Philip Roth: Unmasked
| Release Date: March 13, 2013 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
65
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 8 Critic Reviews
Positive:
5
Mixed:
2
Negative:
1

Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
90
Village VoiceAlan ScherstuhlMar 12, 2013
The directors plant a camera in front of Roth and get him talking. To smooth over edits, they show us book covers and old photos—Roth was dashing, charming, a little dangerous, one of his college friends tells us, but she doesn't need to say it. It's manifest, and it's still true. The film is especially recommended to anyone who thinks they hate him. Read full review
80
NPRStephanie ZacharekMar 14, 2013
There's nothing particularly dynamic about Livia Manera and William Karel's documentary Philip Roth: Unmasked. For some 90 minutes, it's pretty much just one guy talking. But what a guy! Read full review
80
The New York TimesA.O. ScottMar 12, 2013
Fittingly enough, given that his great subject has always been himself, it is Mr. Roth who dominates the screen...He is, for 90 minutes, marvelous company — expansive, funny, generous and candid. Read full review
67
The A.V. ClubSam AdamsMar 13, 2013
Though it might be unreasonable to expect Karel and Manera to succeed where others have failed, simply punting on the amount of autobiography in Roth’s novels seems like a cheat. Sticking to what’s on the page pays off, especially with regard to Roth’s undervalued late novels, but also means he has them just where he wants them. Read full review
63
Slant MagazineEla BittencourtMar 13, 2013
In spite of the film's exhaustive chronology, those who deduce from its title that they're in for an unveiling, or an unraveling, of a major literary figure may come out empty-handed. Read full review
60
New York Daily NewsElizabeth WeitzmanMar 14, 2013
Philip Roth turns 80 next week, and what better way to celebrate than to serve as the hero of his own story? It’s too bad, though, that this dully conventional biography doesn’t do justice to its subject. Read full review
60
Time OutKeith UhlichMar 12, 2013
Fortunately, Roth himself proves to be a fascinating presence — soft-spoken, sharp and bearing a vague air of melancholy that offsets the surrounding adulation. Read full review
38
New York PostKyle SmithMar 14, 2013
A great writer deserves a more penetrating and inquisitive documentary: Reverence is not the path to understanding. Read full review
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