Reaching for the Moon

Released Nov 8, 2013

1 hr. 58 min.

Biography

Drama

Romance

LGBTQ+

List

67%

39 Reviews

Tomatometer

68%

500+ Ratings

Audience Score

Poet Elizabeth Bishop (Miranda Otto) has a love affair with architect Lota de Macedo Soares (Gloria Pires).

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Premiered Jul 01

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Critics Consensus

Reaching for the Moon's uptight sensibilities sometimes play more pretentious than poetic, but solid performances and sumptuous photography leave a lingering longing for love in the tropics.

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Daniel G

Really well-done biopic - though there were so many disclaimers at the end, that it wasn't clear how much poetic justice was done to the life of Elizabeth Bishop, US poet who falls in love with a headstrong and wordly Brazilian architect. Realistic presentation of Brazil in the 1950s-1960s and, in that way, also a valuable history lesson. Rare Flowers in Portuguese, Reaching for the Moon in English.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

12/07/22

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Audience Member

LOVED IT.. so romantic and lyrically beautiful- and from a true story! sexy love story...

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/23/23

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Audience Member

a feast 4 tha eyes, lavish made me wanna visit Rio sometime soon. this film is a period pic, historical film bio-pic and lesbian love story all rolled up in2 one.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

01/21/23

Full Review

Audience Member

I thought this was excellent: a true tale of love, although no doubt romanticised for the sake of art. A three-way lesbian relationship that appears to have worked for some considerable time, before things changed, as they have a way of doing, and the strongest character weakened. Some lovely photography, good acting, and believable relationships. It left us thinking about it the next day, curious to know more about these people, surely a good sign.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/14/23

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Audience Member

Well-done movie about unconventional relationships and power struggles, set in coup-time Brazil.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/14/23

Full Review

Audience Member

A beautiful film that shares the intimate love story of two very talented, sensitive women. Worthy of keeping in any personal, film collection. I've seen it twice and could easily see it again.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/24/23

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Bruno Barreto

Director

Gloria Pires

Lota de Macedo Soares

Miranda Otto

Elizabeth Bishop

Tracy Middendorf

Mary

Marcello Airoldi

Carlos Lacerda

Tânia Costa

Dindinha

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94%

71%

Behind the Candelabra

50%

54%

Freeheld

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for Freeheld

41%

55%

Vita & Virginia

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for Vita & Virginia

49%

40%

Hemingway & Gellhorn

78%

54%

From Afar

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Sarah Hansen

Autostraddle

An amazing display of how someone's support of your work can affect all aspects of what you're producing in the world.

Jun 14, 2021

Full Review

Guy Lodge

Variety

Attention is retained by the commendably unhistrionic leads, who convincingly etch the pair's enduring devotion even when passions run dry.

Mar 31, 2015

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Deborah Young

Hollywood Reporter

The life of American Poet Laureate Elizabeth Bishop furnishes surprisingly vivid emotional material in Reaching for the Moon.

Mar 31, 2015

Full Review

Michelle Faye

Curve

A truly wonderful cinematic achievement.

May 24, 2022

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Bernard Boo

Way Too Indie

Disappointingly, Barreto's film is sorely lacking in artfulness, even being so corny as to utilize voiceover recitations as a device to make the tired on-screen happenings seem more meaningful than they actually are.

Rated: 5/10

Apr 3, 2019

Full Review

Lucy Popescu

CineVue

Reaching for the Moon's pace is occasionally leaden, but for the most part this is an engaging portrait of two iconic women and a pivotal moment in Brazil's history.

Rated: 3/5

Mar 20, 2019

Full Review

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Synopsis

Poet Elizabeth Bishop (Miranda Otto) has a love affair with architect Lota de Macedo Soares (Gloria Pires).

Director: Bruno Barreto
Executive Producer: Rômulo Marinho Jr., Penny Wolf
Screenwriter: Matthew Chapman, Julie Sayres
Distributor: Wolfe Releasing
Production Co: LC Barreto
Genre: Biography, Drama, Romance, LGBTQ+
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Nov 8, 2013, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Mar 22, 2016

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