50
It’s a disorganized onslaught of primary source material that doesn’t so much shed light as it does simply exist.
What are people saying?
What are critics saying?
75
Washington Post by Ann Hornaday
It provides a sturdy, often exhilarating bridge between the present and a past that not only isn’t distant, but isn’t even really past.
60
Time Out London by Cath Clarke
The film also touches on Bell’s work for the British government, drawing up the boundaries of Iraq after WWI – which was to have consequences still felt today.
60
Village Voice by Daphne Howland
Unfortunately, the doc is devoid of any real context, including how work such as Bell’s helped lead to the quagmire that has unsettled the region for decades.
60
The New York Times by Glenn Kenny
There’s much historical material here that’s of high interest, and Ms. Swinton’s performance of Bell’s letters convey Bell’s skills as a writer, but the movie is ultimately too conceptually labored for its own good — or that of its subject.
70
The bottom line is that Oelbaum and Krayenbühl have fleshed out a complex, fascinating figure.
80
The Guardian by Leslie Felperin
It does serve as a handy summary for those who want a cinematic introduction to Bell’s sprawling, singular story.
80
Sabine Krayenbühl and Zeva Oelbaum’s elegant mix of voiceover, archive footage and talking heads lets “the female Lawrence of Arabia” largely speak for herself, illuminating the pivotal role she played in shaping today’s Middle East.