Jia Zhangke, A Guy from Fenyang

While Salles' portrait gives a very incomplete account of the man and his art, it pays tribute to a filmmaker who remains among the medium's foremost and most fascinating creators.

A decent and conscientious, though unremarkable, companion piece to Mr. Jia's crucial films.

The problem with art like Jia's is that a straightforward approach isn't going to reveal anything that isn't already there in the work or document anything that the movies don't already document themselves.

Salles' low-key documentary reflects nicely on Zhangke's own personal, handheld style. Although an engaging subject matter for those already interested, a little assumed knowledge does prevent its being totally accessible.