Eames: The Architect And The Painter (2011)

87% of critics liked it
(15 reviews)
82% of users liked it
(322 ratings)

The husband-and-wife team of Charles and Ray Eames are widely regarded as America's most important designers. Perhaps best remembered for their mid-century plywood and fiberglass furniture, the Eames Office also created a mind-bending variety of other products, from splints for wounded military… More The husband-and-wife team of Charles and Ray Eames are widely regarded as America's most important designers. Perhaps best remembered for their mid-century plywood and fiberglass furniture, the Eames Office also created a mind-bending variety of other products, from splints for wounded military during World War II, to photography, interiors, multi-media exhibits, graphics, games, films and toys. But their personal lives and influence on significant events in American life - from the development of modernism, to the rise of the computer age - has been less widely understood. Narrated by James Franco, Eames: The Architect and the Painter is the first film dedicated to these creative geniuses and their work. -- (C) First Run Features

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Rating, Runtime: Unrated, 1 hr. 24 min.
Directed By: Jason Cohn, Bill Jersey
Written By: Jason Cohn
Genres: Documentary, Special Interest

In Theaters: Nov 18, 2011 Limited
On DVD: Dec 13, 2011
Studio: First Run Features

Critic Reviews

Andrea Gronvall, Chicago Reader
Filmmakers Jason Cohn and Bill Jersey deliver a nostalgic zing reminiscent of the TV drama Mad Men but tread lightly around Charles's mood swings and extramarital affairs.
Mark Feeney, Boston Globe
A basically adulatory and very lively look at the documentary's subjects.
David Lewis, San Francisco Chronicle
As fascinating - and at times oblique - as the famous couple themselves.
Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times
There couldn't be a better time to examine the complex and absorbing history of this designing couple, and "Eames: The Architect and the Painter" couldn't be a better vehicle for that examination.
A.O. Scott, New York Times
The most gratifying thing about "Eames" is that it shows, in marvelous detail, how their work was an extension of themselves and how their distinct personalities melded into a unique and protean force.
Melissa Anderson, Village Voice
"I think their marriage was a mystery to everyone," an Eames worker notes-an observation true of every couple that you'll wish the filmmakers had explored more deeply.
Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat, Spirituality and Practice
An enlightening documentary about a multi-talented married couple who have been called the most important American designers in the 20th century.
Doris Toumarkine, Film Journal International
Fascinating documentary about the iconic American design team and their studio that defined an enduring modernist look.
Tom Keogh, Seattle Times
Much like the creations of its subjects, "Eames" is itself a dazzling, sensory adventure.
Kam Williams, AALBC.com
A fascinating biopic as offbeat, engaging and readily-accessible as its endlessly-inventive subjects.
Eric Hynes, Time Out New York
It's the archival footage that wows here, showing that before the brand took on yuppie cachet, the Eames team made exquisite objects for the masses.
Joseph Jon Lanthier, Slant Magazine
The lack of intimate residue left behind creates cinematic problems that are exacerbated by the movie's general incompetence.