56
Metascore
10 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 75New York PostFarran Smith NehmeNew York PostFarran Smith NehmeIn addition to the magnificent music, the movie takes its rumpled charm from Fry's unfeigned fanboy manner.
- 63Slant MagazineJoseph Jon LanthierSlant MagazineJoseph Jon LanthierEven when Wagner & Me seems uneven as an art historical study, it's fairly successful as a travelogue.
- 60Village VoiceVillage VoiceMost of the time, though, Fry is an unabashed appreciator. He paws at costumes, thrills to touch Wagner's own piano, and looks right at the camera to apologize for being so excited. It's the light, charming touch absent in Wagner - and proof that both of the famous men referred to in the title benefit from each other's association.
- 60VarietyRonnie ScheibVarietyRonnie ScheibFor Fry, the music's complexity, ambiguity, innovation and humanity far surpass Wagner's personal limitations. He may not convince his viewers of the rightness of his conclusions, but he certainly makes a fervent case for the triumph of art over biography.
- In the documentary Wagner & Me, the actor Stephen Fry, an ardent admirer of the music of Richard Wagner, wrestles with a longstanding problem for Wagner fans: how to reconcile that composer's musical genius with his racism.
- 60The Hollywood ReporterFrank ScheckThe Hollywood ReporterFrank ScheckPatrick McGrady's documentary strains to reconcile its conflicting moods, but Fry's gushing enthusiasm for the subject is ultimately if sometimes queasily infectious.
- Fry is Jewish, and his wrestling with what it means to venerate the music of someone who wrote of his revulsion for Jews adds a fascinating personal angle to this otherwise dry film.
- 50Boston GlobeTy BurrBoston GlobeTy BurrTo truly appreciate Wagner & Me, a BBC documentary getting a spotty theatrical release in this country, you have to cherish the music of Richard Wagner with the same quivering intensity as host Stephen Fry.
- 40Time OutTime OutWhile the documentary offers some insights into the pervertion of art for ideological purposes, too much of it simply finds Fry standing in dumbfounded awe of the holy sites that populate his journey.