Marwencol 2010

Jeannette Catsoulis, New York Times: Woven together by Jeff Malmberg -- if not seamlessly, then with illuminating patience -- these disparate strands honor an individual as unique as the miniature universe on which he depends. Read more

David Fear, Time Out: Jeff Malmberg's documentary does an amazing job of turning this small patch of dollhouses into a vibrant world of its own, utilizing Hogancamp's own extraordinary pictures of Marwencol's inhabitants to great effect. Read more

New York Magazine/Vulture: About as fascinating as a documentary can get. Read more

John Hartl, Seattle Times: Simultaneously hypnotic and unnerving, it asks some rather uncomfortable questions about the nature of art and the potential and limits of self-healing. Read more

Leonard Pierce, AV Club: Where the film is strongest is its ability to lure you in with the astonishing artistic quality and craftsmanship of Hogancamps creation, then make it clear that the man himselfnot his workis the real accomplishment. Read more

Ty Burr, Boston Globe: Read more

Wesley Morris, Boston Globe: An astounding movie one of those tales of all-American oddness that just keeps flowering into weirder, richer territory. Read more

Chris Vognar, Dallas Morning News: This one's a keeper. Read more

Lisa Schwarzbaum, Entertainment Weekly: This tender documentary considers the mysteries of both art and coping. Read more

Sheri Linden, Hollywood Reporter: Marwencol" poses penetrating questions -- about art, outsider status, the mysteries of the human brain and the possibility of second chances -- all while circling, ever closer, an unforgettable individual and the unknowable creative impulse. Read more

Kevin Thomas, Los Angeles Times: A celebration of the transformative power of art in coping with so many of the challenges people face -- healthcare problems, post-traumatic disorders, alternative lifestyles. Read more

V.A. Musetto, New York Post: First-time director Jeff Malmberg tells Hogancamp's fascinating story with sensitivity, never resorting to exploitation. Read more

Steven Rea, Philadelphia Inquirer: Marwencol is about Hogancamp and his miniature alter-ego, about his photographs and his creative process. But it is also, on a deeper level, about how we process our experiences... Read more

Walter V. Addiego, San Francisco Chronicle: If you have even a passing interest in outsider art, you owe it to yourself to see "Marwencol." Read more

Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star Tribune: Producer/director Jeff Malmberg tells the amazing true story with tenderness and tact. Read more

Joe Williams, St. Louis Post-Dispatch: Hogancamp's alliance with director Jeff Malmberg in this artful and poignant film marks a victory in the war against the self. Read more

Liam Lacey, Globe and Mail: A must-see. Read more

Bruce Demara, Toronto Star: Director Jeff Malmberg sees something in Hogancamp that he wants all of us to see, an imperfect human scarred by horrific trauma who nonetheless finds a reason to live. Read more

Peter Debruge, Variety: Malmberg applies stylistic and structural tricks to create the most compelling portrait possible, reflecting a respectful but very different agenda from that of his subject. Read more

Michael Atkinson, Village Voice: Exactly the sort of mysterious and almost holy experience you hope to get from documentaries and rarely do, Jeff Malmbergs Marwencol is something like a homegrown slice of Herzog oddness, complete with true-crime backfill and juicy metafictive upshot. Read more

Ann Hornaday, Washington Post: A fine, delicately nuanced portrait of an artist compelled by mysterious forces to create something utterly unique. Read more