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Absolute Wilson
New Yorker Films

Absolute Wilson reviews
Critic Score
Metascore: 69 Metascore out of 100
User Score  
9.0 out of 10
based on 16 reviews
Read critic reviews
How did we calculate this?
based on 1 votes
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Rate this movie

MPAA RATING: Not Rated

Starring Robert Wilson, Susan Sontag, Philip Glass, David Byrne, William S. Burroughs, Charles Fabius, Jessye Norman, and Tom Waits

Absolute Wilson chronicles the epic life, times and creative genius of Robert Wilson, intimately revealing for the first time one of the most controversial, rule-breaking and downright mysterious artists of our era. More than a biography, the film becomes an exhilarating exploration of the transformative power of creativity itself - and the inspirational tale of a boy who grew up as a troubled and learning-disabled outsider in the American South only to become a fearless artist with a profoundly original perspective to share with the world. (New Yorker Films)


GENRE(S): Documentary  |  Foreign  
WRITTEN BY: Katharina Otto-Bernstein  
DIRECTED BY: Katharina Otto-Bernstein  
RELEASE DATE: Theatrical: October 27, 2006 
RUNNING TIME: 105 minutes, Color / B/W 
ORIGIN: Germany 

What The Critics Said

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

100
Chicago Reader Jonathan Rosenbaum
An excellent introduction to the singular vision of avant-garde stage director Robert Wilson.
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80
Village Voice John Pritcher
The real value of this film is its treasure trove of archival footage, rare clips that document this genius of an artist as a young man.
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80
Los Angeles Times Carina Chocano
Impressive as is Wilson's output and oeuvre, it's the fully-engaged, aesthetically driven life that fascinates. And Otto-Bernstein's movie is a portrait of an artist at his most essential, in every sense.
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75
Seattle Post-Intelligencer Bill White
Katharina Otto-Bernstein's oral history of Wilson's life and work, narrated by Wilson, with a handful of sycophants joining in on the choruses, is monstrously one-sided. It does, however, offer insights into the director's methods and motivations.
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75
Entertainment Weekly Lisa Schwarzbaum
Surprisingly square portrait of avant-garde artist and director Robert Wilson.
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75
Chicago Tribune Chris Jones
Not only does this film offer a comprehensive portrait of a fascinating and underexplored leader of the American avant-garde in the late 20th Century, it ends up making some compelling connections between his works and the rich, occasionally self-destructive trajectory of the life that forged them.
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70
Variety Eddie Cockrell
A surprisingly conventional portrait of a decidedly unconventional man.
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70
The New York Times A.O. Scott
There is plenty of substance in Absolute Wilson, as it provides a concise and absorbing portrait of a powerful creative personality.
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70
The Hollywood Reporter Kirk Honeycutt
The film penetrates the myth and mythos surrounding Wilson, making his works more accessible and open to those of us who sometimes puzzle over the methods and meanings in his cerebral, psychologically complex expressionism. The film should engender an art house following in sophisticated urban venues before its HBO broadcast.
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70
The New Republic Stanley Kauffmann
This film is a valuable signet of Wilson's carefully articulated independence.
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63
TV Guide Ken Fox
The result is a rather conventional, Biography Channel-style portrait of a man who helped change the face of theater in the last quarter of the 20th century.
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63
Boston Globe Louise Kennedy
Absolute Wilson may not be original, but Wilson absolutely is. And for the glimmers of that originality that shine through here, the film is worth watching.
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60
LA Weekly Steve Mikulan
Wilson is articulate and ironic, and Otto-Bernstein mostly shields us from his tantrums and critics.
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60
Salon.com Andrew O'Hehir
Absolute Wilson changed my views of Wilson as a person tremendously, and at least gave me some useful context for his art.
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50
San Francisco Chronicle Mick LaSalle
Befuddling.
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50
Washington Post Peter Marks
Although the film shows many photographs and videos of his performances, it never allows a particularly coherent assessment of any of them.
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What Our Users Said

Vote Now!The average user rating for this movie is 9.0 (out of 10) based on 1 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

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