82
Metascore
21 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 100Los Angeles TimesGary GoldsteinLos Angeles TimesGary GoldsteinTo have the towering Morrison, now 88, willing to face your cameras — head on, in fact — and tell her story as candidly, heartily and humanely as she does here, is a singular gift that keeps on giving throughout the film’s two captivating hours.
- 89Austin ChronicleMarc SavlovAustin ChronicleMarc SavlovThe decidedly defiant grande dame of African American literature is shown here as an intellectual and creative dynamo who, at the age of 88, shows zero signs of deceleration; if anything, she appears to be just getting warmed up. Haters beware.
- 80TheWrapCandice FrederickTheWrapCandice FrederickThough Toni Morrison: The Pieces that I Am comes from a white storyteller, it distinctly and profoundly reflects the point of view of the subject herself. What we see is a woman who has always been in charge of her own narrative, no matter who wants to share it.
- 75Movie NationRoger MooreMovie NationRoger MooreThe real value in Greenfield-Sanders’ film, which goes into limited theatrical release this weekend before coming to PBS in 2020, is in Morrison’s struggles with the white patriarchy of American letters.
- 75Slant MagazinePat BrownSlant MagazinePat BrownIn verbally recounting her history, Morrison proves almost as engaging as she in print, a wise and sensitive voice.
- 75The A.V. ClubNoel MurrayThe A.V. ClubNoel MurrayFrequently, Morrison punctuates her points and her recollections with a warm chuckle, expressing the same embrace of life’s fullness that informs even her bleakest stories.
- 75RogerEbert.comMonica CastilloRogerEbert.comMonica CastilloWith a knowing smile, she revisits her memories in one-on-one style interviews, looking directly at the camera—at us—to tell her story. A chorus of scholars, critics and friends join her to sing praises for her work that she’s too modest to bring up herself.
- 75Washington PostAlan ZilbermanWashington PostAlan ZilbermanMorrison, at 88, is as clear-eyed and sharp as ever. What’s most surprising about her interviews is not her candor, but her humor, revealed, as she speaks, in a way that makes you want to lean closer. (Her gifts as a storyteller are not just on the page.)
- While the format as such doesn’t allow for a critical push-and-pull, that’s not a debit. This is about time well spent on a life well lived. A series of pieces adding up to much more than the whole.
- 70The New York TimesA.O. ScottThe New York TimesA.O. ScottIt’s less a biography than an extended essay, which is entirely a good thing. If you want a thorough documentation of everything Morrison has done and everyone she knows, there’s always Wikipedia. But if you’d prefer an argument for her importance and a sense of her presence, then you won’t be disappointed.