Roman Polanski: A Film Memoir

2011

1h 30m

Documentary

List

92%

12 Reviews

Tomatometer

75%

100+ Ratings

Audience Score

The life of artist and film director Roman Polanski.

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Audience Member

A great interview that lets you get close and know about the life of a great filmmaker

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/27/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Straightforward conversation between Polanski and his longtime friend and colleague Andrew Braunsberg, filmed while Polanski was under house arrest in Switzerland. There's little that is revelatory, but it goes a long way to humanise and explain the man.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

01/27/23

Full Review

Audience Member

A life of an artist in front and behind of the Lens.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

01/16/23

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Audience Member

Doc is all about taking side, don't even fantasize or believe it is absolutely fair & justifiable. That said, this one still does help a lot understanding the story of Roman Polanski -- in his words.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

02/04/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Interesting and somewhat tragic life.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/27/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Candid chat provides welcome insight (and remorse), but travels well-worn ground and plays like a DVD extra.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

02/06/23

Full Review

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Laurent Bouzereau

Director

Roman Polanski

Self

Andrew Braunsberg

Self

Catherine Deneuve

Herself (archive footage)

Paweł Edelman

Himself (archive footage)

Samantha Geimer

Herself (archive footage)

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Giuseppe Sedia

Kino Mania

Genuine camaraderie was a prerequisite for Polański to open up in front of the camera. In Bouzereau’s feature, life and art are entangled in a jungle of cross-references as Polański lays himself bare without self-indulgence.

Rated: 4/5

Jan 23, 2024

Full Review

David Lamble

Bay Area Reporter

[This doc] consists of the director's honest, contrite but always moving and thoughtful analysis of how fate channels the best and worst sides of our nature.

Jun 8, 2020

Full Review

Christopher Schobert

The Playlist

Roman Polanski: A Film Memoir is a rare opportunity to hear a master filmmaker speak about his life. Both his haters and fans will agree, it is a highly watchable documentary. But don't expect either group to feel they have heard the whole story.

Rated: B-

Nov 10, 2013

Full Review

Jim Schembri

3AW

Polanski sure knows how to spin a yarn, whether it's with words or film.

Rated: 3/5

Mar 17, 2013

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Lauren Carroll Harris

Concrete Playground

There's no doubt Polanski is a major artist, and his fans will probably get a lot out of his recollections, but don't expect any rigorous attention to the ethics of documentary-making. This is a personal exercise in public atonement.

Rated: 2/5

Feb 28, 2013

Full Review

Travis Johnson

FILMINK (Australia)

An intimate and compelling, albeit sympathetic, portrait of this filmmaking legend, whose often tragedy tinged real life story eclipses his extraordinary onscreen work.

Feb 22, 2013

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Synopsis

The life of artist and film director Roman Polanski.

Director: Laurent Bouzereau
Producer: Timothy Burrill
Genre: Documentary
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): Oct 7, 2017
Runtime: 1h 30m