71
Metascore
10 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 88Slant MagazineChuck BowenSlant MagazineChuck BowenOrson Welles and Dennis Hopper both understand that cinema’s inherent fakeness is the wellspring of its importance and its danger.
- 80The Hollywood ReporterSheri LindenThe Hollywood ReporterSheri LindenWhat unfolds is a match of artistic intellects, thrilling to behold not just for its dynamic array of topics — religion, the Oedipal complex, revolution and, above all, what it means to be a filmmaker — but also for its public unveiling after half a century gathering cobwebs in Welles' celluloid archives.
- 80VarietyOwen GleibermanVarietyOwen GleibermanGiven its gnarly small focus, Hopper/Welles is surprisingly entertaining to sit through.
- 80Film ThreatLorry KiktaFilm ThreatLorry KiktaLearning about the old points of view can help us build better ones. Hopper/Welles is important for that reason. It’s also hilarious to hear Welles, who is never onscreen, browbeat Hopper to answer questions he doesn’t want to answer. Seriously, this film is a treat.
- 75The PlaylistJessica KiangThe PlaylistJessica KiangWe expect nothing less than conversational pyrotechnics from two such outsize personalities, and there are many confrontational moments. But what emerges more strongly is a sense of mutual admiration – sometimes even envy – and a fascinating snapshot of a period in time when movies could really matter, as experienced by two men whose movies were among those that mattered most.
- 74TheWrapSteve PondTheWrapSteve PondEven as a doomy voice coming from the shadows, Orson Welles is a formidable presence, and Dennis Hopper a provocative, beguiling one. Their filmed conversation may be more of a curiosity than anything else, but it’s a challenging and occasionally intoxicating curiosity.
- 70Screen DailyJonathan RomneyScreen DailyJonathan RomneyWhile this is essentially a fireside chat atmospherically shot, Hopper/Welles is recommended viewing for anyone remotely interested in either personality, or in the history of American cinema.
- 67The Film StageRory O'ConnorThe Film StageRory O'ConnorPerhaps the most interesting thing in Hopper/Welles is that you can’t quite tell if the battle-scarred veteran is looking to wrap an arm around the younger man or is trying to defeat him.
- 40The GuardianXan BrooksThe GuardianXan BrooksThe restored footage is an intriguing relic – an offcut, raw copy. There’s something pleasingly voyeuristic about the experience of being allowed behind the velvet rope to watch these blusterers hold forth, although I expect their charms may be limited to die-hard devotees.