--- title: "Of Time and the City: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/of-time-and-the-city/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/of-time-and-the-city" critics_score: 81 critics_reviews: 12 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." --- # Of Time and the City (2008): what the critics said Critics' score 81 from 12 reviews: 10 positive, 1 mixed, 1 negative. The reviews lean strongly in the film’s favour. Most critics describe Davies’s return as a poetic, deeply personal essay on Liverpool, and the praise clusters in the same place: the archive footage, chosen with evident care, and the way it is set against music and Davies’s own narration. Several reviews call the juxtapositions rapturous or intoxicating, and most find the voice-over witty as well as mournful. Even the dissenters concede the film is beautifully assembled. Where they part is on Davies himself. His anger at what became of the city strikes some as a strength and others as grating; the Los Angeles Times finds it occasionally overwrought, and Eye for Film, the one outright negative review, dislikes the sour, cynical tone enough to turn against the film. Variety finds it charming but not especially profound about Liverpool itself, and The AV Club thinks the sterile digital photography breaks the spell. The spread is narrow, with one clear outlier. ## Time Out — Dave Calhoun Rating 5/5. 19 May 2008. The review calls the film an enthralling, poetic docu-essay, while noting its caustic streak. It singles out the distinctive mix of music and literary voices. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/of-time-and-the-city) ## Empire — Ian Freer Fi1m's normalised score 95/100 (inferred from the text). 24 September 2008. The critic calls it a poignant, beautiful and entrancing film, praising Davies’ personal yet universal portrait of Liverpool. The review singles out the carefully chosen archive footage, varied soundtrack and narration. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/time-city-review/) ## The Guardian — Peter Bradshaw Fi1m's normalised score 95/100 (inferred from the text). 31 October 2008. Bradshaw calls the film sublime and a welcome comeback for Davies. He especially praises the rapturous, often brilliantly wrong juxtapositions of archival images, music and narration. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2008/oct/31/of-time-and-the-city) ## The New York Times — A.O. Scott Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 21 January 2009. The critic gives the film a strongly positive verdict. The film’s lyrical, personal treatment of Liverpool’s past is singled out for praise. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/21/movies/21time.html) ## IndieWire — James Crawford Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 10 June 2008. Festival review. Crawford finds the film intoxicating and deeply personal, praising Davies’s poetic, seductive voice and intelligence. He notes that the Korean War montage’s sentimental song choice is a rare misstep. [Read the review](https://www.indiewire.com/news/general/sydney-dispatch-3-of-time-and-the-city-226384/) ## Los Angeles Times — Kenneth Turan Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 30 January 2009. Turan finds the film a distinct pleasure, despite moments when Davies’s anger feels grating and overwrought. He especially praises Davies’s eye for evocative archival footage and his skillful pairing of images with music. [Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/la-et-time30-2009jan30-story.html) ## The AV Club — Scott Tobias Rating B+. 22 January 2009. Tobias describes the film as a caustic, witty, regretful elegy that offers a distinctive portrait of Liverpool. He praises Davies’ personal perspective and narration, while noting that the sterile digital photography breaks the spell. [Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/of-time-and-the-city-1798205536) ## Sight and Sound Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). The critic offers an affectionate, amused and sometimes angry portrait of Davies’s Liverpool. They praise the deft use of archival footage, witty commentary, literary quotations and apt music. [Read the review](https://www.bfi.org.uk/film/f99dd942-eee8-5228-8864-047f737f5cb5/of-time-and-the-city) ## Slant Magazine — Fernando F. Croce Rating 3/4. 21 January 2009. Croce finds the film emotionally powerful, though its mix of rue, anger, and elation only occasionally becomes rhapsodic. He praises its layered archival images and melodic passages, which make the vanished world of Davies’s childhood feel vividly present. [Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/of-time-and-the-city/) ## The New Yorker Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). The critic finds the documentary a poignant celebration and mourning of Liverpool. They praise how Davies’s voice-over and musical selections animate archival footage through inventive montage. [Read the review](https://www.newyorker.com/goings-on-about-town/movies/of-time-and-the-city-2) ## Variety — Leslie Felperin Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). 20 May 2008. Festival review. Felperin finds the film moving, droll and charming, though not especially profound and sometimes short on insight about Liverpool itself. She praises its polished editing, musical choices, Davies’s narration and especially its archival research. [Read the review](https://variety.com/2008/film/markets-festivals/of-time-and-the-city-1200522260/) ## Eye for Film — Val Kermode Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 19 October 2008. Kermode finds the film beautifully made and haunting, but ultimately dislikes its sour, cynical tone. She especially praises the archive footage and moments when music and images combine without Davies’s narration. [Read the review](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/of-time-and-the-city-film-review-by-val-kermode) --- © 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/of-time-and-the-city.md