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Beaches of Agnes, The

EMAILPRINTCinema Guild

Beaches of Agnes, The reviews
86
6.7 User Score:

Movie Info

Genre(s): Documentary

Written by: Agnes Varda

Directed by: Agnes Varda

Release Date:
Theatrical: July 1, 2009
DVD: March 2, 2010

Running Time: 110 minutes, Color

Origin: France

Language(s): French

Summary

RATING: Not Rated

Starring Agnes Varda

A reflection on art, life and the movies, The Beaches of Agnes is a magnificent new film from the great Agnes Varda, a richly cinematic self portrait that touches on everything from the feminist movement and the black panthers to the films of husband Jacques Demy and the birth of the French New Wave. (Cinema Guild)

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

Entertainment Weekly Owen Gleiberman

In The Beaches of Agnès, you get addicted to watching Agnès Varda watch the world.

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100

The Globe and Mail (Toronto) James Adams

This is a lovely, quirky and not a little poignant film from Agnès Varda.

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100

Chicago Sun-Times Roger Ebert

If you have never seen a single film by Agnes Varda, perhaps it is best to start with The Beaches of Agnes.

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100

Philadelphia Inquirer Carrie Rickey

A captivating cine-memoir, impressionistic and surrealistic, surveying Varda's formidable career as a still photographer, filmmaker, documentarian, and life force.

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100

Washington Post Ann Hornaday

For filmgoers determined to see cinema not just as mass entertainment but as an art form, The Beaches of Agnes arrives like an exhilarating call to arms.

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100

Boston Globe Wesley Morris

The movie is also more extraordinary than a mere scenic slideshow.

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90

The New York Times Manohla Dargis

The images are as delightful, unexpected and playfully uninhibited as Ms. Varda, perhaps the only filmmaker who has both won the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival and strolled around an art exhibition while costumed as a potato (not at the same time).

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88

St. Louis Post-Dispatch Joe Williams

For the many mavens who aren't familiar with Varda, this autobiographical documentary will be puzzling, in the best and most literal sense.

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83

The Onion (A.V. Club) Noel Murray

If The Beaches Of Agnès has no clear structure, that's only because neither does Varda’s life--except in retrospect.

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83

Christian Science Monitor Peter Rainer

The sheer sensuousness of all these bric-a-brac memories is sustaining.

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80

New York Magazine David Edelstein

One job of memoir is to show the world through another's eyes and inspire you to live more alertly, and that is the glory of The Beaches of Agnès.

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80

The Hollywood Reporter Neil Young

A genuinely playful wander down memory-lane by one of France's most revered film-makers, it's sufficiently erudite and extract-packed to satisfy cinephiles but also accessible to those for whom her name rings only vague bells.

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80

Village Voice J. Hoberman

In a sense, Varda has done for herself what she did for Demy--creating a work, as charming as it is touching, that serves to explicate and enrich an entire oeuvre.

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80

Los Angeles Times Betsy Sharkey

A lovely bit of memory and mischief.

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75

San Francisco Chronicle Mick LaSalle

A lively experience.

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75

Miami Herald Rene Rodriguez

A treat to anyone who already cherishes Varda's films and a perfect primer for those who haven't yet discovered her work.

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75

New York Post V.A. Musetto

A sentimental, whimsical autobiography.

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70

Variety Staff (Not credited)

Oddball mix that may strike some as overly whimsical but should delight the filmmaker's many fans.

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70

Chicago Reader J.R. Jones

French filmmaker Agnes Varda returns to the guiding metaphor of "The Gleaners and I "(2000), her documentary about scavengers, though in this visually witty 2008 memoir she's poring over her own past and its artifacts--some of them people.

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What Our Users Said

The average user rating for this movie is 6.7 (out of 10) based on 7 User Votes

Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Richard D. gave it a10:
This film is a hymn to the love of cinema and the love of humanity. In these times of economic disaster and senseless war Agnes Varda is a wonder to treasure.

Martin D gave it an8:
Funny and profound autobiographical film about/by French New Wave filmmaker, Agnes Varda. It will give you a strong sense of a fine creative visual artist. I enjoyed this film immensely.

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