Anita O'Day: The Life of a Jazz Singer
Release Date: August 15, 2008 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
76
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 12 Critic Reviews
Positive:
12
Mixed:
0
Negative:
0
Watch Now
Buy on
Stream On
Stream On

Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
70
The Hollywood ReporterSura Wood
An engaging if less than revelatory documentary. Read full review
70
VarietyDennis Harvey
Force of personality and terrific vintage performance clips make a keeper of Anita O'Day: The Life of a Jazz Singer. Read full review
70
Village VoiceJim Ridley
A good deal livelier than the usual music-doc embalming. Read full review
75
New York PostV.A. Musetto
A high point shows O'Day, in a black-and-white hat and form-fitting dress, singing "Sweet Georgia Brown" at the Newport Jazz Festival. That scene alone confirms O'Day's place among the greats. Read full review
90
The New York TimesStephen Holden
How was this careless, self-destructive human rhythm machine able to outlast almost all her peers? Maybe the vitality of the jazz she made kept her alive. She was one tough lady. Read full review
63
TV Guide MagazineKen Fox
Offers what her fans came to expect from the "Jezebel of Jazz": great music. Read full review
83
Christian Science MonitorRobert Koehler
Although the documentary is something of a patchwork affair and lacks the late singer's ineffable smoothness and rhythmic brilliance, it emphatically makes the case that here was one of the four or five all-time great female jazz voices – or "song stylists," as she called herself. Read full review
75
San Francisco ChronicleJoel Selvin
A loving biographical tribute. Read full review
88
Chicago TribuneHoward Reich
Swinging gleefully on a sun-soaked afternoon, crafting strangely intoxicating phrases, O’Day could do no wrong on that afternoon at the Newport Jazz Festival in Rhode Island in 1958. Read full review
88
Chicago Sun-TimesRoger Ebert
Here was a great artist. She enjoyed her life. She didn't complain at the time, she didn't complain when she went cold turkey, she didn't complain in her 80s. Read full review
70
Chicago ReaderJonathan Rosenbaum
One of the few white vocalists to play the Apollo, O'Day does fabulous things with her hands as well as her voice when she sings. Her talent and will to survive (in the late 60s she kicked a 16-year heroin addiction) are reasons enough to see this film. Read full review
88
Philadelphia InquirerSteven Rea
There's real joy in O'Day's eyes - and larynx - as she bobs and weaves through an amazing songbook. Read full review
More From This Movie

76 Critic Reviews

tbd User Reviews

Details & Credits|Trailers

Current Movie Releases
By MetascoreBy User Score
1 77 Project Hail Mary
2 75 Send Help
3 73 Hoppers
4 72 The Sheep Detectives
5 68 Crime 101
SEE ALL
Essential Links
New on Amazon Prime Video
New on Netflix
Coming Soon to DVD/Blu-ray
SEE ALL