After seeing the film premiere at SXSW, I asked a Divine-devotee friend of mine why she loves Divine so much. She simply said, "Because Divine's the original." If it wasn't already obvious, Schwartz's I Am Divine cements it.

| Jan 15, 2021

While it serves as a wonderful preface to Divine's notable body of work, it's equally enjoyable to revisit the infamous, intriguing, and incomparable career of a star whose life ended much too soon.

| Aug 29, 2019

I Am Divine is a thoroughly optimistic and exuberant celebration of life that quashes any myths about transvestism and reveals a side to the icon, that had been previously unseen.

| Original Score: 5/5 | Apr 2, 2019

This is the film that Divine deserves.

| Nov 6, 2017

A fascinating larger-than-life portrait of its larger-than-life subject, I Am Divine is a beguiling blend of poignancy, humor and glorious excess.

| Original Score: 8/10 | Aug 9, 2014

It's surprisingly moving stuff - dressed up with just enough archival outrage to remind you how scandalous Divine once seemed.

| Original Score: 3/5 | Jul 20, 2014

The interviewees and even his mother, with whom he was reconciled late in his life, all portray him as a generous and very sweet-natured man.

| Original Score: 3/5 | Jul 18, 2014

This is, for the most part, a celebration of Divine's life unencumbered by guilt or oppression.

| Original Score: 4/5 | Jul 18, 2014

Schwarz interviews friends and fans, piecing together a picture of a gentle, perhaps surprisingly shy man who channelled his family's rejection and his anger at society into his outrageous alter-ego.

| Original Score: 3/5 | Jul 18, 2014

Despite the sadness, we are reminded of what an influential figure Divine was, and how his very presence continues to bring comfort to others who identify as outsiders.

| Jul 18, 2014

A joyous hurrah for a unique figure.

| Original Score: 4/5 | Jul 17, 2014

Schwarz offsets the camp with a sincere appreciation of both the obvious, larger-than-life personality and this performer's oft-overlooked skills ...

| Original Score: 3/5 | Jul 17, 2014

Touching and funny. Waters fans should sign up now.

| Original Score: 4/5 | Jul 17, 2014

This is divine.

| Original Score: 4/5 | Jul 17, 2014

This documentary mostly looks back on its subject's career as a notorious drag act, with consistently amusing input from the likes of John Waters, Tab Hunter and psychedelic theatre troupe The Cockettes.

| Original Score: 4/5 | Jul 17, 2014

I Am Divine riffs entertainingly through the career of the drag star who blazed in Pink Flamingoes and Hairspray.

| Original Score: 3/5 | Jul 17, 2014

I Am Divine may not be the blowsy riot you'd expect given Divine's salty screen persona but it tells his story with wit, insight and compassion, revealing a rather sweet and sensitive man underneath that sparkling shell.

| Original Score: 4/5 | Jul 16, 2014

High camp and low trash make an entertaining combo in an overdue homage to a fearless trailblazer.

| Original Score: 4/5 | Jul 14, 2014

With an appropriate explosion of humour and colour, this documentary traces the life of a fiercely individualistic actor, digging beneath the surface to explore both his origins and his legacy.

| Original Score: 4/5 | Jul 11, 2014

A loving biographical portrait that encompasses the legendary icon's rise to infamy while touching on the emotional complexities of its subject.

| Jun 28, 2014