Patti Smith: Dream of Life
Palm Pictures | Release Date: August 6, 2008 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
66
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 15 Critic Reviews
Positive:
11
Mixed:
4
Negative:
0
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
80
The Hollywood ReporterJames Greenberg
A knowledge of Smith's landmark contribution as a rock 'n' roll pioneer is not essential, and the film should be a joy for anyone interested in pop culture of the past 40 years. Read full review
80
SalonAndrew O'Hehir
Frequently beautiful and intermittently haunting and could be called a meditation on aging and mortality, an intimate study of a peculiar variety of fame and a portrait of a genuinely remarkable person. Read full review
80
The New York TimesManohla Dargis
A lovely, drifty first feature that feels less like a documentary and more like an act of rapturous devotion. Read full review
75
New York PostV.A. Musetto
This isn't a performance film, and it is far from a definitive portrait of the androgynous performer. Read full review
75
Chicago TribuneMichael Phillips
If one thing holds the picture back, it’s the self-conscious album-cover aesthetic of Sebring’s visual approach. Read full review
75
The Globe and Mail (Toronto)Liam Lacey
This intimate portrait of the so-called godmother of punk is aimed at viewers who are keenly fascinated by Smith. Read full review
70
VarietyRobert Koehler
The textured, thoughtful results may prove too cerebral and abstract for audiences beyond Smith's hardcore followers, Read full review
70
Chicago ReaderJ.R. Jones
Steven Sebring spent a decade making this documentary about the punk poet, and it shows. Read full review
70
Los Angeles TimesCarina Chocano
Impossibly long and angular, with a brutally beautiful face, she represents something that's been rare in the popular culture in the past decade: an artist with a voice and a vision. Read full review
67
Austin ChronicleMarjorie Baumgarten
When embraced on its own terms, the film will provide an ironic bridge for those who want to share a greater closeness with Smith. Read full review
63
TV Guide MagazineKen Fox
We don't learn too many specifics of Smith's brilliant career, and only a die-hard fan will find all of it vitally interesting. Read full review
58
The A.V. ClubNoel Murray
The paltry amount of live performances is a crime. In some ways, Smith singing "Gloria" live would've been all the context anyone would ever need. Read full review
58
Portland OregonianStan Hall
Most frustratingly, Smith's powerful music is heard only in snatches. Read full review
50
San Francisco ChroniclePeter Hartlaub
Most audience members will probably want more. Read full review
40
Village VoiceCamille Dodero
109 mostly black-and-white minutes of punk's wet nurse floating through the modern world while endlessly ruminating on mortality, art, and the occasional bodily function. Problem is, there's nary a hint of context, even with biographic essentials. Read full review
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