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WAGNER & MEMovie Reviews
Documentary about Wagner's life and career, exploring the composer's dark side, including Hitler's appropriation of Wagner's music. Cast:Stephen FryDirector:Patrick McGradyRelease Date:December 7, 2012DVD Release:April 30, 2013From:Wavelength Films/PicturehouseLength:1 hr 29 min
Wagner & Me played in limited release to very good reviews. • Andrew Patner wrote in the Chicago Sun-Times, "Stephen Fry lets both his innocence and his deep but lightly worn knowledge give us a view of the complexities of human creation and what it means to be fascinated by such things." More Reviews Below...
Wagner & Me Positive Reviews (11 Reviews, reviews below)
Farran Smith Nehme, New York Post: VERY GOOD(cg) "Fry worships every note, to the point where when he's discussing the music, this erudite man can scarcely get his words out in proper order."(See all of Farran Smith Nehme's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 244 words, 12/07/12
Andrew Patner, Chicago Sun-Times: VERY GOOD(cg) "Stephen Fry lets both his innocence and his deep but lightly worn knowledge give us a view of the complexities of human creation and what it means to be fascinated by such things."(See all of Andrew Patner's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 629 words, 11/30/12
Alan Scherstuhl, Village Voice: GOOD "Fry, both a Jew and a lifelong devotee of Richard Wagner, is a sensitive, excitable guide to Wagner's music -- which is celebrated here -- and to Wagner's Germany..."(See all of Alan Scherstuhl's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 253 words, 12/05/12
KEY CITIES (2 Reviews)
Ty Burr, Boston Globe: MODERATE(cg) "...the passion that Fry and company feel for Wagner's work keeps them from the measured appraisal this film needs. They hear him, but they don't see him."(See all of Ty Burr's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 429 words, 12/12/12
Moira Macdonald, Seattle Times: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...flies by as if on wings... Stephen Fry embarks on a journey through the composer's life, in the hope of finding some closure."(See all of Moira Macdonald's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 346 words, 01/25/13
ALTERNATIVE/INDIE PRESS (3 Reviews)
Alan Scherstuhl, Village Voice: GOOD "Fry, both a Jew and a lifelong devotee of Richard Wagner, is a sensitive, excitable guide to Wagner's music -- which is celebrated here -- and to Wagner's Germany..."(See all of Alan Scherstuhl's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 253 words, 12/05/12
Alison Willmore, AV Club: MODERATE(cg) "Much of the film takes the form of a typical informative TV special... Fry is charming, knowledgeable, and fantastically excited about the things he gets to do..."(See all of Alison Willmore's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 378 words, 12/06/12
Joseph Jon Lanthier, Slant: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "Unabashedly middlebrow... the biographical criticism offered is useful to non-adherents who aren't aware of Wagner's difficult life or the caprices of his era..."(See all of Joseph Jon Lanthier's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 449 words, 12/04/12
Stephanie Zacharek, NPR: VERY GOOD "...exuberant... Fry ultimately takes full ownership of his love for Wagner. To paraphrase two later musical geniuses: They can't take that away from him."(See all of Stephanie Zacharek's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 609 words, 12/06/12
MOVIE INDUSTRY (3 Reviews)
Ronnie Scheib, Daily Variety: GOOD "Even those impervious to Wagner's music will find it difficult to resist Fry's charm... he certainly makes a fervent case for the triumph of art over biography."(See all of Ronnie Scheib's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 510 words, 12/06/12
Frank Scheck, Hollywood Reporter: VERY GOOD "Fry's engaging personality and thoughtful commentary, as well as the generous doses of Wagner's music on the soundtrack, make it highly entertaining."(See all of Frank Scheck's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 408 words, 12/07/12
12.6 Percentage Points Average Difference Between Reviews (Norm is 18.4pp; <18.4pp = More Consistent; >18.4pp = More Mixed)
Wagner & Me's reviews are separated by an average 12.6 percentage points. The norm for this measure is 18.4 percentage points. Less than 18.4 indicates more consistent reviews; greater than 18.4 indicates more mixed reviews. In the chart below, each dot represents a review, with the dots at the top more positive than the dots at the bottom. From left to right, the dots represent reviews in big, bigger and biggest publications. Roll over each dot for more detail.
Wagner & Me (11 reviews) Roll over dots for each review
Coverage:Wagner & Me's reviews cover 12.4% of potential readers (average is 67.9%). Volume:The film's reviews total 4,641 words involume (average is 20,194 words). Length:The film's reviews average 422 words in length (the norm is 517 words).
Reviews Broke 31.1 Hours After Release (Norm is 1.2 Release)
Wagner & Me's reviews on average broke 31.1 hours after opening. Norm for this measure is 1.2 hours before. The chart below shows reviews on opening day and the days before and after opening; the left side is earlier and the right side is later. The red bars extending above the horizontal mid-line represent more positive reviews, and the red bars extending below represent more negative reviews. The white space/red bar in the middle is Wagner & Me's opening day. Click on any bar for a list of the reviews for that day.
Wagner & Me (11 reviews, click on bars for reviews)
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