though Ailey aptly demonstrates why this virtuoso should be remembered, it reveals little about the man himself, only sketchily delving into his adult personal life
caught between exalting the glory of his titanic accomplishments and their indelible mark on Black American culture, and figuring him out with only the available pieces of his intimate puzzle, "Ailey" does succeed at painting him as a complex figure
as a personal portrait, “Ailey” is lacking for charming anecdotes or nuggets of wisdom from the artist himself. But a true artist speaks through his work, and it’s appropriate that the revelations in “Ailey” arrive via the dance scenes
an evocative piece of work; A haunting portrait of what it means to be an artist - from the triumphs to the empty, lonely feeling that you're never as good as you're supposed to be. It's a fitting tribute to an artistic giant
a poetic documentary leaves out some crucial nuts and bolts but hauntingly evokes Alvin Ailey's majesty; “Ailey” creates a feeling about Alvin Ailey: how grace and eloquence, fire and obsession merged within him
a delicate portrait of a legendary figure; Wignot handles details of the legend’s tumultuous biography with great care; the greatest gift of this tightly conceived and beautiful doc lies in its appreciation of the divinity of dance
"Ailey" is best absorbed as an elegant, impressionistic primer, a chance to bask in his mastery of movement and dance, as framed by those near enough to him to know what it took out of him to gift it to the world