Enjoyable series of vignettes on the life of the famed Canadian pianist (and writer, and composer, and radio performer, and market trader, and… and and and). A compelling performance as Gould from lead Colm Feore, interspersed with more abstract pieces and interviews with figures from Gould’s life. Worth a watch for the music alone but also lovely in all aspects of its execution.

Enjoyable series of vignettes on the life of the famed Canadian pianist (and writer, and composer, and radio performer, and market trader, and… and and and). A compelling performance as Gould from lead Colm Feore, interspersed with more abstract pieces and interviews with figures from Gould’s life. Worth a watch for the music alone but also lovely in all aspects of its execution.

There aren't enough words in the English language to explain how much I loved this film. I didn't dislike a single thing.
With 31 separate segments, most of them in a completely different style than the last, it's usually easy for me to become distracted or stuck on the previous one but I was completely engaged and invested in every one of them.
My favorite segments were the personal interviews with people who knew Glenn Gould; they were laced with a tender nostalgia and care for the memory of the man they knew. A close second were the dramatic recreations of his life.
The sound design alone had my attention (mostly diegetic with cuts of piano instrumentals) and combined with breathtaking visuals, passionate storytelling, and a masterful performance by Colm Feore, I haven't experienced a film that invoked this much inspiration in me in a long time.

There aren't enough words in the English language to explain how much I loved this film. I didn't dislike a single thing.
With 31 separate segments, most of them in a completely different style than the last, it's usually easy for me to become distracted or stuck on the previous one but I was completely engaged and invested in every one of them.
My favorite segments were the personal interviews with people who knew Glenn Gould; they were laced with a tender nostalgia and care for the memory of the man they knew. A close second were the dramatic recreations of his life.
The sound design alone had my attention (mostly diegetic with cuts of piano instrumentals) and combined with breathtaking visuals, passionate storytelling, and a masterful performance by Colm Feore, I haven't experienced a film that invoked this much inspiration in me in a long time.

I’m glad I watched this, though I have to admit I admired how it was put together more than I actively enjoyed it. The fragmented structure, moving through 32 vignettes, feels like the perfect way to explore a mind as unusual and restless as Gould’s. It’s less a straightforward biopic and more an impressionistic portrait—something that rewards your attention if you lean into its rhythm.

Full disclosure: I did nod off the first time I put it on (in fairness, I was exhausted and my bed is dangerously comfortable). No shade to the movie—it’s just not the kind of film that pulls you along with big dramatic beats. Instead, it’s a fascinating, often beautiful piece of work that lingers more in the head than the heart.

I’m glad I watched this, though I have to admit I admired how it was put together more than I actively enjoyed it. The fragmented structure, moving through 32 vignettes, feels like the perfect way to explore a mind as unusual and restless as Gould’s. It’s less a straightforward biopic and more an impressionistic portrait—something that rewards your attention if you lean into its rhythm.

Full disclosure: I did nod off the first time I put it on (in fairness, I was exhausted and my bed is dangerously comfortable). No shade to the movie—it’s just not the kind of film that pulls you along with big dramatic beats. Instead, it’s a fascinating, often beautiful piece of work that lingers more in the head than the heart.

Pretty awesome that he was Canadian

Pretty awesome that he was Canadian

Criterion Collection Challenge #1267

This was really interesting and stylistic like a lot of the criterion documentaries, but this time for a different way. It isn't styled in the way most are, the film bounces between a cinematic story of Glenn Gould's life, and a typical documentary style film, which I think really worked for me. I think what carried this musician's documentary slightly above the other criterion musician documentary I watched this week was the ability to book end the story in such a fabulous way, with the shot on the snow with the sunrise, so cinematic and powerful to the story.

78.8/100

My Lists that include Thirty Twi Short Films About Glenn Gould:The Criterion Collection ChallengeEvery Film I watched in June 2025 Ranked

Criterion Collection Challenge #1267

This was really interesting and stylistic like a lot of the criterion documentaries, but this time for a different way. It isn't styled in the way most are, the film bounces between a cinematic story of Glenn Gould's life, and a typical documentary style film, which I think really worked for me. I think what carried this musician's documentary slightly above the other criterion musician documentary I watched this week was the ability to book end the story in such a fabulous way, with the shot on the snow with the sunrise, so cinematic and powerful to the story.

78.8/100

My Lists that include Thirty Twi Short Films About Glenn Gould:The Criterion Collection ChallengeEvery Film I watched in June 2025 Ranked