The reviews lean towards qualified warmth, with mixed responses outnumbering positive ones and none registering as negative. Praise centres on the affectionate, candid relationship between Batiste and Jaouad, and on moments of humour and tenderness amid cancer treatment and music-making. Critics repeatedly find the documentary moving, even when they question its depth. Empire also singles out the textured cinematography and close observation of Batiste’s creative work.
The main disagreement concerns how much that intimacy reveals. The Wrap sees a convincing portrait of artistic creation under personal strain, while The Guardian and IndieWire find the film moving but scattered or unfocused. Several reviews argue that Batiste’s musical process receives too little attention; others find the balance between work and illness persuasive. The spread runs from appreciative to moderately disappointed rather than sharply hostile: the recurring reservation is that access to the couple does not always bring a fuller understanding of them.