Be Natural: The Untold Story of Alice Guy-Blaché

Narrated by Jodie Foster, Be Natural: The Untold Story of Alice Guy-Blaché is a two-hour feature documentary investigating the full scope of the life and work of cinema's first female director, screenwriter, producer, and studio owner Alice Guy-Blaché.{{cite web|url=https://www.kino-zeit.de/film-kritiken-trailer/be-natural-the-untold-story-of-alice-guy-blache|title=Be Natural: The Untold Story of Alice Guy-Blaché - Film, Trailer, Kritik|website=www.kino-zeit.de|accessdate=5 October 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180710194416/https://www.kino-zeit.de/film-kritiken-trailer/be-natural-the-untold-story-of-alice-guy-blache|archive-date=2018-07-10|url-status=live}}

The project was launched with a successful Kickstarter campaign, which prompted other crowdfunding opportunities.{{cite web|url=https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/benatural/be-natural-the-untold-story-of-alice-guy-blache|title=Be Natural: The untold story of Alice Guy-Blaché.|website=Kickstarter|access-date=2018-07-10|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180801064102/https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/benatural/be-natural-the-untold-story-of-alice-guy-blache|archive-date=2018-08-01|url-status=live}}

Reviews for the version of the film screened at Cannes were generally positive, with Deadline{{'}}s Pete Hammond claiming it to be perhaps "The Best (And Least-Seen) Film in Cannes."{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2018/05/be-natural-documentary-first-female-director-best-cannes-1202389720/|title=Why 'Be Natural', The Documentary About The First Female Director, May Be The Best (And Least-Seen) Film In Cannes|first=Pete|last=Hammond|date=May 14, 2018|access-date=2018-07-10|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180615054732/https://deadline.com/2018/05/be-natural-documentary-first-female-director-best-cannes-1202389720/|archive-date=2018-06-15|url-status=live}} Overall, critics positively reviewed the film. On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds {{a or an|{{RT data|score}}}} approval rating based on {{RT data|count}} reviews. The site's critical consensus reads, "Be Natural: The Untold Story of Alice Guy-Blaché aims an overdue spotlight on a cinematic innovator's career, with the added benefit of absorbing historical context."{{Cite web|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/be_natural_the_untold_story_of_alice_guy_blache|title=Be Natural: The Untold Story of Alice Guy-Blaché|website=Rotten Tomatoes|publisher=Fandango|access-date={{RT data|access date}}}} Reviewing for The Hollywood Reporter, Leslie Felperin considered that Be Natural "represents a timely contribution to the international conversation about the challenges facing women filmmakers while also boosting the reputation of someone who really should be better known by now as a role model. As a teaching and consciousness-raising tool, it will be an indispensable resource."{{cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/review/be-natural-untold-story-alice-guy-blache-review-1111465|title='Be Natural: The Untold Story of Alice Guy-Blache': Film Review - Cannes 2018|website=hollywoodreporter.com|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180817034428/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/review/be-natural-untold-story-alice-guy-blache-review-1111465|archive-date=2018-08-17|url-status=live|accessdate=5 October 2018}} A. O. Scott for The New York Times wrote, "Be Natural is inspiring because it is also appalling."{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/25/movies/be-natural-untold-story-alice-guy-blache-review.html|title='Be Natural' Review: Rescuing Alice Guy Blaché, a Film Pioneer, From Oblivion|last=Scott|first=A. O.|date=April 25, 2019|work=The New York Times|access-date=2019-07-24|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331}}

In a less positive review, Jay Weissberg wrote in Variety: "there's that title, The Untold Story, which ignores a number of earlier documentaries not to mention the significant amount of scholarship on pioneering filmmaker Alice Guy-Blaché. ... These are what can be called inconvenient truths, for Pamela B. Green, director of Be Natural, is on a mission to discover why—supposedly—no one has ever heard of Alice Guy-Blaché."{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2018/film/festivals/be-natural-the-untold-story-of-alice-guy-blache-review-2-1202826198/|title=Film Review: 'Be Natural: The Untold Story of Alice Guy-Blaché'|first=Jay|last=Weissberg|date=31 May 2018|website=variety.com|accessdate=5 October 2018}}

Be Natural premiered in the UK on January 17, 2020. Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian gave the film a 4 out of 5 star rating, calling it a "fascinating documentary."{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2020/jan/15/be-natural-the-untold-story-of-alice-guy-blache-review-first-female-film-director|title=Be Natural: The Untold Story of Alice Guy-Blaché review – paean to a movie pioneer|last=Bradshaw|first=Peter|date=2020-01-15|work=The Guardian|access-date=2020-01-21|language=en-GB|issn=0261-3077}} He also picked Be Natural as one of his 10 best documentaries of 2020.{{Cite web|date=2020-12-17|title=The 2020 Braddies go to … Peter Bradshaw's film picks of the year|url=http://www.theguardian.com/film/2020/dec/17/the-2020-braddies-peter-bradshaw-films-picks-of-the-year|access-date=2020-12-21|website=the Guardian|language=en}} Gaby Wood of The Telegraph gave a positive review, calling it "gripping and poetic."{{Cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/films/0/forgot-alice-guy-blache-cinemas-first-female-director/|title=How we forgot Alice Guy-Blaché, cinema’s first female director|last=Wood|first=Gaby|date=2020-01-17|work=The Telegraph|access-date=2020-01-21|language=en-GB|issn=0307-1235}} Danny Leigh of The Financial Times also gave the film 4 out of 5 stars, stating: "With timing both flawless and bleak, few films arrive feeling so vital as Be Natural: The Untold Story of Alice Guy-Blaché."{{Cite web|last=Leigh|first=Danny|date=January 15, 2020|title=Be Natural: The Untold Story of Alice Guy-Blaché - a woman who reshaped cinema|url=https://www.ft.com/content/15a082ec-37ad-11ea-a6d3-9a26f8c3cba4|url-access=subscription|url-status=live|website=Financial Times|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200116150747/https://www.ft.com/content/15a082ec-37ad-11ea-a6d3-9a26f8c3cba4 |archive-date=2020-01-16 }} In December, the film was named one of the 50 Best Films of 2020 in the UK by The Guardian.{{Cite web|date=2020-12-07|title=The 50 best films of 2020 in the UK: 50-10|url=http://www.theguardian.com/film/2020/dec/01/the-50-best-films-of-2020|access-date=2020-12-07|website=the Guardian|language=en}} The Guardian chief film critic Peter Bradshaw picked the film as one of his 10 favorite documentaries of 2020.{{Cite web|date=2020-12-17|title=The 2020 Braddies go to … Peter Bradshaw's film picks of the year|url=http://www.theguardian.com/film/2020/dec/17/the-2020-braddies-peter-bradshaw-films-picks-of-the-year|access-date=2020-12-22|website=the Guardian|language=en}}

Be Natural premiered in France on June 22, 2020. Véronique Cauhapé of Le Monde gave the film 4 out of 5 stars.{{Cite news|date=2020-06-22|title=" Be Natural, l’histoire cachée d’Alice Guy-Blaché " : hommage à une pionnière oubliée du cinéma|language=fr|work=Le Monde.fr|url=https://www.lemonde.fr/culture/article/2020/06/22/be-natural-l-histoire-cachee-d-alice-guy-blache-hommage-a-une-pionniere-oubliee-du-cinema_6043690_3246.html|access-date=2020-06-22}}

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• {{TCMDb title|id=2197304}}

{{Alice Guy-Blaché}}

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Category:2018 films

Category:American documentary films

Category:2010s English-language films

Category:2010s American films

Category:English-language documentary films