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Amos Lassen wrote on 09/20/2011:

I believe that most of us who live outside of New York City know of Bill Cunningham as a photographer but little more than that. In this documentary we get to know a man who many do not know and who at 80 still works for the New York Times and still lives his life with a passion. Cunningham loves to take pictures and he travels around New York on his bicycle taking photos of whatever he feels like; he is not interested in celebrities and he feels that the people we see on the street are much more interesting.

Cunningham’s real passion is fashion and he is consumed by it. He is not interested in the glamour of it and he himself lives a humble life and some might even say that he is cheap. He is filled with joy that he shares with others, a man whose career has allowed him to meet the who is who and the who isn’t and he has photographed thousands of people. He has been honored by the French government and he always seems to be busy with something.

The movie follows Bill Cunningham on a regular day and it even includes a trip to Paris for Fashion Week. We watch as he uses his old cameras and his getting his film developed at a small local shop. For his Times column, he is a perfectionist and he, himself, makes sure that his pictures are in order. We see that he is indeed a simple man who lives simply.

The film does not pry and Cunningham remains unknown. People who have known him for years do not know much about him. He opens up a bit at the end of the film but just a bit. This is the story of a man and his passion that shows that even when simple one can be great.

The film begins with a video of the man at work and we see his sharp and quick eye and we never know why and when he will stop and take a picture.

Cunningham divides his work into three parts—the street, fashion shows and charity events. He is interested in how an ordinary person uses fashion in his life. He does ok with the A-list but he is more comfortable with regular folk and he seems to fit everywhere and anywhere. There is always a smile on his face and he is quick to talk and his work is his pleasure. He is a true original and yet he has become an institution in New York. Simplicity makes him happy and he shares that with people that he meets.

The film shows us just how humble he is and how this is directly the opposite of the pretentious world of fashion that he covers. One cannot help but love this movie and this man.