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The Beaches of Agnès
Metascore
86 out of 100

Universal acclaim - based on 19 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 19 out of 19
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 19
  3. Negative: 0 out of 19
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  1. Chicago Sun-Times
    Reviewed by: Roger Ebert
    100
    If you have never seen a single film by Agnes Varda, perhaps it is best to start with The Beaches of Agnes.
  2. Philadelphia Inquirer
    Reviewed by: Carrie Rickey
    100
    A captivating cine-memoir, impressionistic and surrealistic, surveying Varda's formidable career as a still photographer, filmmaker, documentarian, and life force.
  3. Boston Globe
    Reviewed by: Wesley Morris
    100
    The movie is also more extraordinary than a mere scenic slideshow.
  4. The Globe and Mail (Toronto)
    Reviewed by: James Adams
    100
    This is a lovely, quirky and not a little poignant film from Agnès Varda.
  5. Entertainment Weekly
    Reviewed by: Owen Gleiberman
    100
    In The Beaches of Agnès, you get addicted to watching Agnès Varda watch the world.
  6. Washington Post
    Reviewed by: Ann Hornaday
    100
    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.
  7. The New York Times
    Reviewed by: Manohla Dargis
    90
    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).
  8. St. Louis Post-Dispatch
    Reviewed by: Joe Williams
    88
    For the many mavens who aren't familiar with Varda, this autobiographical documentary will be puzzling, in the best and most literal sense.
  9. The A.V. Club
    Reviewed by: Noel Murray
    83
    If The Beaches Of Agnès has no clear structure, that's only because neither does Varda's life--except in retrospect.
  10. Christian Science Monitor
    Reviewed by: Peter Rainer
    83
    The sheer sensuousness of all these bric-a-brac memories is sustaining.
  11. The Hollywood Reporter
    Reviewed by: Neil Young
    80
    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.
  12. New York Magazine (Vulture)
    Reviewed by: David Edelstein
    80
    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.
  13. Village Voice
    Reviewed by: J. Hoberman
    80
    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.
  14. Los Angeles Times
    Reviewed by: Betsy Sharkey
    80
    A lovely bit of memory and mischief.
  15. Miami Herald
    Reviewed by: Rene Rodriguez
    75
    A treat to anyone who already cherishes Varda's films and a perfect primer for those who haven't yet discovered her work.
  16. New York Post
    Reviewed by: V.A. Musetto
    75
    A sentimental, whimsical autobiography.
  17. San Francisco Chronicle
    Reviewed by: Mick LaSalle
    75
    A lively experience.
  18. Variety
    Reviewed by: Staff (Not credited)
    70
    Oddball mix that may strike some as overly whimsical but should delight the filmmaker's many fans.
  19. Chicago Reader
    Reviewed by: J.R. Jones
    70
    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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User Reviews

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User Score
6.8 out of 10

Generally favorable reviews- based on 13 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 4 out of 4
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 4
  3. Negative: 0 out of 4
  1. lancek
    8
    A warm, touching document about a life of artistic perspective. Very good if you are looking for that kind of thing... not a tight doc out to prove a point, but a bath in both trivial and important ideas and observations presented in a charming and nostalgic manner. Inspiring for anyone who paints or photographs or loves Europe or European art.… Full Review »
  2. KR
    8
    Amazing! Agnes takes you on an incredible journey...you yearn for more. She paints beauty beyond visual...deepening ones heart to the subtleties of life. Highly recommended.… Full Review »
  3. RichardD.
    10
    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.… Full Review »
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