Synopsis
Alexander McQueen's rags-to-riches story is a modern-day fairy tale, laced with the gothic. Mirroring the savage beauty, boldness and vivacity of his design, this documentary is an intimate revelation of McQueen's own world, both tortured and inspired, which celebrates a radical and mesmerizing genius of profound influence.
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Cast
- Alexander McQueenSelf (archive footage)
- Bernard ArnaultSelf
- Joseph BennettSelf
- Magdalena FrackowiakSelf
- Jodie KiddSelf
- Kate MossSelf
- Isabella BlowSelf (archive footage)
- Charlie RoseSelf (voice) (uncredited)
- Naomi CampbellSelf (archive footage) (uncredited)
- Grace JonesSelf (archive footage) (uncredited)
Recommendations
- 100
The Hollywood Reporter
McQueen is a haunting story of extravagant talent and inescapable private sorrow, made with exquisite craftsmanship worthy of its subject. While a narrative biopic has been in development for years, this excellent documentary delivers an eye-popping, emotionally wrenching experience that paints a fully dimensional portrait of a complex artist. - 90
New York Magazine (Vulture)
Thanks to a beautifully lush, moody score by Michael Nyman and great sound editing, even a fan who has pored over these archives obsessively will see them in a new light. What McQueen reminds those obsessives and laypeople alike is that fashion is an incredibly emotional art form, and McQueen’s work was some of the most moving there was or ever will be. - 90
Variety
Itself crafted with great artistry and ingenuity, McQueen works both as a spectacular visual album of his work and an achingly moving account of the incomplete life behind it. - 90
Village Voice
The difference between McQueen and the standard tortured genius documentary lies in the kind of artist McQueen was: Behind the (sometimes incendiary, sometimes infantile) provocations in his designs was a clear humanity, his garments the unfiltered expressions of his emotions and ideas. - 83
The A.V. Club
A film that’s refreshingly free of the gushing sound bites from sycophantic celebrities that too often dominate fashion documentaries. - 80
Screen Daily
Like McQueen’s designs, it is thrilling, troubling and tinged with tragedy. - 80
Empire
A solid if, given its subject, oddly workmanlike documentary, this makes a very good case both that the fashion world had a genius on its hands, and that they didn’t have a clue what to do with him. - 80
The New York Times
The filmmakers’ emphasis on drama honors the driven personality of their subject, while tracing a fairly conventional glad-rags-to-riches narrative arc.
