Movie Review

Helvetica (2007)

Reviewed by Lisa Schwarzbaum | Sep 19, 2007

Lisa Schwarzbaum

Lisa Schwarzbaum is a film critic for EW

Comments
Add your comment

EW's GRADE

A-

Details Limited Release: Sep 12, 2007; Rated: Unrated; Length: 80 Minutes; Genre: Documentary

$PUT ON A HAPPY FACE Helvetica\'s celebration of a graphic-design touchstone plays against type$

PUT ON A HAPPY FACE Helvetica's celebration of a graphic-design touchstone plays against type

As Gary Hustwit's perceptive documentary makes wittily clear, there's nothing neutral about the unadorned, ubiquitous Helvetica typeface, brought forth upon the literate earth 50 years ago in a burst of modernist Swiss graphic design and now as common as the look of an IRS tax form. Some of the charming design mavens interviewed love the egalitarian simplicity of the letterforms; other type-y types hate the oppressive blandness. Even viewers who've never given a serif a second thought, though, are in for an exclamation point of joy from such a well-designed doc.

Originally posted Sep 19, 2007 Published in issue #956 Sep 28, 2007 Order article reprints

Comments
Add your comment

Add your comment

The rules: Keep it clean, and stay on the subject or we might delete your comment. If you see inappropriate language, e-mail us. An asterisk * indicates a required field.