Amigo

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Amigo

R

Released Aug 19, 2011

2h 8m

Drama

War

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Popcornmeter

60%

Tomatometer

45 Reviews

56%

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250+ Ratings

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.

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

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Michael O'Sullivan

Washington Post

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

Rated: 1.5/4

Sep 2, 2011

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John Hartl

Seattle Times

You could argue that the chief villain of the ambiguously titled "Amigo" is language, which is used quite deliberately to mock and mislead and betray.

Rated: 3.5/4

Sep 1, 2011

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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

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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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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

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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

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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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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
Producer: Maggie Renzi
Screenwriter: John Sayles
Distributor: Variance Films
Production Co: Pinoy Pictures
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