Touching, funny and sad.
Comment
06/03/06
The Devil and Daniel Johnston (2006)
87 %
Reviews Counted: 101 Fresh: 88 Rotten:13 Average Rating: 7.5/10
Consensus:
Whether you think this mentally ill cult musician is worthy of being called a "genius," this document of his life is crafted with sincere respect and is fascinating to watch.
Rated: 12A
Runtime: 1 hr 50 mins
Theatrical Release: 05-05-2006
Synopsis: Although his appeal barely stretches beyond a small band of obsessives in the tight-knit indie-rock community, the turbulent career of singer-songwriter Daniel Johnston has had more highs and lows than most globetrotting rock stars. This film by director Jeff Feuerzeig offers a... [More]
Genre: Musical & Performing Arts
Starring: Gibby Haynes, Sonic Youth
Reviews
Heartbreaking, funny and inspirational, in equal measure - it'll also make you want to buy at least one Daniel Johnston album and you'll probably find yourself singing Casper the Friendly Ghost for the rest of the day.
05/06/06
Rock 'n' roll's capacity for recycling legend means the stories of Johnston's life, and the way in which they're told, could easily fall into cliché. Instead they are original, engrossing and sometimes heartbreaking.
05/06/06
Top Critic
The troubled singer-songwriter Daniel Johnston is the subject of an entertaining documentary.
05/06/06
Top Critic
As a demonstration of how to put a life on screen, it is exemplary in its thoroughness and willingness to allow a multiplicity of views.
05/06/06
Occasionally slides into a breathless fan tribute, but nonetheless an affectionate and candid portrait of a troubled artist.
05/05/06
Top Critic
To share Feuerzeig’s loving investigation is to share an insightful study of the destructive and creative capabilities of the mind.
05/04/06
Top Critic
The Devil and Daniel Johnston would have you believe its titular documentary subject...is insane and a genius. I'm only sure that one of these is true.
06/26/07
Resembles Crumb in its depiction of damaged souls whose only refuge is art.
10/01/06
... a haunting portrait of an artist walking on the edge, that shows his pain in a very real way.
09/16/06
The Devil and Daniel Johnston is an unflinching yet loving look at the outsider musician's life. It's also the most revealing look at genius and mental illness since Terry Zwigoff's 1994 documentary Crumb.
08/10/06
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08/01/06
Regardless of whether you like Daniel Johnston's music or, indeed, whether you can even tolerate it, Johnston is an undeniably riveting documentary subject
07/20/06
A haunting, frequently unsettling documentary about the blurry line between madness and genius.
07/15/06
A paean to the artist as a tortured genius. I can't deny that Johnston has the tortured part down pat. It's the genius part I'm having trouble accepting.
07/12/06
What makes Devil fascinating is the harrowing arc of Johnston’s life. This is a story of youthful promise undermined by horrendous mental illness.
06/30/06
"The Devil and Daniel Johnston" is really something special, avoiding easy answers, skirting the expected cliches, drawing us deeper into the life of a fascinating and complex man.
06/30/06
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