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Patti Smith: Dream of Life

Play trailer Poster for Patti Smith: Dream of Life 2008 1h 49m Documentary Music Play Trailer Watchlist
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68% Tomatometer 38 Reviews 75% Popcornmeter 500+ Ratings
An intimate portrait of the musician and singer.
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Patti Smith: Dream of Life

Patti Smith: Dream of Life

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Critics Consensus

Elegiac and personal, Patti Smith: Dream of Life paints an enduring and sometimes rough portrait of the titular chanteuse, complete with footage onstage and at home.

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Critics Reviews

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Kat Brown Empire Magazine Sebring's drifting tone might leave you bemused, but take it as it comes and it's a captivating insight into modern music's godmother. Rated: 4/5 Dec 5, 2008 Full Review Trevor Johnston Time Out For all its transient black-and-white beauties, denies its subject the sort of solid context that would reveal the scale of her achievements. A patchy, frustrating, though loving tribute. Rated: 2/6 Dec 5, 2008 Full Review Wendy Ide Times (UK) While it fails to place Smith's work and her significance in context, the film certainly captures her charisma, wit and passion. Rated: 4/5 Dec 5, 2008 Full Review Mattie Lucas From the Front Row It's impossible to convey the film's myriad emotions and subtle layers, its agonies and ecstasies, and the sheer rock-n-roll stream of consciousness of it all without sounding like hyperbole. Rated: 4/4 Jul 6, 2019 Full Review Pamela Jahn Electric Sheep The enormously influential punk rock poet, her music and poetry, and the times in which she flourished are indeed best served by a cinematic style that remains determinedly impressionistic. Sep 26, 2017 Full Review Hannah Forbes Black Film4 An extraordinarily intimate portrait of an extraordinary woman, Dream of Life charms despite being filmed through a sycophantic haze. Rated: 3.5/5 Dec 5, 2008 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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thomas l Interviews and insights from Patti Smith. Listen to her records, her poetry and her books. A complicated artist. A musician's musician. Her message is very clear. Everyone is an artist. Everyone creates. Think for yourself. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Audience Member Not a conventional music doc; more like an experiment, an acquired taste, in tune with the undeniable, almost mystical, power of the one and only Patti Smith's art. The glimpse into the past (through stock footage and narration) isn't enough for the uninitiated (her 2010 memoir "Just Kids" offers much needed insight in this earlier doc's who's and where's), yet Patti's voice spitting out her life wisdom, the frenzied live clips and the intimate moments make this a must-see for fans of this icon. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 02/11/23 Full Review Audience Member Fond, but meandering and - sometimes frustratingly - sentimental. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/20/23 Full Review Audience Member Any true Patti Smith fan will love it Rated 3 out of 5 stars 02/08/23 Full Review Audience Member femme rock heaven, I love her Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 01/20/23 Full Review Audience Member I remember I watched it on the T.V I can't remember the channel, But I remember I loved it, she has been one of my biggest inspirations in rock history, because she reminds me a lot of Sylvia Plath, Although Sex pistols use to make fun of her, I admire all of her songs, And I believe, 'Horses' is the best album she recorded. But I believe, she deserves, at least, more than 73% (according to her wonderful talent). Rated 5 out of 5 stars 01/18/23 Full Review Read all reviews
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Movie Info

Synopsis An intimate portrait of the musician and singer.
Director
Steven Sebring
Producer
Scott Vogel
Screenwriter
Steven Sebring
Genre
Documentary, Music
Original Language
English
Release Date (Streaming)
Jan 7, 2014
Box Office (Gross USA)
$30.9K
Runtime
1h 49m
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