75
Metascore
10 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 80The GuardianNigel M SmithThe GuardianNigel M SmithIt forces viewers to take long looks at his most controversial imagery, proving that he still has the power to provoke, seduce and enrage.
- 80Los Angeles TimesRobert AbeleLos Angeles TimesRobert AbeleIn the new documentary Mapplethorpe: Look at the Pictures, directors Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato do an ultra-fine job tracing a born provocateur's commitment to his calling.
- 80Screen DailyWendy IdeScreen DailyWendy IdeThe input of the eloquent, brilliant, bitchy circle of friends with which he surrounded himself creates a portrait of the man which is every bit as candid as his work.
- 80Time Out LondonCath ClarkeTime Out LondonCath ClarkeA candid, often shocking documentary portrait of the great photographer Robert Mapplethorpe.
- 80Total FilmKate StablesTotal FilmKate StablesInterviewing key figures in his life, they build an anecdote-rich bio.
- 75The Film StageRory O'ConnorThe Film StageRory O'ConnorMapplethorpe: Look at the Pictures provides a snappy, confidently explicit overview of the photographer’s work and life that chooses not to sugarcoat the man’s ruthless ambition or seemingly exasperating personality.
- 75RogerEbert.comRogerEbert.comIf his work still shocks, it stirs the soul, for he was a classicist reaching for the perfect form.
- 75The Globe and Mail (Toronto)Brad WheelerThe Globe and Mail (Toronto)Brad WheelerWhat we learn from the enjoyable punditry of siblings, art-world associates and former lovers is that the gorgeous provocateur was consumed with fame, and that everything and everybody was a means to that end.
- 70The Hollywood ReporterStephen FarberThe Hollywood ReporterStephen FarberMapplethorpe comes across as remarkably candid and unassuming, though his ambition was always clear.
- 60CineVueAllie GemmillCineVueAllie GemmillThis is a rich portrait of not only Mapplethorpe, but also the history of the New York art world in the latter half of the 20th century.