Magical Universe

Name: Magical Universe
Genre: Biography, Documentary
Released: October 31, 2014
Duration: 80 min
Rating: 60
Cast: Al Carbee, Astrid von Ussar, Jeremy Workman

2014

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Mixed or average reviews based on 6 Critic Reviews

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Magical Universe

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Movie Details & Credits

IFC Films | Release Date: October 31, 2014 | Not Rated

Starring: Al Carbee, Astrid von Ussar, Jeremy Workman

Summary: Filmed for over a decade, Magical Universe is a portrait of Al Carbee, an 88 year old reclusive outsider artist who spends his days alone in a massive house in Maine creating art—mostly featuring Barbie Dolls in elaborate dioramas. The documentary profiles Carbee's amazing body of work and his relentlessly creative lifestyle. Carbee’sFilmed for over a decade, Magical Universe is a portrait of Al Carbee, an 88 year old reclusive outsider artist who spends his days alone in a massive house in Maine creating art—mostly featuring Barbie Dolls in elaborate dioramas. The documentary profiles Carbee's amazing body of work and his relentlessly creative lifestyle. Carbee’s story is explored through the prism of his unlikely friendship with New York filmmaker Jeremy Workman, who unexpectedly becomes Carbee’s closest friend and only link to the outside world. [IFC Films]… Expand

Director: Jeremy Workman

Genre(s): Biography, Documentary

Rating: Not Rated

Runtime: 80 min

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Critic Reviews

Michael Rechtshaffen

Nov 6, 2014

Magical Universe is a tender portrait of the artist as a weirdly gifted, wildly prolific and strange man. Read full review

Abby Garnett

Oct 28, 2014

This story is about tenderness and empathy, including Carbee's for his plastic proxies. Read full review

McClatchy-Tribune News Service Roger Moore

Oct 28, 2014

Workman’s film feels exploitative, and the filmmaker cannot help but make Carbee look a little creepy and a bit pathetic. The only thing that eases your conscience watching Magical Universe is the difficulty in deciding, “Who was using whom here?” Read full review

Nick McCarthy

Oct 30, 2014

To varying degrees of success, it attempts to prominently display Al Carbee's creations, yet keeps undermining his art in favor of investigating his skewed relationship to everyday realities. Read full review

Mike D'Angelo

Oct 30, 2014

While the film runs only 77 minutes, that’s a good half an hour longer than the material can support, even though Workman shot it over roughly a decade. Read full review

Nicolas Rapold

Oct 30, 2014

While Mr. Workman evidently respects Mr. Carbee’s talent, he also frames his movie as a trite narrative about a kind of lovably odd acquaintance who comes out of his shell, without many incisive ideas about shaping or broadening the material. Read full review

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