Reviews
The Financial Times
Martin Hoyle
“A patently devoted labour of love – are wildlife filmmakers capable of anything else? – it shows a painterly eye in frame after exquisitely judged frame, not afraid of economy and balance – one shot of a speck moving towards others, distantly clustered, on a blank blue background, evokes the spare mastery of a Chinese watercolour. British directors Matthew Aeberhard and Leander Ward are turning wildlife movies into a new art form.”
23/09/2009
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The Scotsman
Mike McCahill
“The narration – read by Mariella Frostrup – is informative, but the film has been constructed in a more poetic, mythical way by Aeberhard, Ward and writer Melanie Finn to ensure that the story of these odd-looking birds is told mainly through the magnificent images and sounds captured.”
25/09/2009
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Time Out
Derek Adams
“...in the pantheon of wildlife docs, this one’s a corker: the cinematography is exquisite; it’s admirably devoid of any overt anthropomorphism; the narration, while a little too mythical in context, is informative; the music is perfect; and, for a Disney-branded film, it’s surprisingly willing to face up to the more grisly side of life in the wild.”
24/09/2009
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Variety
Jordan Mintzer
“"Flamingos" is less an educational documentary than a kind of all-natural bird spectacular, with more emphasis placed on sleek photography than raw facts. Indeed, the narration -- in the French version spoken by actress Zabou Breitman -- is mostly elusive or suggestive (example: "Each bird has its own story, its own mystery ... "), with only minimal scientific info provided.”
25/01/2009
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The Sunday Times
Edward Porter
“The scenes of adult flamingos standing against the backdrop of the lake’s flat, pale-blue surface might have been designed by Pixar. It’s a pity that the commentary is such a terrible shade of purple.”
27/09/2009
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The Times
Kevin Maher
“However, the film, a year in the life of flamingos, soon finds its feet, and settles into a pattern of eye-gouging imagery and slightly bonkers New Age narration. “The story of the bird is a promise to us, nature’s affirmation,” says Frostrup, with a post-coital sigh.”
25/09/2009
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The Independent on Sunday
Nicholas Barber
“The footage is glorious, but the pseudo-Biblical script, read by Mariella Frostrup, makes you pine for David Attenborough.”
27/09/2009
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The Daily Mail
Chris Tookey
“This beautifully shot nature documentary, directed by Matthew Aeberhard and Leander Ward, is spectacular.”
25/09/2009
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The Mirror
Mark Adams
“Attenborough fans will enjoy”
20/09/2009
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The Observer
Philip French
“This very beautiful British documentary, made with backing from the Disney organisation, follows the millions of flamingos that fly up and down the Rift Valley, breeding under bizarre circumstances on Lake Natron in northern Tanzania.”
27/09/2009
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