The Agronomist
THINKFilm | Release Date: April 23, 2004 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
82
METASCORE
Universal acclaim based on 29 Critic Reviews
Positive:
29
Mixed:
0
Negative:
0
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
100
Baltimore SunMichael Sragow
As a documentary, The Agronomist, in its excitingly fractured, modern manner, does what Lawrence of Arabia and The Leopard do: It traces the upheaval of a civilization in the profile of a magnificent individual. It's a 90-minute nonfiction film with the impact and the greatness of an epic. Read full review
90
New York Magazine (Vulture)Peter Rainer
Free speech isn't merely a shibboleth in The Agronomist. As embodied by Dominique, it's a fire-breathing force. Read full review
90
The A.V. ClubNathan Rabin
Driven by Dominique's personal magnetism, The Agronomist is a haunting, inspirational valentine to free speech and human resilience. Read full review
90
Village VoiceJ. Hoberman
This affecting eulogy underscores not only Demme's own tribute to Dominique but also the film's homage to radio. This is a motion picture that's in love with the magic of airborne speech. Read full review
90
Los Angeles TimesKenneth Turan
Director Demme has done other potent and meaningful films, but The Agronomist defers to none of them in its effectiveness and its power. Read full review
90
The New York TimesDana Stevens
It seems almost unthinkable that such a charismatic, generous and lively man could be gone. It also makes you understand what it means for a country like Haiti to lose a citizen like Jean Dominique. Read full review
90
SlateDavid Edelstein
Demme's movie exuberantly crosses the border from documentary into hagiography and from hagiography into celebration. Read full review
88
Miami HeraldMarta Barber
Enlightening documentary. Read full review
88
Chicago TribuneMichael Wilmington
This film--one of the best and most memorable documentaries of the year so far--brings that truth-teller to us once again. Read full review
88
Chicago Sun-TimesRoger Ebert
After his murder, Michele Montas goes on the air to insist that Jean Dominique is still alive, because his spirit lives on. But in this film Haiti seems to be a country that can kill the spirit, too. Read full review
83
Seattle Post-IntelligencerSean Axmaker
A rousing celebration of a genuine people's hero and a timely reminder that a free press is the greatest weapon in the arsenal of democracy and freedom. Read full review
83
Portland OregonianMarc Mohan
The film verges on hagiography as one interviewee after another testifies to Dominique's positive influence on his nation, but in this case the cynical notion that there must be another side to the story is easy to tamp down. Read full review
80
Chicago ReaderMeredith Brody
Demme's moving documentary turns the story of his dead friend into the story of Haiti. Read full review
80
VarietyRobert Koehler
Melds a great cause and Dominique's incandescent charisma with care using research from nine years of filming and reporting. Read full review
80
L.A. WeeklyMarc Cooper
Although the film may be about 20 percent overweight, the human story of a man who -- for four decades -- spat in the eye of his tormentors and gleefully accepted his role as a latter-day Sisyphus commands the viewer's attention. Read full review
80
The Hollywood ReporterFrank Scheck
Compelling. Read full review
80
Washington PostDesson Thomson
We are left with vivid images of Dominique, whose desire to change his country, despite formidable intimidation, is an inspiration to any supporter of democracy. Read full review
80
Washington PostAnn Hornaday
Has important things to tell viewers about global politics, and in an eerily resonant way. Read full review
80
Dallas ObserverMelissa Levine
Demme's film is as inspiring and moving as its subject, a man who brought critical news and information to the people of Haiti even as a series of dictatorships sought violently to shut him down. Read full review
78
Austin ChronicleMarc Savlov
Remarkable, melancholy, and ultimately hopeful documentary. Read full review
75
Christian Science MonitorDavid Sterritt
Watching Demme's documentary is both a crash course in the nation's tumultuous past and a provocative visit with one of its most colorful citizens. Read full review
75
New York Daily NewsJack Mathews
Until he was shot to death in 2000, Haitian radio journalist Jean Dominique was a lone voice for truth and freedom in his politically riven country. Read full review
75
New York PostLou Lumenick
The Agronomist uses archival footage and music to tell a moving story that's all too common in the Third World. Read full review
75
Boston GlobeTy Burr
Smartly filmed (aside from a few distracting editing fripperies), but it's so dazzled by its subject and saddened by his martyrdom that it never moves past the heroic politics of dissent. Read full review
75
San Francisco ChronicleJonathan Curiel
The story of an amazing life. Read full review
70
Film ThreatMerle Bertrand
The film reveals a man whose wiry build, relentless passion, fearless guile, and bravery made him a beloved human rights activist in his strife-ridden country. Read full review
70
TV Guide MagazineKen Fox
Jonathan Demme gets personal with this affectionate tribute to courageously outspoken radio broadcaster Jean Dominique, the pro-democracy advocate whose unflagging support for president Jean-Bertrand Aristide eventually cost him his life. Read full review
67
Entertainment WeeklyLisa Schwarzbaum
As Demme's audienc we're at the mercy of political passion overshadowed by style. Read full review
63
The Globe and Mail (Toronto)Rick Groen
Not an extraordinary portrait, but it does portray an extraordinary man. Read full review
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