While this is not a perfect documentary, it IS a nice insight into all the spaces of Patti Smith's life, as others have said, we see her as performer, mom, daughter, friend... just being herself. She's amazingly candid and gentle, hard to believe such a quiet soul is so wild, angry and volatile on stage!!!! I saw the film at the Karlovy Vary Film Festival in the Czech Republic, a place Patti often plays since her one-time band member and collaborator, Ivan Kral is Czech. Audience seemed to have a mixed reaction, not sure all were familiar with her work.*****SPOILER BELOW ******** The film is full of poetry, hers and others.. and ends with a quote I know so well I couldn't help mouthing as she said it... ".. Peace peace he is not dead, he doth not sleep he hath awakened from the dream of life... " --- Shelley, Adonais -- a poem that has a rock and roll connection as Mick Jagger read it a Brian Jones' funeral. and of course contains the title of one of Smith's LP's and the name of this film..This might be a film just for serious Patti Smith fans, not sure, since I have been a fan since "Horses" came out, it's hard for me to say if the non-fan would find the film as interesting, since it does tend to ramble.Hard to believe she's 61... wow.... worth seeing if you are a big fan you will be touched.

PATTI SMITH: DREAM OF LIFE is a free-floating ramble through the life of one of America's premiere poets. The time sequences are hazy, her children appear and reappear at dramatically different ages, and this only adds to the visionary quality of the film. This is the farthest one could imagine from the standard Rock Bio that one might see on VH1. The Patti Smith of today seems just as interesting and dynamic as the artist who created HORSES many years ago. She is among the few contemporary artists who manage to connect the Beatnik sensibility of the late 50's and the rock and roll music of today's social and political activists. Hopefully, this film will spread her musical and poetic influence to people who may not be aware of her compelling aesthetic vision.

This was my first introduction to Patti Smith. I didn't know what to expect of the film. If you are expecting a movie with actors pretending to be someone they aren't, this isn't the movie for you. This is a wonderful documentary about a fascinating person. You won't just see Patti Smith/ Punk Rocker. You'll also see Patti Smith/Mother, Daughter, Activist, Friend, Artist and more. I enjoyed this Documentary very much. 11 years in the making. You can see Patti Smith's children grow before your eye's. This movie was definitely a labor of love. I look forward to the DVD release. Thank you Steven for taking the time to do this documentary right.

Thank God half of it was out of focus so I was partly spared from being tormented by what can only be described as the biggest "ego self loving" horror that has ever be put to film.Steven Sebring despite being in what must be his 30s-40s, is in full "17 year old film student" mode here. No connection from scene to scene, void of any true meaning other than 'look at me I can make ambiguous shots!', and his egoistic 'look at how artistic I am' style vomits off the screen into your, what is now, blood soaked eyes.I must stress I am not some philistine complaining that there were not enough explosions, but even a Patti Smith fan I went to see it with fell asleep. Not to mention the 30 or so people (all wearing Patti Smith t-shirts, clothes… obvious fans) who had no choice but to leave this brutal cinematic molestation (o my how I envied them).DO NOT SEE THIS FILM unless you are some kind of super Patti Smith fan that enjoys psychological torture!