Crump's film is a vitally important document in this respect, bringing out Wagstaff's personality and vividly capturing the stories of the people who knew him.
Comment
08/15/08
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Black White + Gray: A Portrait Of Sam Wagstaff And Robert Mapplethorpe (2007)
82 %
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted: 17
Fresh: 14
Rotten:3
Average Rating: 6.4/10
Consensus: Vital documentation of an unsung 70’s art patron and his famous photographer lover. A vivid and tragic story.
Theatrical Release: Oct 19, 2007 Limited
Synopsis: Yale-educated and born with a silver spoon in his mouth, Sam Wagstaff’s transformation from innovative museum curator to Robert Mapplethorpe’s lover and patron is intensively probed in Black White + Gray. During the heady years of the... [More]
Director: James Crump
DVD Info
Reviews for Black White + Gray: A Portrait Of Sam Wagstaff And Robert...
1 - 17 (sorted by date; Australian critics are listed first)
This is a terrific documentary by James Crump about the unsung collector, Wagstaff, and his lopsided relationship with his hungry young lover, Mapplethorpe.
08/15/08
Top Critic A well made portrait of an intriguing man, presented with a tragic but resounding weight.
08/15/08
Crump’s film colourfully depicts Wagstaff’s complex inner mindset and rarefied eye for imagery by allowing the stunning prints to linger on the screen.
08/15/08
Let's hope this is the springboard for a biopic on the art world's dynamic gay duo - maybe by the time it gets made we'll even have some openly gay actors to play the parts.
05/22/08
The movie makes its main point. Wagstaff was an important, complex, fascinating figure, well worth remembering.
02/14/08
Wagstaff's character accounts for some of the frustration the film induces. Crumb's documentary style accounts for the rest.
02/01/08
This ham-handed interpolation of irrelevant footage is the chief demerit of his movie.
10/22/07
Wagstaff was a fascinating figure and deserves the detailed tribute provided here.
10/19/07
Top Critic The more famous Mapplethorpe is moved aside to give Sam Wagstaff the spotlight. But the best photography in the world steals the show.
10/19/07
The film itself is staid in comparison to the descriptions of the '70s high life.
10/18/07
Black White & Gray raises provocative questions but can't answer them, or even frame them with total clarity.
10/18/07
Draws out the unseen riches that exist within what may otherwise appear typical or commonplace.
10/18/07
Relatively tame retrospective about the relationship of a gay patron of the arts and his famous photographer lover best remembered for graphic, homoerotic snapshots featuring shocking sights like that of a bullwhip in a tight place.
10/16/07
1 - 17 (sorted by date; Australian critics are listed first)
Latest News for Black White + Gray: A Portrait Of...
October 22, 2007:
Gay kismet! 
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Related Forums for Black White + Gray: A Portrait Of Sam...
(2007/Docu)-BLACK WHITE + GRAY: A PORTRAIT OF SAM WAGSTAFF opens in NYC on Oct. 19th!
by: ReelReviewer.com 9/27/07
by: ReelReviewer.com 9/27/07
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