Review of Bill Cunningham New York (2011) by Zachary A — 30 Apr 2011

One of a kind documentary about Bill Cunningham, a fashion photographer for The New York Times. More of a cultural anthropologist, he documents style as it happens out on the streets of New York City. His impromptu pictures have become a regular series of the newspaper for over 30 years.

Half of the time we are treated to his fascinating snapshots that capture the true expression of a metropolis better than any runway show every could. The photos are of real people, stylish and flamboyant, captured for all the world to see.

They are a celebration of the urban inhabitants, as well as the city itself. The other half of the time, we are presented with the portrait of a man, unassuming and utterly without pretension. He is distrustful of money, shunning monetary reward to a fault, riding from place to place on a Schwinn bicycle.

He lives in a cramped studio apartment in Carnegie hall, packed to the ceiling with file cabinets of his negatives. A man who finds utter joy in his work capturing fashion and strangely little else it seems.

His passion is remarkable. So exhaustive is his document that director Richard Press subtly suggests Cunningham's equal importance among more celebrated luminaries like Richard Avedon and Helmut Newton in the field of fashion photography.

To enjoy this film, you needn't be fond of New York, nor do you have to appreciate photography. You don't even need to have an interest in fashion. You simply must have a love for humanity. In other words, you should be human.