“Sidney” doesn’t bother to simplify details around Poitier’s biography, nor does it try to complicate his story. Rather, it honors the very real complexities of the life he lived.

Though far from hagiography, Sidney is laudatory, and given to a kind of soft-focus sentimentality, especially when a lachrymose Winfrey is interviewed. The tone is set by the inclusion of extracts of film archive, and Poitier’s calm, dignified voice.

While the reflections from Denzel Washington, Oprah, Robert Redford help define Poitier’s career and life, it’s when we hear from the legend himself that “Sidney” comes to life.

"Revolutionary" is a word that gets thrown around and carelessly tacked on to a lot of things, but it is precisely the best word to describe Poitier as an artist and activist. Sidney triumphs in reminding us of why exactly that is.