Synopsis
A chronicle of the personal life and public career of the celebrated artist and filmmaker Julian Schnabel.
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Cast
- Julian SchnabelSelf
- Stella SchnabelSelf
- Lola SchnabelSelf
- Al PacinoSelf
- Willem DafoeSelf
- BonoSelf
- Emmanuelle SeignerSelf
- Laurie AndersonSelf
- Gary OldmanSelf (archive footage)
- Jeffrey WrightSelf (archive footage)
Recommendations
- 70
Village Voice
Though visually expansive, however, the film feels emotionally intimate. - 63
RogerEbert.com
Directed by Pappi Corsicato and executive produced, typically, by the subject himself, the movie is never uninteresting but is often surprisingly low-energy and, even more surprisingly, visually drab. - 58
The Playlist
While Corsicato treats his subject extremely gently – there’s barely a hint of criticism of Schnabel and interviewees tout how controversial his work is without explaining why – his almost idyllic portrayal of Schnabel at work and play nevertheless makes for a largely seductive and engaging experience. But the lack of context often derails the entertaining film. - 50
Los Angeles Times
Rather than explore his place in the arts and balance all that adoration with insight, Corsicato opts for hero worship. The result is a visually exciting but emotionally monotonous film. - 50
The Film Stage
Despite the intimate, conversational style, A Private Portrait feels a bit cold and calculated, with a focus on celebrity versus art. - 40
The New York Times
No commercials are shown during Julian Schnabel: A Private Portrait. They would only be redundant. Instead this documentary serves as a feature-length advertisement for the artist, and is about as daring as a billboard for skim milk. - 12
Slant Magazine
The film is intended to be placed at the altar of Julian Schnabel, an artist so singular that words simply fail.
