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I Am Martin Parr review and star rating: ★★★★
Martin Parr is famous for his satirical, affectionate and often provocative photographic style, which holds up a mirror to British society. In this short but fun documentary, the photographer is explored as he captures everyday images of British people.
His most famous pieces are vivid and colourful portraits of packed seaside towns, people eating chips beside overflowing bins, and a scene capturing many tourists adopting a comedic pose in front of The Leaning Tower of Pisa.
David Walliams and Grayson Perry provide commentary, trying to define what it is that makes Parr’s work so enduring, especially because he’s always been so controversial: some of those photographed by Parr have felt slighted, and interpretations vary between his images being a loving pastiche and icy rebuke.
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The film also looks at Parr’s journey as a whole from the 1970s onwards, from relative anonymity to worldwide acclaim. What’s fascinating is that Parr seems unaffected by his status, like his snaps are in a family scrap book rather than public gallery.
Brief enough to pique your interest even if you have never heard of him, I Am Martin Parr is an engaging portrait of an artist who sidesteps every expectation. At 72 years old, it’s a timely celebration of a life spent observing the way we live.
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