining and believable. Made me a fan of writer-director John Sayles. However, won't be surprised if more Filipinos prefer movies made by those whom they will also elect and re elect in the coming Philippine election.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/23/23

Full Review

Audience Member

"Amigo" is a small, interesting little low-budget film that benefits from beautiful photography and Sayles' well-paced direction. For its two hour running time, it breezes by and remains consistently entertaining. A few performances are off and the costume design is bland, but "Amigo" is another fine outing from one of cinema's greatest storytellers.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

01/16/23

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John Sayles

Director

Joel Torre

Rafael

Garret Dillahunt

Lt. Compton

Chris Cooper

Col. Hardacre

DJ Qualls

Zeke

Rio Locsin

Corazon

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Connie Ogle

Miami Herald

A reflection on power and betrayal, on the thin line between acting as your conscience demands and protecting obligations close to your heart.

Rated: 3/4

Nov 16, 2011

Full Review

Bill Goodykoontz

Arizona Republic

Sayles is always an interesting storyteller, and if "Amigo" isn't typical of his subtler methods, it's still a compelling look at history and its continuing influence.

Rated: 4/5

Oct 6, 2011

Full Review

Michael O'Sullivan

Washington Post

"Amigo" might be the talkiest war movie ever made.

Rated: 1.5/4

Sep 2, 2011

Full Review

Kelly Jane Torrance

Washington Examiner

Writer-director John Sayles isn't trying to tell the story of one war, or, more importantly, one man. He's using that one man to make a political point, thereby losing the humanity of his story in the process.

Rated: 2/4

Jan 8, 2019

Full Review

Dennis Schwartz

Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews

Offers a valuable history lesson.

Rated: B

Mar 13, 2012

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John Beifuss

Commercial Appeal (Memphis, TN)

Naysayers might argue that the film's anti-war message is so obvious it doesn't bear repeating; but if that's the case, why do we tolerate so many unnecessary wars?

Rated: 3/4

Mar 9, 2012

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Synopsis

A Filipino leader (Joel Torre) must decide whether to keep the peace with the American troops occupying his village or join the insurgency with his brother and son.

Director: John Sayles
Screenwriter: John Sayles
Distributor: Variance Films
Rating: R (Language|Some Violence)
Genre: Drama, War
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Aug 19, 2011, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Aug 11, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA): $183.5K
Runtime: 2h 8m