--- title: "American Symphony: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/american-symphony/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/american-symphony" critics_score: 69 critics_reviews: 11 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # American Symphony (2023): what the critics said Critics' score 69 from 11 reviews: 4 positive, 7 mixed, 0 negative. 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. ## Empire — John Nugent Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 27 November 2023. The critic finds the documentary moving and carefully crafted, though whether it fully gets under its subjects’ skin is left open. They praise the close-up view of Batiste’s creative process and the film’s textured cinematography. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/american-symphony/) ## The Hollywood Reporter — Daniel Fienberg Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 1 September 2023. Festival review. Fienberg finds the documentary joyful and emotionally resonant, with a nuanced portrait shaped by unexpected turns. He especially praises the intimate depiction of Batiste and Jaouad’s relationship, though he notes Batiste’s musical process gets sidelined. [Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/american-symphony-review-matthew-heineman-1235579210/) ## Variety — Chris Willman Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 1 September 2023. Festival review. The critic calls the documentary warm and lovely, finding its portrait of illness and artistic triumph intimate and balanced. They praise the couple’s candid, affectionate relationship and the film’s ability to hold music-making alongside Jaouad’s cancer treatment. [Read the review](https://variety.com/2023/film/reviews/american-symphony-review-jon-batiste-1235710794/) ## RogerEbert.com Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). The page identifies a review of the specified film, but its content is inaccessible. The critic’s verdict and any specific praise or complaint cannot be verified. [Read the review](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/american-symphony-movie-review-2023) ## The New York Times Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). The page is inaccessible, so the critic’s verdict cannot be established. No specific praise or complaint is available from the supplied text. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/2023/11/30/movies/american-symphony-review-batiste.html) ## IndieWire — Vikram Murthi Rating C+. 4 September 2023. Festival review. Murthi finds the documentary emotionally affecting but unfocused and frustratingly anonymous. He praises the candid airport shoe-shine moment as a rare glimpse of Batiste offstage. [Read the review](https://www.indiewire.com/criticism/movies/american-symphony-review-jon-batiste-music-doc-1234902233/) ## The Guardian — Radheyan Simonpillai Rating 3/5. 22 November 2023. The critic finds the documentary moving but scattershot, arguing it keeps viewers at a distance and rarely digs deep. They praise a tender piano-and-trombone scene where Batiste’s musical ideas come to life. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2023/nov/22/american-symphony-review-jon-batiste-documentary-netflix) ## The Wrap — Steve Pond Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 1 September 2023. Festival review. The review finds the documentary a convincing portrait of artistic creation amid personal hardship. It praises its intimate vérité footage and the way the Carnegie Hall performance brings Batiste and Jaouad’s journey together. [Read the review](https://www.thewrap.com/american-symphony-review-jon-batiste-matthew-heineman/) ## Paste — Jacob Oller Rating 6.8/10. 29 November 2023. Oller finds the documentary intimate but simplistic and ultimately flat. He praises its close, warm observation of Batiste and Jaouad together, while faulting its shallow treatment of Batiste’s creative process. [Read the review](https://www.pastemagazine.com/movies/jon-batiste/american-symphony-review) ## Eye for Film — Jennie Kermode Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). 18 February 2024. Kermode finds the documentary affecting but notes that it leaves its subjects’ illness and creative process insufficiently explained. She praises its close, grounded moments of humour and joy amid the couple’s difficult circumstances. [Read the review](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/american-symphony-2023-film-review-by-jennie-kermode) ## The Playlist Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). 10 November 2023. The page is blocked, so the critic’s verdict cannot be verified. No specific praise or complaint is available in the provided text. [Read the review](https://theplaylist.net/american-symphony-documentarian-matthew-heineman-tackles-the-glories-struggles-of-grammy-winner-jon-batiste-20231110/) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/american-symphony.md