83
Metascore
27 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 88Rolling StonePeter TraversRolling StonePeter TraversThe twice Oscar-nominated actor appears onscreen only briefly. Hawke knows where the spotlight belongs. Believe me, the 81 minutes spent in Bernstein's funny, touching and vital presence is something you don't want to miss.
- 80VarietyJustin ChangVarietyJustin ChangThis first documentary directed by Ethan Hawke happily sidesteps any vanity-project pitfalls, granting full expression to Bernstein’s wise and witty commentary on a craft that he’s spent decades honing — as well as the proper application of that craft when the demands of art are often outweighed by the pressures of commerce.
- 80New York Magazine (Vulture)David EdelsteinNew York Magazine (Vulture)David EdelsteinBuoyed by Chopin, Schubert, Schumann, and more, Seymour: An Introduction is lyrical without getting fancy, its director plainly rapt.
- 80Village VoiceStephanie ZacharekVillage VoiceStephanie ZacharekThe film Hawke has made — which borrows its title, though little else, from J.D. Salinger — works both as a celebration of Bernstein, whose spirit is at once gentle and boldly generous, and as a way of exploring creativity and the meaning it can have in our lives.
- 80The DissolveKeith PhippsThe DissolveKeith PhippsAlternating interviews, observational passages, and conversations with past students, Hawke’s low-key film never pushes too hard for effect and lets any drama emerge slowly.
- 75Slant MagazineCarson LundSlant MagazineCarson LundEthan Hawke's concentration on Seymour Bernstein isn't a betrayal of his own ego massaging, but rather an attempt to have a genuine soul-bearing conversation.
- 75The A.V. ClubMike D'AngeloThe A.V. ClubMike D'AngeloThe biggest problem with Seymour, though, is that Hawke can’t quite find a structure or rhythm for the movie as a whole. It’s only 81 minutes long, and never remotely boring, but the feeling that it’s due to end at any moment kicks in around the midpoint and persists right up until it actually does end, like the documentary equivalent of "The Lord Of The Rings: The Return Of The King."
- 70The Hollywood ReporterStephen FarberThe Hollywood ReporterStephen FarberHawke’s film is very well crafted, tightly edited and elegantly photographed. The acute musical selections only add to our appreciation of Seymour’s selfless devotion to his art.
- 65TheWrapInkoo KangTheWrapInkoo KangHawke is probably too respectful a director and disciple to challenge anything that his subject says, or even query about the vaguest outlines of his personal life.... The title is truth in advertising; “Seymour” really is only an introduction.