Critic Reviews

• Sam Adams, Los Angeles Times

  MacDonald seems less interested in the Silver Belles' past than their inspirational present. Eventually, the inevitable broken hips and dizzy spells take their toll, but those who remain seem determined to shuffle-step their way into the sunset.

• Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune

  It's a modest but highly enjoyable tribute.

• Tom Keogh, Seattle Times

  Reminds us that every life contains many acts worth hearing about, not just a select few.

• Janice Page, Boston Globe

  If you only watched the first half of Been Rich All My Life, you might walk away thinking it's a so-so documentary about another fascinating, underreported piece of Harlem history. And you'd be at least half right in that assessment.

• Peter Rainer, Christian Science Monitor

  The film could be more adept and probing, but the ladies -- Cleo Hayes, Marion Coles, Elaine Ellis, Fay Ray, and Geri Kennedy -- are delightful.

• Frank Scheck, Hollywood Reporter

  A richly uplifting if somewhat rambling portrait of indomitableness in the face of old age and infirmity, Been Rich All My Life will be inspirational to young and old alike.

• Amber Wilkinson, Eye for Film

  The rhythm of life is a powerful beat - and this affectionate and revealing documentary is sure to get even the most world-weary feet tapping.

• Maria Garcia, Film Journal International

  It's a credit to MacDonald that she provides a little-known view of Harlem's halcyon days, but what's missing is the pith and marrow: We feel that the women still elude us.

• Kam Williams, Upstage Magazine

  An enchanting, if bittersweet, memoir which seamlessly interweaves wistful, tenderhearted reflections with archival film footage and the readily-observable harsh realities associated with advanced age to yield a splendid slice of African-American history.

• Jules Brenner, Cinema Signals

  At a time in their lives when their contemporaries are bouncing great-grandchildren on their knees, these Harlem divas of dance are bouncing their booties around.

• Ernest Hardy, L.A. Weekly

  [MacDonald's] subjects -- former black chorus girls from Harlem's golden age, when the Cotton Club and the Apollo Theater ruled New York nightlife -- are utterly captivating.

• Chris Hewitt (St. Paul), St. Paul Pioneer Press

  Because Been Rich follows a well-hoofed path, there aren't a lot of surprises, but the women make for good company.

• Bill White, Seattle Post-Intelligencer

  This is a film about brave women who left home as teenagers and have been on their own ever since. Now, nearing the end of that road, they face their inevitable decline with a cheerful vivacity.

• Ross Anthony, Hollywood Report Card

  This is a sweet documentary about a small group of women who've danced their way through life.

• Eric Lurio, Greenwich Village Gazette

  While it's enjoyable on it's own terms, there's really no reason to go all the way to the film forum and plunk down twelve bucks to see this thing, when you could probably see it on public TV in a year or two.

Read all 15 critic reviews