The ron howard avedon documentary, Ron Howard’s new film about Richard Avedon, has arrived on Netflix, and early critical responses are warm. The film, titled simply Avedon, leans on the people who knew the photographer best and on the faces he spent a career capturing.
Howard, an Academy Award winner, builds the documentary film around voices from Avedon’s life. Former colleagues at The New Yorker recall the moment in 1992 when he became the magazine’s first staff photographer. Gallerist Larry Gagosian covers the business side, including a claim that a photograph titled Dovima once sold for $2 million.
Models add another layer. Beverly Johnson, Twiggy, Penelope Tree, Lauren Hutton and Isabella Rossellini all appear, and Rossellini offers some of the sharpest observations in the film.
If Avedon’s fashion work fascinates you, Irving Penn’s six-decade fashion photography at Paris MEP offers a parallel look at the same era.
In The Wall Street Journal, John Anderson writes that the film reveals a great deal about Avedon the man. Anderson’s review carries no score, but its tone is positive.
The most personal material, according to Anderson, comes from Avedon’s son, John, and from the photographer himself. Avedon recalls that every formal family portrait from his childhood included a dog. The family never owned one, a detail that tells viewers how early he understood the power of an image.
Critics Weigh In on the ron howard avedon documentary
At Variety, Owen Gleiberman describes Howard’s film as a “thrilling documentary.” He praises the editing by Andrew Morreale, who weaves hundreds of Avedon’s photographs through the film. Gleiberman says the layering is nearly musical in its finesse, and that it helps explain how Avedon changed the way people see the world.
Gleiberman also finds the film balances two worlds. Avedon worked deep inside high fashion, yet he remained drawn to human struggle and activism. The critic says his photographs still feel timeless.
Viewers hoping for a technical lesson may leave wanting more. Gleiberman notes that Avedon had little patience for the mechanics of his craft. “Talk to him about f-stops and he would glaze over,” he writes.
Peyton Robinson of Roger Ebert gives Avedon four stars. Robinson calls him perhaps the greatest portrait photographer who ever lived, and argues that his real skill lay in empathy rather than exposure settings.
Robinson’s point about empathy echoes a wider theme in the reviews. Photography spent decades fighting for recognition as an art form, and fashion imagery often aimed to look like paintings. Avedon ignored those conventions and aimed his camera at the person in front of it.
Avedon’s empathy for his subjects resonates with Kathy Shorr’s thirteen-year survivor portraits, a patient project built on listening to its subjects.
Robert Llyod writes for the Los Angeles Times that the film is sleek and energetic, with many of the best-known images included. He says it carries the feel of a magazine layout without trying to imitate one.
Time’s Stephanie Zacharek calls Avedon a “gracefully constructed documentary about a great American photographer.” She describes the documentary as a road map through a lifetime of looking at faces. Like the other critics, she addresses Avedon’s difficult upbringing and complicated family life.
Too few scored reviews exist for Rotten Tomatoes to assign a Tomatometer score. Every review counted so far is positive, and the film is on track to earn certified fresh status. Critics agree on one point: Avedon offers an honest and compelling look at one of the most accomplished photographers in history.
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Frequently asked questions
Where can I watch Ron Howard’s Avedon documentary?
Ron Howard’s Avedon documentary has arrived on Netflix. The article describes it as a film about photographer Richard Avedon.
Who appears in the Ron Howard Avedon documentary?
Models Beverly Johnson, Twiggy, Penelope Tree, Lauren Hutton and Isabella Rossellini all appear in the film. Gallerist Larry Gagosian also covers the business side, and former New Yorker colleagues recall Avedon’s start as the magazine’s first staff photographer in 1992.
How many stars did Roger Ebert give the Avedon documentary?
Peyton Robinson of Roger Ebert gave Avedon four stars. Robinson called Richard Avedon perhaps the greatest portrait photographer who ever lived.
Does Avedon have a Rotten Tomatoes score yet?
Not yet, because too few scored reviews exist for Rotten Tomatoes to assign a Tomatometer score. Every review counted so far is positive, and the film is on track to earn certified fresh status.
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