By using the same locations that the real-life Gabriel visited in his travels as well as people who met him along his way playing themselves, Felipe Barbosa creates a profoundly moving character study that blurs the line between reality and fiction to near perfection.

Director Barbosa's love letter to his late friend is emotionally satisfying and cinematically splendid, with social commentary shoe-horned in for better or worse.

Ultimately, the movie does have subtle things to say about colliding worlds, class privilege, and human unpredictability.

Moving and tragic, it still celebrates the life of its (real) protagonist. [Full review in Portuguese.]

Besides a portrait of contradictions, the movie also doubles as a wonderful piece of armchair traveling.

Watching "Gabriel and the Mountain" is like getting to know all sides of a friend's character: You may discover more arrogance than expected, but the elements you always liked are reinforced.

Gabriel and the Mountain offers a moving look at the transformative nature of travel, both on those hopping around the world in search of a new perspective and those they encounter along the way.