The Unknown Known 2013

Mary Corliss, TIME Magazine: But Morris's movie is a cat-and-mouse game, and Rumsfeld is the cat, virtually licking his chops as he toys with, and then devours, another rival. Read more

Wesley Morris, Grantland: What emerges is a fascinating portrait of a bygone approach to power, marked by a seemingly contradictory mix of transparency and obfuscation. Rumsfeld embodies that discrepancy. Read more

Kyle Smith, New York Post: Morris is heard badgering Rumsfeld on camera about torture, WMD intelligence and the handling of the war. His subject, though, earns at least a draw. Read more

Joe Morgenstern, Wall Street Journal: What's so striking is the abstract nature of his discourse; what's so chilling is his dispassion. Read more

Tom Keogh, Seattle Times: A portrait of a wartime leader determined to avoid, at any cost, an honest perspective. Read more

Scott Foundas, Variety: Ranging over familiar material, but made vivid by Morris' fecund associations and invigorating stylistic flourishes. Read more

Mike D'Angelo, AV Club: The film is illuminating only in its utter lack of illumination-for looking deep into the eyes of someone incapable of letting his guard down and finding, predictably, nothing whatsoever. Read more

Mark Feeney, Boston Globe: The only self-examination he ever subjects himself to would appear to involve a shaving mirror and lather. Read more

Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune: By now the director's technique is so savvy, so confident in its visual layering and atmospheric assurance, even a dodgy, cagey camera subject such as Rumsfeld becomes movieworthy. Read more

Peter Rainer, Christian Science Monitor: Rumsfeld is eerily unflappable. Morris is too polite, or too something, to push back on Rumsfeld. Read more

Owen Gleiberman, Entertainment Weekly: The film's message seems to be that in corrupt governments, words are used not to communicate but as a kind of fascist confetti. Read more

Jake Cole, Film.com: The Fog of War is the superior film, but this is more unsettling. Read more

Ben Kenigsberg, AV Club: Rumsfeld takes this to another level, giving contradictory answers at different points throughout the interview. Read more

Todd McCarthy, Hollywood Reporter: Morris tediously recycles points he already made in his 2008 look at the Abu Ghraib prison scandal in Standard Operating Procedure. Read more

Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times: Much against Rumsfeld's will, what the film inevitably reveals, in Morris' words, is "a man using language to obscure the world from himself as well as from others." Read more

John Anderson, Newsday: Morris doesn't "break" Rumsfeld, as some think he did McNamara. He has held a mirror up to the man, and found no reflection. The viewer simply has to realize that what's important is what's not there. Read more

Richard Brody, New Yorker: Morris proceeds with bonhomie and patience in this documentary interrogation of Donald Rumsfeld; the result is a masterwork of political epistemology and dialectical jujitsu. Read more

Stephen Whitty, Newark Star-Ledger: If this was meant to be a portrait, it's one completely framed by its subject. Read more

Joe Neumaier, New York Daily News: The matchup, culled from 30 hours of interviews, is intoxicating, and at times maddening, to watch. Read more

A.O. Scott, New York Times: Yes, it is a probing and unsettling inquiry into the recent political and military history of the United States, but it is also a bracing and invigorating philosophical skirmish. Read more

Michael Sragow, Orange County Register: Fascinating and horrifying. Read more

Tirdad Derakhshani, Philadelphia Inquirer: We get little in response from Rumsfeld but a demonstration of his cunning at parrying, dodging, and twisting queries. Read more

Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle: In short bursts, Rumsfeld is an engaging, witty personality. For the first half hour, no matter what your politics are, you will find yourself liking him. He's good company ... until he's not. Read more

Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star Tribune: Morris is admirably evenhanded, never demonizing his subject, but giving him enough rope to hang himself. Rumsfeld, cool and bemused, refuses to knot the noose. Read more

Bill Stamets, Chicago Sun-Times: [A] scary inquiry. Read more

Jon Frosch, The Atlantic: Though it doesn't go very far or deep, Morris has crafted "The Unknown Known" expertly. Read more

Adam Nayman, Globe and Mail: In the end, The Unknown Known is inconclusive - albeit provocatively so. Read more

Peter Howell, Toronto Star: Despite the best efforts of Morris, the man comes across as not only shallow, but as a completely empty vessel. It makes for repetitive and depressing viewing. Read more

Joshua Rothkopf, Time Out: Regretfully, never once does Morris pin down Rumsfeld on the willful obfuscations he offered in office (and continues to offer now) ... Read more

Jonathan Kiefer, Village Voice: Credit is due to any attempt at teasing a film out of Rumsfeld's most notorious sound bite. Read more

David Edelstein, New York Magazine/Vulture: The Unknown Known is a worthy addition to Morris's body of work, an epic search that demonstrates the limits of language, the ease of sidestepping truth. Read more

Ann Hornaday, Washington Post: We might have journeyed inside Rumsfeld's mindset for a while, but are we richer for the excursion? Read more