---
title: "Thirty Two Short Films About Glenn Gould: the reviews"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/thirty-two-short-films-about-glenn-gould/reviews"
title_page: "https://film.one/film/thirty-two-short-films-about-glenn-gould"
critics_score: 86
critics_reviews: 8
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."
---

# Thirty Two Short Films About Glenn Gould (1993): what the critics said

Critics' score 86 from 8 reviews: 7 positive, 1 mixed, 0 negative.

Most critics warmly endorse Thirty Two Short Films About Glenn Gould, with praise clustering around its departure from conventional biography. The 32-vignette structure is widely seen as a way to explore Gould without pretending to explain him completely. The reviews value the combination of dramatic reconstruction, archival material and interviews, while several single out the sound and musical sequences for conveying his intense relationship with music. Colm Feore’s performance also draws particular praise.

There is little substantive disagreement in the available commentary: critics differ chiefly in which aspect of the filmmaking they emphasise. Some favour the playful episodic structure; others concentrate on the musical performances or visual invention. The recorded scores include one more moderate assessment from The New York Times, but its review text is inaccessible, so no specific reservation can reliably be attributed to it.

## Radio Times — David Parkinson

Rating ★★★★★. 

Parkinson calls it an exceptional biopic, praising its refusal to explain Gould and its portrait built from 32 vignettes. He also singles out Colm Feore’s remarkable performance and Girard’s masterful use of sound.

[Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-6h96ru/thirty-two-short-films-about-glenn-gould/)

## Los Angeles Times — Kenneth Turan

Fi1m's normalised score 95/100 (inferred from the text). 14 April 1994. 

Turan finds the film an audacious, confident portrait that captures Gould’s singular spirit. He especially praises how it conveys Gould’s passionate relationship with music through inventive visual sequences.

[Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1994-04-14-ca-45634-story.html)

## Slant Magazine — Derek Smith

Rating 4.5/5. 26 June 2025. 

Smith praises Girard’s film as a formally inventive, unified alternative to conventional biopics. He singles out its layered sound and musical presentation, further enhanced by the Criterion release’s detailed 4K image and strong extras.

[Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/dvd/thirty-two-short-films-about-glenn-gould-4k-uhd-blu-ray-review-francois-girard/)

## Time Out — TCh

Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 

The critic considers the film an exceptional work that reinvents cinema’s customary form. They praise its capacity to reveal new possibilities for the medium.

[Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/thirty-two-short-films-about-glenn-gould)

## The New Yorker — Richard Brody

Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 13 June 2012. 

Brody is strongly appreciative of Girard’s film, finding its approach to Gould’s life and work compelling. He singles out the film’s varied musical performances as a vivid expression of Gould’s creative genius.

[Read the review](https://www.newyorker.com/culture/richard-brody/dvd-of-the-week-thirty-two-short-films-about-glenn-gould)

## Variety — Leonard Klady

Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 17 September 1993. Festival review. 

Klady finds the film a uniquely entertaining and reverential portrait of Glenn Gould. He praises its seamless blend of dramatic reconstruction, archival material and interviews.

[Read the review](https://variety.com/1993/film/reviews/thirty-two-short-films-about-glenn-gould-1200433316/)

## Empire — Angie Errigo

Fi1m's normalised score 82/100 (inferred from the text). 1 January 2000. 

Errigo finds the film a joyful, original and absorbing portrait of Glenn Gould. She particularly praises its playful episodic structure and Colin Feore’s performance.

[Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/thirty-two-short-films-glenn-gould-review/)

## The New York Times

Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). 14 April 1994. 

The page is blocked, so the critic’s verdict cannot be determined. No specific praise or complaint is visible.

[Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/1994/04/14/movies/review-film-thirty-two-short-films-about-glenn-gould-musical-eccentric-s-quirks.html)

---
© 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/thirty-two-short-films-about-glenn-gould.md