Mia Farrow,
David Wells,
Andrew Braunsberg,
Gene Gutowski,
Daniel Melnick
... see more 
The events of 1977 and 1978 permanently marred director Roman Polanski's life. Accused of unlawful sexual assault on minor Samantha Geimer during his stay at actor Jack Nicholson's house in March of 1... read more
Your Rating
Flixster Reviews (354)
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April 1, 2012A mediocre doc designed mainly for Polanski. It goes on to depict how Polanski couldn't get a fair trial that he deserved more than any other human due to a judge craving for media popularity.
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August 8, 2010"The truth couldn't fit in the headlines."
Marina Zenovich's new documentary examines the public scandal and private tragedy which led to legendary director Roman Polanski's sudden flight from the United States.REVI ... read more -
January 29, 2010A wonderful look at corruption and justice, even if it's justice we don't agree with. Putting Polanski's crimes to one side, there is no denying he is an exceptional filmmaker. He is able to address a darkness many hope never to experience. It's very easy to see Polanski as a cow... read more
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November 26, 2009Wanted and Desired isn't a particularly entertaining or dynamic documentary (I fell asleep twice during it, but in the film's defense it was Thanksgiving Day), but if nothing else it gives you a more clear understanding of what happened behind the scenes of Roman Polanski's contr... read more
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September 7, 2009Revealing doc about a flawed talented man. Life has hit him hard and although there is no question that what he did was wrong it seems apparent that he was ill treated by the US justice system.
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June 1, 2009I didn't like this documentary very much. It was hard to determine what the actual point of the movie is. Polanski pleaded guilty to having sex with a 13 year old. America thought this was pretty revolting, Europe wasn't so worried and was happy to have Polanski direct another... read more
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October 20, 2008Unlike other reviewers, I didn't find this especially illuminating. I don't suppose we'll ever know exactly what happened on March 10 1977, to what extent, if any, Polanski was entrapped, or just what was going on in his head to make him do something so unforgivably vile, but I d... read more
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September 7, 2008A deeply thorough and in-depth investigation about not only the incident that involved Polanski with a 13-year old girl, but the judicial circus and media frenzy that followed. This documentary is an exercise in examining the relationships between our predatory, yet ignorant medi... read more
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June 24, 2008A documentary that premiered at Sundance and was picked up by HBO and sent directly to television in the network's desperate attempt to fill up time with original programing other than then their normal summer series, which were delayed because of the strike. I had a pretty good ... read more
Critic Reviews
July 25, 2008
Liam Lacey, Globe and Mail
July 25, 2008
David Wiegand, San Francisco Chronicle
With a subject like Roman Polanski, you don't really need to do much to capture audience interest. But maybe that's the reason Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired doesn't live up to its promise. Full Review
July 25, 2008
Peter Howell, Toronto Star
Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired, a documentary by Marina Zenovich that is also a first-rate work of reportage, makes a forceful case that the whole truth of the matter was never heard in court and ... Full Review
July 25, 2008
J. R. Jones, Chicago Reader
Whether you can swallow that or not, the mesmerizing narrative recounts a media circus of unrivaled malignance. Full Review
July 25, 2008
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times
She has achieved extraordinary access to the other still-living players in the case, and they all seem to be in agreement: Polanski is correct in saying the judge played with him as a cat might play w... Full Review
July 24, 2008
Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune
This is a superb picture, sharp, open-minded, wised-up and cinematically accomplished. I wonder if any man could've handled the Polanski enigma with the same ironic intelligence [Marina] Zenovich has.
July 18, 2008
Peter Rainer, Christian Science Monitor
As an anatomy not only of Polanski's psyche but also of the legal system he confronted, it's as baroquely compelling as The Dark Knight. Full Review
July 14, 2008
Richard Roeper, Ebert & Roeper
This is more about the culture of celebrity, the sensationalism, a power hungry, media-hungry judge, and all the things that have happened since then. And as such, it's a very good documentary.
July 11, 2008
Joe Neumaier, New York Daily News
Using tons of footage and new interviews with the victim and key legal figures -- but not the subject himself -- director Marina Zenovich shows how Polanski's darker urges were matched on a moral leve... Full Review
May 29, 2008
Cathleen McGuigan, Newsweek
This deft and subtle film is a fitting tribute to a man -- like him or not -- whose life deserves more than tabloid headlines. Full Review
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