67
Metascore
18 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 88RogerEbert.comTomris LafflyRogerEbert.comTomris LafflyExpect to be moved to tears during this reflective film as clear-eyed as Souza’s photo books, reliving the memories of dignity that once piloted the country and often pondering, “How could we have gone from this to Trump?”
- 88Washington PostMichael O'SullivanWashington PostMichael O'SullivanThere’s some very, very funny stuff here. But the laughs gradually give way to a feeling of not just sadness and loss for a quality we no longer seem to see very much of in political life and public discourse, but a sense of creeping despair that we may never see it again.
- 81TheWrapSteve PondTheWrapSteve PondThe Way I See It is a marvelous portrait of Souza and of two administrations that not coincidentally also works as a scathing rebuke of Donald Trump. It is decidedly not a film for Trump fans, but others may well find themselves moved and saddened by the contrasts between then and now.
- 80CNNBrian LowryCNNBrian LowrySimply in terms of presenting a draft of history through his earlier work and scalding commentary via his more recent endeavors, Souza's aim has been true.
- 75Chicago TribuneMichael PhillipsChicago TribuneMichael PhillipsSouza comes off as a genuine and genuinely humble talent. There is, however, an element of intentional or inadvertent image-packaging that goes with any White House photographer’s beat. One wishes Souza were heard on the subject of the fine, tricky line between reportorial authenticity and visual flattery.
- 70The Hollywood ReporterStephen FarberThe Hollywood ReporterStephen FarberThe greatest documentaries cut deeper and more unflinchingly. But if The Way I See It sometimes skims along the surface, the potent images of a truly gifted president in action offer a welcome journey back to a more hopeful era.
- 70The New York TimesGlenn KennyThe New York TimesGlenn KennyThe movie is impeccably crafted and consistently engaging.
- 50The Globe and Mail (Toronto)Barry HertzThe Globe and Mail (Toronto)Barry HertzThere is certainly much to celebrate and remember about the former U.S. president’s tenure, but Souza, and Porter, don’t seem much interested in anything approaching nuance.
- 50Austin ChronicleMarjorie BaumgartenAustin ChronicleMarjorie BaumgartenThe film does much more than showcase eight years of a top photojournalist’s career. This is a film about evolution, about how Souza learned to use his voice.
- 38Slant MagazineChris BarsantiSlant MagazineChris BarsantiThe final product feels like it would have been most appropriate as a video presentation for the Democratic National Convention.