A&E's The Clinton Affair is a worthy step forward in retelling the Bill Clinton-Monica Lewinsky scandal, but its format is a bit stale

Variety

While the six-part documentary, premiering Sunday, gives Lewinsky a "meaningful say, it’s missing the sort of editorial eye one might expect from a film produced at a moment in which our culture finally seems ready to evaluate Clinton without falling for his charisma," says Daniel D'Addario. He adds: “The Clinton Affair gives viewers less in the way of overarching ideas to chew on. But it does generate a sense that Clinton is being evaluated — not by the blogosphere but by as exhaustively curious a lens as could exist — and coming up badly wanting. As such, it breaks through its format, and feels less like a staid work of recitation than a turning point."