Friedkin's 2.4 films from the 70s cemented his reputation as a talent; tangible drama, risk taking, determined and shocking.
To expect a film about that man to be as urgent or relevant is too much. Instead it's a 2 hour long infomercial about his best 2.4 films and Cruising. Talking heads gush about his talent and generosity while the man himself waffles endlessly about the state of cinema, Hitler being complicated, Jesus and the endless list of "greats" he name drops with nauseating regularity. Including convicted gangsters who "didn't do anything wrong".
Big name stars smile uncomfortably as they recall humourless anecdotes that fall flat as private jokes or sound like they're at job interviews.
An incoherent mess that serves as puff. It begins to resemble This Is Spinal Tap as he's hired to direct an opera offering insight such as "the composer is the most important thing even though they are dead."
Despite his faux modesty his reputation as a megalomaniac begins to show as he begins to resemble a man obsessed with posthumous recognition among the greats, which is fine so long as no one mentions The Guardian or Jade.
Unfortunately at no point do the filmmakers explore the politics or beliefs that permeate the man or his movies or ask any tough questions, like watching Grandad being interviewed by his grandchildren.
Where Friedkin himself interviewed Fritz Lang who had a story to tell, one which permeates his career, you get no such impression from Friedkin who's only insight into his work appears to be his observation that he makes things "real" and is unable to transcend reality the same way an Antonioni or Argento does, that being the only revelation in this examination of his work.
To expect a film about that man to be as urgent or relevant is too much. Instead it's a 2 hour long infomercial about his best 2.4 films and Cruising. Talking heads gush about his talent and generosity while the man himself waffles endlessly about the state of cinema, Hitler being complicated, Jesus and the endless list of "greats" he name drops with nauseating regularity. Including convicted gangsters who "didn't do anything wrong".
Big name stars smile uncomfortably as they recall humourless anecdotes that fall flat as private jokes or sound like they're at job interviews.
An incoherent mess that serves as puff. It begins to resemble This Is Spinal Tap as he's hired to direct an opera offering insight such as "the composer is the most important thing even though they are dead."
Despite his faux modesty his reputation as a megalomaniac begins to show as he begins to resemble a man obsessed with posthumous recognition among the greats, which is fine so long as no one mentions The Guardian or Jade.
Unfortunately at no point do the filmmakers explore the politics or beliefs that permeate the man or his movies or ask any tough questions, like watching Grandad being interviewed by his grandchildren.
Where Friedkin himself interviewed Fritz Lang who had a story to tell, one which permeates his career, you get no such impression from Friedkin who's only insight into his work appears to be his observation that he makes things "real" and is unable to transcend reality the same way an Antonioni or Argento does, that being the only revelation in this examination of his work.