Helvetica

2007

Action / Documentary

7
Rotten Tomatoes Critics - Certified Fresh 88% · 17 reviews
Rotten Tomatoes Audience - Upright 80% · 5K ratings
IMDb Rating 7.2/10 10 8315 8.3K

designer advertising font graphic design typography modernism

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Plot summary

Helvetica is a feature-length independent film about typography, graphic design and global visual culture. It looks at the proliferation of one typeface (which will celebrate its 50th birthday in 2007) as part of a larger conversation about the way type affects our lives. The film is an exploration of urban spaces in major cities and the type that inhabits them, and a fluid discussion with renowned designers about their work, the creative process, and the choices and aesthetics behind their use of type.

Director

Gary Hustwit Photo
Gary Hustwit

Top cast

Manfred Schulz Photo
Manfred Schulz as Self
Massimo Vignelli Photo
Massimo Vignelli as Self
Rick Poynor Photo
Rick Poynor as Self
Wim Crouwel Photo
Wim Crouwel as Self
720p.BLU 1080p.BLU
741.08 MB
1280*714
English 2.0
NR
Subtitles
23.976 fps
1 hr 20 min
Seeds 4
1.34 GB
1920*1072
English 2.0
NR
Subtitles
23.976 fps
1 hr 20 min
Seeds 17

Movie Reviews

Reviewed by qmediacom 7 / 10

Fonts as social witness

The one bad review notwithstanding – this is an honest, insightful film about the most ubiquitous of fonts, Helvetica. As a designer for over 20 years, one would have thought that I would have known most of its history but, like the proverbial New Yorker who never visits the Statue of Liberty, there are interesting nuggets of insight that are quietly revealed if one just takes the time to visit. Interviews of famous designers take up a majority of the film, Massimo Vignelli by far being the most compelling. Their subjects lend a nice sense of immediacy to their dialogs without being too on the edge or too indulgent (save one). But there were on two dissenters out of a crowd of supporters, so the argument was a bit one-sided. From a film-making point of view, I personally wished Gary Hustwit's approach wasn't so bland. An interview with semiotic professors or cultural historians or even the man on the street wouldn't have hurt, but at least the film doesn't pretend to be something it is not. Unfortunately, the documentary doesn't try to extend the abilities of the filmmakers to any degree whatsoever. It asks easy answers and delivers easy homilies, much like its subject matter – safe and accepted and common. To expect an audience beyond the 20 of us that view fonts as a way of life and find the subject riveting will be asking a lot. Is Helvetica the greatest font every designed? No, absolutely not. Is it the one of the most influential? Undoubtedly. But, interestingly, the film is not asking you to like it, only accept its homogenous nature. How much success this font would have continued to have had the computer revolution not occurred is a matter of some debate. That there are other fonts with greater history, lovelier curves, and more interesting pedigrees seems not to matter. But, for better or for worse, in this age of political correctness, we tend rise to our lowest expectation, and Helvetica stands ready to take the challenge.
Reviewed by

Reviewed by tangsting 7 / 10

It's good, but...

This is an 80 minute long movie about a font. People talk about the font, the history, the meaning and the significance of helvetica. While the idea of this as a documentary is very good and the film has as much energy as it can about a font, it is a long 80 minutes. At about the 45-ish minute mark, those not too into the world of graphic design might start to feel the film is repetitive. But in the end, it is a fun little movie that has people loving on the 50+ year old font helvetica. If that is your idea of a good time, you'll love this. If you say to yourself, "80 minutes about a typeface?" - this movie may not be for you.

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