X
  • 2018
  • Kino Lorber
  • 2 h 45 m
  • 2018
  • Kino Lorber
  • 2 h 45 m

Summary This entirely African American-conceived and produced ensemble drama is the result of a collaboration of a pair of pioneering Black artists: writer Ishmael Reed and filmmaker Bill Gunn, who wrote and directed the underground classic Ganja & Hess and wrote the screenplay for Hal Ashby's The Landlord. Originally intended to air on public t...

Directed By: Bill Gunn

Written By: Ishmael Reed

  • 2018
  • Kino Lorber
  • 2 h 45 m
  • 2018
  • Kino Lorber
  • 2 h 45 m

Personal Problems (1980)

Metascore Universal Acclaim Based on 5 Critic Reviews
84
User Score Available after 4 ratings
tbd
My Score
Hover and click to give a rating Saved

Summary This entirely African American-conceived and produced ensemble drama is the result of a collaboration of a pair of pioneering Black artists: writer Ishmael Reed and filmmaker Bill Gunn, who wrote and directed the underground classic Ganja & Hess and wrote the screenplay for Hal Ashby's The Landlord. Originally intended to air on public t...

Directed By: Bill Gunn

Written By: Ishmael Reed

Top Cast

View All
View All Cast & Crew

Critic Reviews

 View All
Metascore
Universal Acclaim Based on 5 Critic Reviews
84
100% Positive
5 Reviews
0% Mixed
0 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews

  • All Reviews
  • Positive Reviews
  • Mixed Reviews
  • Negative Reviews

Critic Reviews

 View All
Metascore
Universal Acclaim Based on 5 Critic Reviews
84
100% Positive
5 Reviews
0% Mixed
0 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews

  • All Reviews
  • Positive Reviews
  • Mixed Reviews
  • Negative Reviews
100
Mar 29, 2018
Bill Gunn and Ishmael Reed collapse conventional notions of reality, providing simultaneous glimpses into the minds of dozens of characters, lingering on scenes and informing them with confessional intensity.
By Chuck Bowen FULL REVIEW
90
Mar 29, 2018
This is a work that looks as if it were evolving even as portions of it were completed. That’s entirely appropriate. For all its rough edges, Personal Problems retains a vitality and an integrity that practically bounds off the screen.
By Glenn Kenny FULL REVIEW
80
Apr 3, 2018
Despite all appearances, Personal Problems is indeed moving toward a fairly conventional end. But along the way, it observes much of its era through the corners of its eyes.
By John DeFore FULL REVIEW
80
Mar 29, 2018
The movie’s panoramic cityscapes teem with the gritty details of emotional life: romance and chores, hope and despair and loss, bitter resentments and rowdy reckonings with mortality.
By Richard Brody FULL REVIEW
70
Mar 29, 2018
I guess that’s ultimately what Reed and Gunn wanted to provide: a view of African Americans that’s messy, complicated, dramatic, and, most important, honest. It’s also a fascinating artifact of black people getting together and making their own art — mainly because they wanted to see themselves properly represented onscreen.
By Craig D. Lindsey FULL REVIEW

User Reviews

There are no user reviews yet. Be the first to add a review.

Details

 View All
Release Date Mar 30, 2018
Duration 2 h 45 m
Genres
View All Details

Related Movies

Dekalog (1988)

100
Universal Acclaim

Lawrence of Arabia (re-release)

100
Universal Acclaim

The Godfather

100
Universal Acclaim

Tokyo Story

100
Universal Acclaim

Three Colors: Red

100
Universal Acclaim

Citizen Kane

100
Universal Acclaim

Casablanca

100
Universal Acclaim

Boyhood

100
Universal Acclaim

The Conformist

100
Universal Acclaim

The Leopard (re-release)

100
Universal Acclaim

Notorious

100
Universal Acclaim

Fanny and Alexander (re-release)

100
Universal Acclaim

Touch of Evil

99
Universal Acclaim

Army of Shadows

99
Universal Acclaim

City Lights

99
Universal Acclaim

Moonlight

99
Universal Acclaim

Intolerance

99
Universal Acclaim

The Rules of the Game

99
Universal Acclaim

Seven Samurai

98
Universal Acclaim

The Wild Bunch

98
Universal Acclaim

Au hasard Balthazar

98
Universal Acclaim

Pépé le Moko (re-release)

98
Universal Acclaim

Related News

Every Guy Ritchie Movie, Ranked

Every Guy Ritchie Movie, Ranked

Nick Hyman

We rank every one of the British director's movies by Metascore, from his debut Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels to his brand new film, The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare.

  • movie
2024 Movie Release Calendar

2024 Movie Release Calendar

Jason Dietz

Find release dates for every movie coming to theaters, VOD, and streaming throughout 2024 and beyond, updated weekly.

  • movie
April Movie Preview (2024)

April Movie Preview (2024)

Keith Kimbell

The month ahead will bring new films from Alex Garland, Luca Guadagnino, Dev Patel, and more. To help you plan your moviegoing options, our editors have selected the most notable films releasing in April 2024, listed in alphabetical order.

  • movie
DVD/Blu-ray Releases: New & Upcoming

DVD/Blu-ray Releases: New & Upcoming

Jason Dietz

Find a list of new movie and TV releases on DVD and Blu-ray (updated weekly) as well as a calendar of upcoming releases on home video.

  • movie
SXSW 2024 Recap: Best and Worst Films

SXSW 2024 Recap: Best and Worst Films

Keith Kimbell

Which films impressed reviewers during the 2024 edition of the South by Southwest Film & TV Festival? We recap the reactions of critics to all of this year's major SXSW premieres and tell you which titles won the festival's major awards.

  • movie