Bill Cunningham: New York has thus far shown itself to be one of the most enduring documentaries of the 21st century. Why do we need another nonfiction film about the celebrated New York Times photographer a mere 10 years later?
Well, director Mark Bozek’s The Times of Bill Cunningham is more of a full life portrait of the unwitting fashion icon, centered on an extended, illuminating interview that Bozek held with his subject in 1994.
The archival chat and smartly chosen accompanying footage and imagery bring Cunningham’s history into greater focus — as it were — and while, artistically, the film is largely a generic documentary, its engaging, well-made and thoroughly informative portrait of a great man compensates for its creative deficiencies.
Cued to a catchy soundtrack that includes eight tunes by Moby, himself a bit of an unlikely NYC celebrity, The Times of Bill Cunningham energetically chronicles how the photographer took to the streets to see how people were dressing, discovering answers he didn’t witness on the runways.
In the interview, which grew from its intended five minutes into several hours — and were cut to 74 minutes for the film — Bozek digs deep into his subject’s humble motivations and downright monastic lifestyle.
Standout nuggets include Cunningham considering himself a fashion historian rather than a photographer, a mindset that turned him into a copious documenter with loads of unpublished work; his deep fondness for the infinite possibilities provided by his hometown; and, in a rare showcase of vulnerability, the impact of losses of close friends to AIDS.
When the interviewee isn’t lovingly recounting his story to Bozek, The Times of Bill Cunningham is tastefully augmented by narration from Cunningham admirer Sarah Jessica Parker, filling in blanks that, considering the resources at hand, couldn’t be addressed in a better way, especially given Cunningham’s death in 2016.
But more often than not, the film wisely lets Cunningham be its star, and his reflections on his iconic cheap bicycles, lack of personal fashion sense and dedication to “work well” every day with no interest in personal glory or celebrity make for thoroughly effective entertainment.
Now available to rent via fineartstheatre.com and grailmoviehouse.com
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