Garbo: The Spy
First Run Features | Release Date: November 18, 2011 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
67
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 12 Critic Reviews
Positive:
10
Mixed:
2
Negative:
0
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
75
Chicago Sun-TimesRoger EbertDec 7, 2011
Edmon Roch's Garbo the Spy is an engrossing documentary that is itself largely a work of the director's imagination. Read full review
75
The A.V. ClubNoel MurrayNov 16, 2011
Even without the fine psychological shading, Garcia's story is a doozy. Read full review
75
San Francisco ChronicleG. Allen JohnsonNov 14, 2011
He was so good at his job he was awarded an honorary knighthood by the British and the Iron Cross II by the Nazis. Talk about playing both sides! Read full review
70
Chicago ReaderCliff DoerksenDec 8, 2011
Documentary maker Edmon Roch spins a zippy yarn of Pujol's improbable exploits from archival footage, talking heads, and clips from classic espionage dramas. Read full review
70
Los Angeles TimesSheri LindenDec 1, 2011
Takes a fittingly inventive approach to the story of an operative whose MI5 code name reflected his supreme talents as an actor. Read full review
70
The New York TimesRachel SaltzNov 17, 2011
Edmon Roch has a great story to tell in Garbo the Spy, and he recounts it with the flair of a Hollywood spy movie: "Garbo" is dramatic, entertaining, even funny in parts. Read full review
70
Village VoiceKarina LongworthNov 15, 2011
Some of this footage feels like filler, but Roch's concept is strong: He's creating a dialogue between the fictions Pujol created to help win the war and the fictions Hollywood created to memorialize that victory. Read full review
67
Portland OregonianShawn LevyJan 5, 2012
The story told in Garbo: The Spy is so outlandish that you almost feel as if you're watching a mockumentary. But it appears to be entirely true. Read full review
63
New York PostKyle SmithNov 18, 2011
Fascinating though it is, the movie is thin on historical materials. Read full review
63
Slant MagazineGlenn Heath Jr.Nov 13, 2011
Using a whirlwind of archival footage, maps, and split screens, Edmon Roch conveys Juan Pujol Garcia's reign as Europe's premiere spy in a constantly fluid fashion, aesthetically mimicking his crafty and cagey nature. Read full review
60
The Hollywood ReporterJohn DeForeNov 19, 2011
A true-life tale of espionage so brazen and crucial to World War II's outcome one marvels that it isn't better known; but the documentary would likely work better as a feature film. Read full review
60
Time OutKeith UhlichNov 15, 2011
The jarring juxtapositions only heighten the enigmatic air of the film's subject; even when he's right in front of us, he seems to be plotting his next wily act. Read full review
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