Popular reviews

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  Review by KYK ★★

  Mark Bozek had a no-brainer opportunity when he landed an interview with Bill Cunningham, the New York Times street photographer and self-described “fashion historian.”

  Cunningham was renowned for his eye and his minimalist personal style — a signature blue French worker’s jacket — and his bicycle, replaced dozens of times over the years, that enabled him to shoot on the go. This talking-head footage is a promising start that ultimately leads to a less than illuminating documentary.

  
  Read the rest over at The New York Times

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  Review by Lowbacca ★★★

  A perfectly serviceable documentary, I do think it retrospect the title is a bit more accurate in that this isn't about Cunningham so much as it is about what surrounded him, which is a bit of a distinction, but meant that beyond his earlier life, his own life doesn't seem to feature into this much beyond incidental mentions.

  For me, without an interest in fashion, I did think the most interesting concept (and one I'd agree with) his distinction between photographer, which he didn't consider himself, and fashion historian. I do think that's rather accurate as his focus, and his skill (it seems) came not from how he shot things but from being able to shoot the right things. It's an interesting line to draw, but I think he justifies it in a way that doesn't put one subservient to the other, just distinguishes them as different things.

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  Review by Craig Duffy ★★★

  I’d forgotten most everything from the previous doc so it wasn’t a lot of retread and of course bill is so charming. Hadn’t heard that Moby song in forever.

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  Review by 𝕜𝕖𝕟ℙ𝕓𝕠𝕨𝕖𝕤 ★★★★

  8 / 10

  That this started as a 10 minute preamble & simply morphed into an unplanned 4 hours convivial conversation is the key to this follow-up doco about New York photographer, Bill Cunningham .

  It covered a wide range in that 4 hours - his army experience was especially insightful, his moments & reactions remembering especially his dearest friends who passed during that vile AIDS-era was especially heart-wrenching.
  But, & as always, this being Bill Cunningham, it's about those wonderful photos & NY street fashion.

  Also great to listen to a very generous Director Mark Bozek (@ 4-5am NY-time) answering questions & expanding issues.

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  Review by Ghayyan ★★★

  Terribly executed piece about a fascinating character who is the only good thing about the film. The music, montages, and voice over (by Sara Jessica Parker) are nauseatingly terrible and cringy!

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  Review by International Film Series

  The story of Cunningham's pictures told with Cunningham's own words. Now playing in our virutal theater. It's an easy, breezy 74 minutes with one of NYC's famous photographers.

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  Review by 'Becca'lise ★★★★

  He’s just so damn charming!

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  Review by Coolidge Corner Theatre

  Re-opened in our Virtual Screening Room on Friday, April 10, and closed on Thursday, April 30.

  Through our Virtual Screening Room, you can rent films curated by the Coolidge team, while helping to support the Coolidge during this unprecedented time.

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  Review by Film at Lincoln Center

  Mark Bozek began work on this lovely and invigorating film about the now legendary street photographer on the day of Cunningham’s death in 2016 at the age of 87. Bozek is working with precious material, including a lengthy 1994 filmed interview with Cunningham (shot when he received a Media Award from the Council of Fashion Designers of America) and his subject’s earliest pre-New York Times photographs, long unseen. In his customarily cheerful and plainspoken manner, Cunningham takes us through his Irish Catholic upbringing in Boston, his army stint, his move to New York in 1948 (which was controversial for his straitlaced family), his days as a milliner, his close friendships with Nona Park and Sophie Shonnard of Chez Ninon, his beginnings as a photographer, and his liberated and wholly democratic view of fashion. Narrated by Sarah Jessica Parker.

  World premiering at the 56th NYFF.