44
Metascore
7 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 60Time OutJoshua RothkopfTime OutJoshua RothkopfThe navel-gazing artist class that gave Williamsburg its character (now more of a marketable “brand”) has in Friedrich both a vigorous defender and, it must be said, something close to an angry parody of itself.
- 60The New York TimesStephen HoldenThe New York TimesStephen HoldenAn alternate title for Gut Renovation, Su Friedrich’s cranky, sarcastic documentary polemic about the gentrification of a Brooklyn neighborhood, might be “The Rape of Williamsburg.”
- 60VarietyRonnie ScheibVarietyRonnie ScheibThe latest in a line of documentaries decrying the destruction of viable working-class businesses and residential neighborhoods in Brooklyn, Su Friedrich’s film bypasses sadness and indignation for flat-out anger and well-aimed sarcasm.
- 42The A.V. ClubNoel MurrayThe A.V. ClubNoel MurrayFriedrich’s snide tone gets in the way, turning a study of capitalism run amok into one artist who just can’t stand all these rich squares and their “fancy dogs.”
- 38Slant MagazineSlant MagazineDue to the one-minded construction of the documentary, there's little to parse beyond impassioned harrumphs.
- 38New York PostFarran Smith NehmeNew York PostFarran Smith NehmeThe result is like an hour and a half listening to someone bellyache about her landlord.
- 30Village VoiceVillage VoiceWhat a shame it is that Friedrich, so impassioned by her subject matter, couldn’t get enough objectivity to make a film that’s more than just a complaint.