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Little Richard: I Am Everything

2023

Lisa Cortes

Documentary, Self: Little Richard, Chuck Berry, Paul McCartney ...

6.9

174

Documentary One of a kind rock 'n' roll icon who shaped the world of music.

	Author	Review
United Kingdom	Amber Wilkinson Screendaily	"There's fascination and frustration to be had from this documentary about Little Richard, which is hampered by trying to encompass every single element of the rock'n'roll pioneer's 87-year life and legacy"	POS
United States	David Rooney The Hollywood Reporter	"Even if you're not a fan of 'Little Richard' going into this film, chances are you will be by the time it's over"	POS
United States	Sheri Flanders Chicago Reader	"I enjoyed it immensely"	POS
United States	Robert Daniels IndieWire	"As with any music documentary, the general success of the film will depend upon your connection to the artist’s catalog."	NEU
United States	Jason Bailey The Playlist	"Cortés and Minnear've made an awfully convincing case [about the] assertion 'Everyone is defined by Little Richard'"	POS
United States	James Verniere Boston Herald	"A magnificent and timely examination of his life, his music and how Little Richard's sexual orientation made him both and icon and a target"	POS
United States	Richard Whittaker Austin Chronicle	"It's impossible to not feel that 'Little Richard: I Am Everything' should have found a way to find something more meaningful than it is descriptive"	NEG
United States	Christopher Schobert The Film Stage	"Little Richard was everything, and thanks to Lisa Cortés' film his influence on everyone from Elvis Presley and Jimi Hendrix to Bad Brains and Harry Styles can never again be doubted"	POS
United States	Lauren Coates AV Club	"A vibrant, fully-realized portrait that not only tells the story of a foundational force in rock, but it makes the case for its own vitality as a way to —finally— preserve and uplift the legacy of Little Richard"	POS
United States	Sarah Bea Milner SlashFilm	"I don't think audiences will come away with a better appreciation for his work, but at least it's starting the conversation about the 'Black, queer origins of rock 'n' roll' —a subject that really needs further examination"	NEU
United States	Owen Gleiberman Variety	"An enthralling portrait of rock ‘n’ roll’s most transgressive king"	POS
United States	Marlow Stern Rolling Stone	"'Little Richard: I Am Everything' marks a step in the right direction"	POS
United States	Vikram Murthi Vanity Fair	"[The doc] does its damnedest to try to rectify this inequity, but only serves to create greater distance between him and his audience"	NEG
United States	Marshall Shaffer Decider	"[It] is a documentary portrait as big, grand, and rich as its subject"	POS
United States	Steve Pond The Wrap	"So while there’s plenty of celebration in 'I Am Everything,' it’s more textured and troubled than that; it’s a doc that loves its subject without denying his messy contradictions."	POS
United States	Ross Bonaime Collider	"It has to do a lot in its relatively short runtime (...) Thankfully, Cortés’ documentary handles all this beautifully, and will make the viewer want to immediately learn more about Richard"	POS
United States	Ben Kenigsberg The New York Times	"A thorough, energetic, largely chronological appraisal, more interested in saluting a musical legend who shook things up than in shaking up conventions itself"	NEU
United States	Tony Sokol Den of Geek	"[It] excels at showing how the artist became the superstar, and why he deserves so much more than the credit he was denied in life (...) Rating: ★★★★ (out of 5)"	POS
United States	Nick Allen rogerebert.com	"'Little Richard: I Am Everything' best fosters a general understanding of his music and makes you want to dig deeper into his art"	POS
Canada	Peter Howell Toronto Star	"Lisa Cortés delivers the definitive documentary on a complicated icon (...) Rating: ★★★ (out of 4)"	POS
United Kingdom	Ian Freer Time Out	"An exhilarating look at the fast life and faster times of Little Richard (...) Rating: ★★★★ (out of 5)"	POS
United States	Robert Abele Los Angeles Times	"Emotional as it is historical. That approach is needed right now especially with the political winds getting scarier for the marginalized pockets of culture that produced this documentary’s raw, glittering, gifted subject"	POS
United Kingdom	Jordan Bassett NME	"A dazzling documentary on a brave yet conflicted artist (...) Rating: ★★★★ (out of 5)"	POS
United Kingdom	Peter Bradshaw The Guardian	"Irresistible tribute to a rock’n’roll genius (...) Rating: ★★★★ (out of 5)"	POS
United Kingdom	Mark Kermode The Guardian	"Thrilling documentary about the rock’n’roll pioneer (...) Lisa Cortés’s richly enjoyable film examines the alter egos and queer theories surrounding a conflicted star who was way ahead of his time (...) Rating: ★★★★ (out of 5)"	POS

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