70
Metascore
10 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 80Film ThreatFilm ThreatIf anything, one wishes the film would have spent even more time with Peebles in his personal life.
- 80VarietyRonnie ScheibVarietyRonnie ScheibLively interviews from a wide range of people, a wealth of excerpted footage stretching over decades, and a story packed with legend are served up by helmer Joe Angio with a verve mirroring the restless creativity of the film's subject.
- 80SalonAndrew O'HehirSalonAndrew O'HehirA loving tribute to one of the strangest and most enjoyable figures to emerge from American pop culture in its entire history.
- 75New York PostV.A. MusettoNew York PostV.A. MusettoEnlightening.
- 70Village VoiceJoshua LandVillage VoiceJoshua LandLargely content to bask in the great man's glow, Angio provides generous clips and soundbites alongside fond reminiscences, but the celebratory tone leaves room for darker reflections.
- 70The New York TimesDana StevensThe New York TimesDana StevensThe film chronicles an astonishing career...Mr. Van Peebles is that rarest of modern creatures: a free man.
- 67The A.V. ClubNathan RabinThe A.V. ClubNathan RabinAngio captures the outlandish twists and turns of Van Peebles' life with humor, color, and a welcome lightness of touch.
- 67Christian Science MonitorPeter RainerChristian Science MonitorPeter RainerMelvin Van Peebles gets the idolatrous treatment in this documentary by first-time director Joe Angio that traces his subject's career as San Francisco cable-car conductor, rap pioneer, filmmaker, Broadway producer, stockbroker, and all-around womanizer.
- 63TV Guide MagazineMaitland McDonaghTV Guide MagazineMaitland McDonaghThough the film verges on hagiography, Angio unearthed a treasure trove of fascinating clips, from the bored-looking writer-director leafing through his program at the 1971 Tony Awards.
- 63New York Daily NewsElizabeth WeitzmanNew York Daily NewsElizabeth WeitzmanAngio's film is an excellent introduction, but it won't be long before you realize that his subject is too complex to be contained in a single admiring tribute. When you want to know more - and you will - you'll be glad there's somewhere else to go for a bigger picture.