59
Metascore
10 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 83Entertainment WeeklyOwen GleibermanEntertainment WeeklyOwen GleibermanHe rarely allowed himself to be interviewed, but Henri Cartier-Bresson, here nearing 100, comes off as a marvelous, spritely, and companionable figure.
- 80The New York TimesStephen HoldenThe New York TimesStephen HoldenThe documentary, which subscribes to the Great Man school of reverential portraiture, is not a biography but an interview (in French, simultaneously translated into English) conceived as a master class on art appreciation, with guest commentators augmenting Cartier-Bresson's own sparsely chosen words.
- 63TV Guide MagazineMaitland McDonaghTV Guide MagazineMaitland McDonaghOverall, it's like watching a home movie of a charming relative.
- 63Boston GlobeBoston GlobePays high-toned tribute to its subject. How high-toned? Bach and Ravel play on the soundtrack as a honeyed light streams through the windows of Cartier-Bresson's Paris apartment.
- 60SalonAndrew O'HehirSalonAndrew O'HehirThis is an ambling, relaxed talking-head docu in the grand European style.
- 58The A.V. ClubNoel MurrayThe A.V. ClubNoel MurrayIt isn't a biography of the legendary photographer, and it's not exactly an essay. Mostly, Bütler fills the screen with Cartier-Bresson's photographs while people explain their greatness.
- 50San Francisco ChronicleSan Francisco ChronicleA viewer of the film misses any sense of what distinguishes a great Cartier-Bresson picture from a good one, never mind a bad one. And the photographer himself cannot have been happy with the short shrift the documentary gives to drawing, which occupied him through most of his last decades.
- 50Village VoiceVillage VoiceSuch informality leads to numerous lulls, but when the photographer perks up the results are delightful.
- 50New York Daily NewsJack MathewsNew York Daily NewsJack MathewsThe subtitle of this interview/documentary about the late, great French photojournalist should be "For Collectors Only." There is no theme, no point, no history, no illuminating insights - it's just Bresson talking about his individual photos and early sketches.
- 50The Hollywood ReporterFrank ScheckThe Hollywood ReporterFrank ScheckDeeply frustrating because of its brevity and its lack of solid information and historical context.