Martha: A Picture Story

Martha Cooper is the female version of Bill Cunningham, and it would be just as true to say that Bill Cunningham is the male version of Martha Cooper.

Scattershot portrait of Cooper can't quite decide what it wants its focus to be: a biographical portrait of Cooper herself, a fascinating and contradictory figure, or a more generalised history of "graffiti art" and its denizens, another fascinating thread. Because the film can't settle on either, it becomes a little frustrating in its skimpy portrait of both worlds, though there is an undeniable bemused energy seeing septuagenarian Cooper suit up in a black hoodie for some illicit tagging!

Marty Cooper is one cool lady.