66
Metascore
15 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 80The Hollywood ReporterJames GreenbergThe Hollywood ReporterJames GreenbergA knowledge of Smith's landmark contribution as a rock 'n' roll pioneer is not essential, and the film should be a joy for anyone interested in pop culture of the past 40 years.
- 80SalonAndrew O'HehirSalonAndrew O'HehirFrequently beautiful and intermittently haunting and could be called a meditation on aging and mortality, an intimate study of a peculiar variety of fame and a portrait of a genuinely remarkable person.
- 80The New York TimesManohla DargisThe New York TimesManohla DargisA lovely, drifty first feature that feels less like a documentary and more like an act of rapturous devotion.
- 75New York PostV.A. MusettoNew York PostV.A. MusettoThis isn't a performance film, and it is far from a definitive portrait of the androgynous performer.
- 75Chicago TribuneMichael PhillipsChicago TribuneMichael PhillipsIf one thing holds the picture back, it’s the self-conscious album-cover aesthetic of Sebring’s visual approach.
- 70VarietyRobert KoehlerVarietyRobert KoehlerThe textured, thoughtful results may prove too cerebral and abstract for audiences beyond Smith's hardcore followers,
- 67Austin ChronicleMarjorie BaumgartenAustin ChronicleMarjorie BaumgartenWhen embraced on its own terms, the film will provide an ironic bridge for those who want to share a greater closeness with Smith.
- 63TV Guide MagazineKen FoxTV Guide MagazineKen FoxWe don't learn too many specifics of Smith's brilliant career, and only a die-hard fan will find all of it vitally interesting.
- 58The A.V. ClubNoel MurrayThe A.V. ClubNoel MurrayThe paltry amount of live performances is a crime. In some ways, Smith singing "Gloria" live would've been all the context anyone would ever need.
- 40Village VoiceVillage Voice109 mostly black-and-white minutes of punk's wet nurse floating through the modern world while endlessly ruminating on mortality, art, and the occasional bodily function. Problem is, there's nary a hint of context, even with biographic essentials.