"By the end of this funny, insightful doc, you get a sense of an extraordinary mind that both fueled and fed the zeitgeist. DON'T MISS IT!"
– David Fear, Time Out New York

“Enormously enjoyable and perceptive… Perfectly captures the pleasure Lebowitz takes in observing the world while subtly revealing the crippling dimensions of perfectionism, the outsize ego it requires to achieve a certain kind of creative failure.”
– The New York Times

“Martin Scorsese’s documentary about the writer and talker Fran Lebowitz is close to an hour and a half long, and it feels about an hour and a half too short…
Luckily for viewers, Lebowitz is just as fresh, in every sense, as she ever was.”
– The New Yorker

"The legendarily blocked writer may have a slim oeuvre, but she remains a sharp observer, holding forth on racism, sexism, tourism, and, most pungently, elitism.
The quick-witted malcontent is the best kind of New Yorker: one with a long memory who’s averse to nostalgia."
– Melissa Anderson, The Village Voice

Scorsese steps out of the way and lets Lebowitz herself run the show. Which ultimately proves to be the smartest move. When a language locomotive as entertaining as Lebowitz barrels your way, it's best just to jump on then hang on for dear life.
– Lauren Wissot, Slant

"A MASH NOTE FROM ONE FAST-TALKER TO ANOTHER!"
– The L Magazine

“Even if her writers block continues for another three decades, Lebowitz herself remains undeniably fascinating. Scorsese's documentary offers us a long overdue taste of her unique, queasily accurate perspectives on our culture -- always right, never fair and never disappointing.”
– Salon

“A fabulously enjoyable documentary from Martin Scorsese that may introduce a new generation to this incredibly sharp, often stinging, but famously unproductive writer.”
– USA Today

“An absorbing rumination on being smart, outspoken and provincially of and about Manhattan…a subtle yet resplendent paean to New York-centric intelligence, talent and, yes, elitism.”
– The Washington Post

"One of the greatest movies based around talk of all time, a mental jolt and tonic from a director who appreciates a fast spiel better than anybody else alive."
– Slant Magazine

“Scorsese's deft, elegant portrait of Lebowitz in her own words. HUGELY ENTERTAINING!”
– The Daily Beast

“One might not always agree with Fran Lebowitz, but one must admire her quick wit that puts an amusing spin on even the most controversial issues of the day. That wit sparkles and bubbles over in Public Speaking.”
– Michael Janusonis, Providence Journal