76
Metascore
9 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 100Village VoiceVillage VoiceThis is one of the most fully rounded, unsentimental portraits of an artist you'll ever see on film.
- 80Time OutDavid FearTime OutDavid FearMostly, you see a prolific artist going out playing—an unsentimental, salt-of-the-earth tribute that keeps the beat in a way that would make this extraordinary journeyman beam.
- 80The New York TimesA.O. ScottThe New York TimesA.O. ScottLess an archival clip job than a late-night jam session, it is informal and inviting.
- 75New York PostFarran Smith NehmeNew York PostFarran Smith NehmeIt’s a sympathetic portrait of an artist whose heart lay more with new work than old glories, right up to the end.
- 75The Globe and Mail (Toronto)Liam LaceyThe Globe and Mail (Toronto)Liam LaceyThe portrait of the ailing artist is bittersweet, but when Helms sings or plays, the look on his face is pure joy.
- 75Boston GlobePeter KeoughBoston GlobePeter KeoughUnfortunately, Hatley chooses not to offer much context or background history regarding that or other aspects of Helm’s half-century career, other than archival footage of Helm and the Band in their prime, press clippings, and comments from the Band “biographer,” Barney Hoskyns.
- 70Los Angeles TimesGary GoldsteinLos Angeles TimesGary Goldstein"Ain't in It" offers a warm and largely satisfying look at a man and his music and, for some, the end of an era.
- 60VarietyJohn AndersonVarietyJohn AndersonWhat keeps Ain’t in It for My Health from being a really satisfying portrait isn’t a lack of access, but a lack of intimacy.