Bill Cunningham New York
Director: Richard Press
Year Released: 2010
Rating: 3.0
Charming, respectful portrait of the private, unpretentious Bill Cunningham, fashion photographer for the New York Times who, despite being in his 80's, still rides around town on his bicycle and goes from photo shoot to photo shoot (stopping at diners for coffee and a quick bite). Director Press is more or less inferring that Cunningham is, in his own way, a true artist: he lives the life of ascetic, he sleeps in a room full of cabinets full of his negatives, he (like Harry Smith) refused to cash checks to make him reasonably wealthy (even I would have taken Conde Nast's money) and he has never compromised. Gets a little cringe-worthy when Press asks him (and, in a way, he has to ask) about his sexuality and his Catholic faith - when Cunningham dips his head down to keep from crying, it's an unnerving moment, but Cunningham gives just enough information to draw your own conclusions. As Press himself stated, fashion is Bill's religion....
