Sergio (2020) User Reviews (96)

Covers important events in such a dull way

[iamkeysersoze-13228 · 4/10 · 17 April 2020]

Sergio is one of those Netflix films which has so much potential but never delivers. It covers important events in such a dull way. It's rarely ever interesting despite the great performances.

I really don't think the non-linear narrative works in this film. I think the writing is weak whilst it covers the events well. It doesn't do it in the way which you learn stuff from the film. Maybe with better writers, the film would of worked better.

I did enjoy aspects of the film though. Some of it was interesting. However that's mainly due to Ana De Armas who is really great here. Wagna Moura and Armas really do save the film from being a complete disaster.

Overall despite being well made and well acted. The film fails to be a consistently enjoyable and informative film. It's not really worth watching, so don't go out of your way.

Lovely film

[muamba_eats_toast · 7/10 · 18 April 2020]

More of a love story than the actions of a great man but still very good although consequently the pacing of the film is quite slow but it kept me entertained throughout.

Good biography

[wel2005 · 8/10 · 22 April 2020]

Some right wing brazilians are giving low rate to this movie only because Wagner Moura is the actor who plays Sergio and the producer. Besides a great actor and a human being he is active politically and fight against the bad decisions of our actual brazilian government, a terrible one. The movie, overall, is enjoyable, very well acted, delicate and a good introduction in the story of Sergio Vieira de Mello, another great human being. The soundtrack with Cartola and Caetano Velloso is a plus.

Waste of good actors.

[rissamoura · 5/10 · 17 April 2020]

What most annoyed me the whole movie is the unnecessary love scenes. We got how much their relationship was important, but there were too many scenes to show it. Other thing is that some facts are wrong, just to make the love story "better".

Disagree with most negative reviews here

[jovoh-56260 · 9/10 · 18 April 2020]

I'm glad I didn't check the reviews before watching the film because it was such a beautiful story of something that's much more multilayered than just a linear storyline: the balance between Sergio's ambition, internal issues, love + complex nature of international relations. It's not an action film, it's a story of a purpose-driven man on the journey of becoming his true self. The pace is slower which I didn't find boring, quite the opposite in fact, gave enough room to build a more nuanced world and characters. Just watch it.

Can't understand the low rating - really good movie!

[bauldiana · 8/10 · 18 April 2020]

I would say I wasn't bored at all in this movie and it had a blend of history, romance, humanity to it. Don't understand why this movie has a low average.

How history could have been changed if this bombing had never of taken place, unfortunately we will never know.

[markthomassintek · 8/10 · 24 April 2020]

REVIEW - SERGIO

A drama set in the chaotic aftermath of the US invasion of Iraq, where the life of top UN diplomat Sergio Vieira de Mello hangs in the balance after the bombing of the UN offices in Bhagdad.

Amazing to think that one man brought about so much peace in the world and at the end of the day he was flesh and bones like the rest of us.

Whilst watching this film it was actually scary to see that the US thought that the UN was actually working for them and went against UN advice and was proven to have broken the international treaty on human rights on a significant number of occasions.

Unfortunately after the bombing the UN pulled out of Iraq and civil war broke out leading to ISIS today.

How history could have been changed if this bombing had never of taken place, unfortunately we will never know.

Rating 8 out of 10

Lacked a Good Hook, But It's Serviceable

[ThomasDrufke · 5/10 · 14 July 2020]

With such an incredible real-life story that this is based on, I can imagine it being extremely difficult to know how to structure the film properly for dramatic effect. Unfortunately, I think 'Sergio' never quite figured it out and the pacing nearly killed the film for me. Perhaps even more so, it felt like the film chose the focus on the wrong combination of characters. Even though it stretches your suspension of disbelief, perhaps a better story could have centered around Gil & Sergio, instead of Sergio & Carolina. And that's acknowledging the fact that Ana de Armas is excellent in the role, but the pacing just wasn't doing it for me here.

5.8/10

Unnecessary dramatization of his love affair

[aquasaif · 5/10 · 22 April 2020]

Completely unnecessary dramatization of his love affair more than half of the movie. If I wanted to watch a romantic film, I'd watch a romantic film, not a film I've fixed my mind to learn about an important man.

Amazing and Beautiful Film

[nonsensefans · 10/10 · 18 April 2020]

Forget about politics , I'm not interested about politics, I'm just here for the movie. This movie sure do delivered an important messages of all. The main cast Wagner Moura , I find him surprisingly sexy in this rather than in Narcos for sure. Supporting cast played character well and storyline are beautiful and thrilling. It's sure gonna leaves you emotional towards the end. I'm gonna gives a shout to Garrett Dillahunt also who keeps promoting this movie. Overall reasons I'm enjoying this movie and pls give this movie higher ratings !

Not what we wanted, but what we needed

[AugustoDRodrigues · 9/10 · 20 April 2020]

Sergio is a movie that we didn't asked for, but we actually needed it and i'll explain why. I bet you're one of the guys coming here because you wanted a political/diplomatic focused film, but let me tell you this: You don't need it! And the movie doesn't care to give you that either. We are living in a pandemic time right now and before that, so many political conflicts all over the world, elections, threats, commercial warfare, you name it. Sometimes we need to avoid that a little, see life in a more humane perspective, maybe watching someone's personal story. Sergio's not about some diplomatic genious and his achievements, but about his life, love and regrets before and while facing death. It's about the human lesson he gives us of how things should be handled in many perspectives; as a father, diplomat, lover, friend and leader. He did what he tought it was right and in the end, after everything crumbles, he's still loved and remembered to this day. To see more about his diplomatic career, you can watch his documentary. I liked very much the movie and for those who are complaining about his accent, you shouldn't, Sergio was a brazilian citizen. Also, congratulations to Wagner Moura and Ana de Armas for the excellent acting on this one, looking for more shows from both.

Important man, poor film

[lourolocador · 5/10 · 18 April 2020]

Wasted opportunity to raise awareness of this mans work.

good story reasonably casted actors

[metintomas-63822 · 6/10 · 17 April 2020]

Screenplay is too boring, even Pablo Escobar cant save it but the real life story is very dramatic and inspirational. could have been better

Looking for a hero in pandemic times. He's here with flaws that make him even more endearing.

[JohnDeSando · 24 April 2020]

"One of the hardest parts of my job is to connect Iraq to the war on terror." George W. Bush

Sergio is a Netflix docudrama for our times about a man who dedicates his life to spark the peaceful future of Iraq. A diplomat who sacrifices for a greater cause is a rarity anytime, even in our pandemic times. "Sergio" Vieira de Mello (Wagner Moura) came to Iraq as the UN high commissioner for human rights, who was successful in obtaining impossible diplomatic successes in Cambodia, East Timor, and Indonesia.

That Sergio was known as a cross between James Bond and Bobby Kennedy gives an idea of his charisma and dedication made for the big or little screen. Although he was flawed, and the film shows this, his weaknesses further solidify him as an exceptional and very human man.

More than half this docudrama is fully engrossing as it fleshes out players from the Bush administrator in Baghdad, Paul Bremer (Bradley Whitford), to the general of the revolutionary army, Xanana Gusmao (Pedro Hossi). Sergio's sometimes miraculous feats were as much due to his uncanny diplomatic skills as to his admirable humanity. When the story focuses on tense negotiations and his growing understanding of the Iraqi people, it crackles with excitement and insight.

However, when too much of the story centers on his romance with Carolina (Ana de Armas), who also works for the UN and for the people, the film loses itself in clichés and sentimentality worthy of the international thriller formula. That he is married with two children is never hidden because of too many family flashbacks as well as romantic beaches with Carolina; they crowd the picture to the detriment of the fine deconstruction of the Iraq mess. Even the requisite lovemaking scene is glossy and gratuitous, hardly important given the horrors enfolding outside the room. He's handsome, she's beautiful-they are attracted to each other-that's as much as we need to know. We need more about the bungling of the US and neutering of the UN.

If you're still quarantined, this Netflix film is a worthy companion as an intriguing true story about a political public servant who actually has high standards. Imagine that.

Just a Love story

[dsgobba · 5/10 · 17 April 2020]

I was looking for a political movie, I found out just a good love story.

Many merits, not a single reason for a bad rating

[guisreis · 8/10 · 11 May 2020]

It is hard to understand bad reviews. This ia a beautiful movie that shows a sad real story competentently exploring different decisive moments. His love relationship with Argentine colleague is well shown and it is wrong to complain about it as if it were a documentary United Nations: I remember very well how present she was when he was killed. Besides that, it is also wrong to see the movie as not enough political or misguided: it is a fierce denunciation of United States imperialist foreign politics despite being a film from US, and also shows United Nations' sins. Another great merit is casting good axtors who speak other languages that not English and with proper accents.

Dramatic

[fmwongmd · 7/10 · 21 April 2020]

A dramatic telling of the story of a career UN official who devoted much of his life to solving problems in East Timor and Iraq under the UN. Wagner Maura is very effective.

What was that?

[azizmalhas · 4/10 · 28 April 2020]

Did they forget to add the actual story in the movie? I was waiting for the movie to start but it did not; they should've at least warned us that this is a love movie and not even a good one. Too bad for the good actors; they didn't even do well.

Sergio; sorry that your story wasn't shown the way it should be.

Made sense to me what ya'll talking about

[oneillmurray · 8/10 · 17 April 2020]

The films flashbacks showed the decisions which led to the situation where Sergio was trapped, also helped to understand the difficulties the UN has doing what it was set up to do when all parties have conflicting goals. I wasnt bored or dissapointed, I was educated, gripped emotionally and entertained and found it well acted out.

Missing the boat

[pietclausen · 3/10 · 21 April 2020]

Annoying presentation told in a story of flashbacks, which makes the whole movie disjointed and does Sergio no credit. The true story is based on a book, which would not have been written in this fashion.

It would have made a much better show had it been filmed as a straightforward sequential story.

This movie does not give this important man justice.

[SvenskMaori · 7/10 · 19 April 2020]

I totally agree with the previous, short but to the point review, "Important man, poor film". I also thought that the sex scene, although beautiful in itself was not appropriate or necessary, in fact it felt to me more an intrusion of privacy. Sergio should've been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize, even now, posthumously I think it would be very fitting for this great man of peace, independence and human rights.

Ana de Armas

[lareval · 7/10 · 27 August 2021]

She steals the movie and lifts up a screenplay that is decent enough but not as extraordinary as the real story is based on. All in, a very good and moving film by itself. Deserves a good watch.

To Iraq or not to

[kosmasp · 8/10 · 5 July 2020]

Nato ... glorified "peace keepers" or just bystanders? Or is it the same? Sergio - the character portrayed here existed, I'm guessing the movie takes creative license and freedoms at times and I was not aware of the real life person or the incident he was involved with, that changed the course of how the Nato dealed with things, as the end of the movie suggests.

Performance wise this is really nice, though I reckon some will take issue with the love story it also tells. I don't mind and I think it helps with the emotional attachment the viewers will and can have. Also: Ana de Armas! Got to love her - well I do for sure. Really good and emotional performance by her. Which is essential because otherwise we'd be stuck with just Sergio (no offense, laughing always helps deal with situations)

Missing ingredient makes the punch a little less powerful.

[joshbarton15 · 6/10 · 17 April 2020]

Sergio is a decent enough watch it just feels like it's missing something to take it to the next level of powerful filmmaking. Wagner Moura is very good in the lead role and Ana de Armas continues her impressive rise with another fine performance.

You'll Leave Wanting to Float on the Water while Sunrays Warm You.

[paulijcalderon · 7/10 · 19 April 2020]

Another positively surprising film that I had no prior knowledge of. Yet I took the chance and let it play. "Sergio" gives an insight to the real life story of Sergio de Mello, a Brazilian diplomat who travels to Baghdad in 2003. On surface it's easy for movies like this to sideline the cinematic/emotional elements and get occupied to tell you all the information of the real life events. Although this is a case where the UN plot and the human plot nicely complimented each other - To the point where I got invested. While the opening didn't manage to engage me, it did get my interest. With some patience it eventually got my full attention. I loved how it was told non-linearly. Sergio looks back on his life as if he's recollecting his best times. All the while coping with a life threatening situation. The flashes back to the past are intentionally placed to be intrusive. In this case it clicked well with me. Because it places you in his perspective. Drifting from a flashing memory back to reality. The cinematography style is engaged with motivation in the flashbacks, while following a plainer "documentary" approach in present time. Which greatly strengthened the flashes of his life in the past. The ocean next to Rio de Janeiro is a strong recurring element. It represents his home, his freedom and his want to one day solely focus on the people he loves.

Wagner Moura and Ana De Armas pour their hearts into their respective roles. You can see that they live every moment of Sergio and Carolina's happiness. And that feeling of happiness and love transcended through the screen to me. In other words: I bought their depiction of the romance. I have to mention a scene where they both listen to a local woman in East Timor explaining her dreams. It's a beautiful poem that reminds us of how insignificant the material goals seem next to the purity of nature. Sergio is so taken by what he's heard that his response is to simply hug the woman and say "I understand". The whole movie wasn't able to keep this type of momentum up in every scene. Since you'll hit the conventional beats. It wasn't a perfect experience, but the splinters of the human spirit were still felt. Made me want to float on the water and feel the warmth of the Sunrays.