Synopsis
Writer and urban activist Jane Jacobs fights to save historic New York City during the ruthless redevelopment era of urban planner Robert Moses in the 1960s.
Votre Filmothèque
Cast
- Thomas CampanellaHimself
- Mindy FulliloveHerself
- Alexander GarvinHimself
- Paul GoldbergerHimself
- Steven JohnsonHimself
- Max PageHimself
- Mary RoweHerself
- Michael SorkinHimself
- Marisa TomeiJane Jacobs (voice)
- Vincent D'OnofrioRobert Moses (voice)
Recommandations
- 90
Variety
The movie just about pulses with contemporary resonance. - 88
The Globe and Mail (Toronto)
As a history of this war of ideas and as an introduction to Jacobs, the film is essential. But it also pivots toward a great challenge: today’s global urbanization. - 80
NPR
Jacobs argued that what looks to officialdom like disorder is actually what makes a crowded human landscape function — it's just a more complex order. This compelling documentary lets you see the beauty she found in that complexity. - 80
Time Out
A beautifully organized documentary (befitting its subject, urban planning), Matt Tyrnauer’s elegant profile sets up its iconic NYC showdown along geometric lines. - 75
San Francisco Chronicle
It’s a complicated tale, and at 92 minutes, the film is a very brief summary. - 75
Washington Post
Director Matt Tyrnauer mixes lively archival footage, including a memorable news interview with an angry Italian grandmother, with testimony from passionate experts to demonstrate the importance of city design. - 70
Village Voice
Tyrnauer transforms what could be a staid profile film into an urgent story about the dangers of “urban renewal,” something Jacobs herself would admire. - 70
Los Angeles Times
The film delineates the rise and fall of conventional urban planning, but also lets us know that the battle is not completely over.
