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04/23/09
Glass: A Portrait of Philip in Twelve Parts (2008)
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Reviews Counted:27
Fresh:22
Rotten:5
Average Rating:6.5/10
Runtime: 1 hr 59 mins
Genre: Theatrical Release, New York City, Buddhism
Synopsis: When notable narrative director Scott Hicks (SHINE, SNOW FALLING ON CEDARS) picked up an HD camera to shoot some footage of celebrated composer Philip Glass, he had no intention of turning it into... [More]
Director: Scott Hicks
Reviews for Glass: A Portrait of Philip in Twelve Parts
A hair’s breadth from hagiography, Scott Hicks’s Glass: A Portrait of Philip in Twelve Parts is much like its subject: affable, quotable and emotionally guarded in the extreme.
04/18/08
Top CriticIt seems like a huge waste of time to have this much access to Glass, but come up with little more than a fan page.
06/09/08
Despite efforts to show the composer's domestic life, including his Buddhist-influenced daily exercise routines, there's no thoughtful discussion of what's behind the serialist music style Glass has brought to worldwide attention.
10/02/07
Top CriticA stupefyingly dull portrait of a man who doesn't seem to be lying when he says, "I have so few secrets."
04/16/08
A stupefyingly dull portrait of a man who doesn't seem to be lying when he says, "I have so few secrets."
04/16/08
Glass's status as one of America's most venerated and mocked highbrows matches gracefully with his peripatetic cultural and spiritual life.
04/13/08
Although rich in family scrapbooks and anecdotes, Scott Hicks' documentary on composer Philip Glass is a portrait of the artist in the present tense.
07/18/08
Shot on a tight budget and a tighter calendar, the film offers a cinematic style which borders on verite in approach and execution.
11/14/08
Glass acts as a tuning fork that calibrates the significance of a compelling 20th century composer who is still going strong into the 21st.
10/06/07
A completely charming piece of work that's as unassuming and winning as the man himself.
04/16/08
Hicks avoids many of the pitfalls of artist portraits by grounding the musician firmly in every day reality.
07/26/09
This is an exhaustive and at times exhausting documentary; it’s well made and revealing but it required much more editing...
11/14/08
Hicks has made one of the best films I have seen about the mind of a creative artist.
11/19/08
A fitting tribute to the man and the musician, which will remind fans of his genius and point newcomers to his broad and brilliant oeuvre.
11/14/08
A solid portrait that should engage both fans and newbies alike, shot by Hicks himself, cinema verite style.
11/14/08
Doesn't necessarily reveal the insight behind the composer's unique brand of music so much as display the working mode of a passionate artist.
08/22/09
There is a genuine warmth to the film that is underscored by Glass' modesty, a quality both fans and non-fans will respond to.
11/14/08
An entertaining pic that will fascinate admirers but is wide-ranging and unpretentious enough to engage those intimidated by Glass' aesthetic.
12/27/07
Top CriticCareer of modern classical composer revisited by generally reverential retrospective.
04/16/08
Latest News for Glass: A Portrait of Philip in Twelve...
April 21, 2008:
Trailer & Poster review 
More...
April 16, 2008:
An intimate peek into an elite mind, warts and all.
More...
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