Annie Leibovitz: Life through a Lens

Annie Leibovitz ist zweifelsohne eine wahre Fotografin, die genau weiß, was, wie, wen und wo sie fotografiert. Ihre Fotografien sind ein wunderbares Beispiel für ihren aufrichtigen Ansatz und ihre totale Hingabe an ihre Arbeit. Neben der dokumentarischen Linie gibt es auch bittere und melodramatische Peripetien, die die traurige Geschichte von Susan Sontag und John Lennon betreffen. Achtzig angenehme Minuten mit einem Film, der das Bild einer außergewöhnlichen Frau zeichnet. (22.05.2012)

Annie Leibovitz is a world-famous figure in the field of photography, and if the documentary only focused on her personality, it would without a doubt be worth five stars. The trouble is that the film itself is somewhat routine and a one-dimensional promotional affair, as it resigns from a healthy critical distance and indulges in the world of celebrities who praise how well the photographer managed to capture their exterior and stroke their egos. The heroine of the film is depicted as another artistic celebrity, and we cannot create a more plastic image of her. Overall impression: 65%. (02.10.2009)

We don’t find out how the subject of this documentary perceives her “evolution” from an independent, almost underground photographer capturing reality to a purely commercial photographer famous for stylised images. Nor do we learn much about how she works or what that has to do with family and male-female relationships in general, but we see that she creates photographs so captivating that the desire to know any of the above falls away. Thanks to the internet, I will pore over her work in speechless amazement for a few more days. The documentary is weak; the attraction is powerful. 60% (05.02.2012)