Documentarist Lula Buarque de Hollanda's O mistério do Samba taps into the highly influential school of Brazilian samba known as Portele, and profiles its various members. The singers and dancers who appear in the film include such revered luminaries as Paulinho da Viola, Zeca Pagodinho and Marisa Monte, who both discuss their craft and perform onscreen; in so doing, they evoke the inherent magic of the locale that produced them.
~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide