Beware of Mr. Baker
SnagFilms | Release Date: November 28, 2012 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
78
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 16 Critic Reviews
Positive:
15
Mixed:
1
Negative:
0
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
100
The PlaylistKatie WalshNov 28, 2012
The combination of compelling subject with an exciting and expert approach to documentary form achieves that transcendence you hope for in this genre: a melding of subject and text that is its own beast but also perfectly reflect each other. Read full review
100
Time OutJoshua RothkopfNov 27, 2012
An aggressively unpleasant man somehow lands a perfect series of gigs in this rudely funny documentary: first as a pounding rock drummer who revolutionized the field; then as a fearless, rage-filled polo player; and finally as an impatient interviewee. Read full review
88
New York PostKyle SmithNov 29, 2012
A fantastically entertaining biography. Read full review
83
The A.V. ClubNoel MurrayNov 28, 2012
Beware Of Mr. Baker is the life story of a man who's led one hell of a fascinating life. Read full review
83
Entertainment WeeklyOwen GleibermanNov 28, 2012
Spitting obscenities at the film's director, Jay Bulger, Baker recalls his days as: the '60s thrash caveman who gave Cream and Blind Faith their transcendent power surge; the pioneer of druggy hotel-room rampages; and the damaged purist who left the pop world for Africa. The movie salutes the rhythms and the wreckage. Read full review
83
IndieWireEric KohnNov 27, 2012
Beware of Mister Baker won the Grand Jury Prize at the SXSW Film Festival earlier this year, perhaps because it was the best embodiment of a recent trend in the non-fiction realm. Read full review
80
EmpirePatrick PetersMay 19, 2013
Like Spinal Tap's more seriously older brother, Jay Bulger's fond but unsparingly honest film is a treat for fans and music lovers. A juicy slice of rock history. Read full review
80
Los Angeles TimesGary GoldsteinJan 24, 2013
Writer-director Jay Bulger combines warts-heavy interview footage of Baker with vivid archival bits, concert clips, jaunty animation and chats with various musical greats to paint a lively portrait of yet another brilliant but wildly self-destructive artist. Read full review
80
Village VoiceNick PinkertonNov 27, 2012
In spite of Bulger's errors of tone, the movie stands as an engaging tussle with the question of what is permissible with the excuse of art. One former collaborator of Baker's, John Lydon (a/k/a Rotten), comes up with the most eloquent absolution: "I cannot question anyone with end results that perfect." Read full review
75
McClatchy-Tribune News ServiceRoger MooreJan 30, 2013
Take that sign at the entrance to his Tulbagh, South Africa compound seriously – "Beware of Mr. Baker." Read full review
75
San Francisco ChronicleDavid LewisJan 24, 2013
This is warts and all, with the emphasis on the warts. Read full review
75
Slant MagazineNick McCarthyNov 26, 2012
Jay Bulger's seemingly erratic documentary formally channels Ginger Baker's almost defiant refusal to lead a life that adheres to a linear narrative. Read full review
70
The New York TimesA.O. ScottNov 27, 2012
Mr. Bulger, a former boxer and model before he turned to journalism and then filmmaking, does not let "Behind the Music" sensationalism overwhelm the music itself, which is Mr. Baker's great passion and the only reason anyone should take an interest in him. Read full review
70
The Hollywood ReporterJohn DeForeNov 26, 2012
One of rock's underheralded pioneers gets his due in Beware of Mr. Baker, an affectionate but unfawning portrait that finds the drummer of Cream still keeping the beat despite hardships both institutional and self-inflicted (heavy on the latter). Read full review
70
VarietyJoe LeydonNov 26, 2012
When a documentary begins with its subject using his crutch to deliver a vicious blow to the director's nose, it's reasonably safe to expect less-than-smooth sailing ahead. Read full review
60
New York Daily NewsElizabeth WeitzmanNov 29, 2012
Miserable individuals do tend to make for interesting subject matter, and this would be far more of a dry biography without its willfully eccentric lead. Plus, if the crankiness gets to you, tune it out and focus on the music. That's what Clapton did. Read full review
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