Portrait of Wally
7th Art Releasing | Release Date: May 11, 2012 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
70
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 10 Critic Reviews
Positive:
8
Mixed:
2
Negative:
0
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
88
Chicago TribuneMichael PhillipsJun 30, 2012
The documentary carrying the same name as Schiele's painting works like a suspense drama and a slippery chronicle of ownership, theft and vaguely unsettling resolution. Read full review
88
Slant MagazineChuck BowenMay 8, 2012
The conclusion is a testament to the fact that authentic justice is probably only attainable by accident. Read full review
78
Austin ChronicleKimberley JonesSep 6, 2012
With a saga this sprawling and byzantine, it makes sense that the emphasis is not on Schiele, but rather on what the sorely wronged Bondi never stopped calling "my Schiele." Read full review
75
The A.V. ClubSam AdamsMay 9, 2012
Portrait Of Wally tells a gripping story, but the filmmakers should have been more forthright about their own part in it. Read full review
70
The New York TimesNicolas RapoldMay 10, 2012
The film's single-minded treatment puts property issues over other nuances of the affair, not least the art itself and the artist. A brief postscript about the early deaths of Schiele and his pregnant wife feels uncomfortably like an afterthought. Read full review
70
Village VoiceNick PinkertonMay 8, 2012
Shea's documentary is a well-arranged if rather drawn-out parade of talking heads telling Wally's story, including a trenchant and funny Morley Safer, never missing a chance to knock the art world. Read full review
70
The Hollywood ReporterJohn DeForeMay 8, 2012
Portrait of Wally may be too narrowly focused for some viewers, but offers an engaging narrative and high-profile subject that should attract audiences at fests and in specialized theatrical bookings. Read full review
70
VarietyJohn AndersonMay 8, 2012
Turning over rocks in and around the New York art world, helmer Andrew Shea finds a lot of ugly stuff while chronicling what amounts to a 60-year hostage drama centered around the Egon Schiele oil painting that gives the film its title. Read full review
60
Time OutEric HynesMay 8, 2012
Though overly dependent on a roundelay of talking heads, the film escalates into an ace legal thriller, spinning a web of shame that snags everything from the Austrian government to America's most beloved not-for-profits. Read full review
50
Boston GlobeMark FeeneyJun 28, 2012
What's most vexing about Portrait of Wally is its lack of nuance. Read full review
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