Jim Brennan
VHS Member Old Skool
Did you ever see a movie that you REALLY wanted to like, but didn't...then you couldn't figure out exactly why? That's what this film was like for me.
I got to see it at the North American premiere at the Starz Denver Film Fest. The upside was that the filmmaker (Michael Henry Wilson) focused completely on Clint. Aside from a few (IMHO inappropriate) moments where the filmmaker was conversing with Clint, everything you heard came from Clint's mouth. So there were no typical bits about colleagues falling over themselves saying what a genius he was to work with. That was refresshing, and Clint is an engaging fellow.
They were at Clint's ranch and the famed director even sat down at his desk to show the filmmaker some behind the scenes footage from both Flags of our Fathers and Letters from Iwo Jima. So the guy had great access to an icon who has something interesting to say...or so you would think.
There were some good bits about his process and how he likes to work on the fly when on the set (glossing over the bit about him being monumentally prepared by the time he gets there). But there was no sense of struggle. Wilson either chose not to dig deeper, or he left that footage on the floor. Early on he asks Clint about how difficult it was to grow up in the depression. When Clint states that it was all he knew, so he didn't see it as a struggle at the time, he lets him off the hook. Clint says that he saw his parents struggle trying to put clothes on their back, but Wilson missed the opportunity to ask about that. Well Clint, how did witnessing that struggle affect the decisions you make in your films and your life?
The film is full of those moments. When addressing his early career with Leone and Siegel and how that affected him as a a director, it becomes almost a non issue, culminated with a screen shot from the end titles of The Beguiled (I think), dedicating it to "Sergio and Don" But he hardly addresses their influence aside from stating that the two directors worked differently.
Definitely some intersting BTS shots of his last two films, and Clint is an interesting enough guy to almost carry the film despite the bland nature of the talk...almost. But I can't help feeling the the film was scattered and unfocused. It chose not to be a linear retrospective, which is fine. But there was no theme, aside from Eastwood himself, and that seems like it might have been too large a well to draw from, at least for this filmmaker.
There were numerous technical issues as well. The camera kept jerking unnecessarily during locked down shots of Clint talking, as if the operator were trying to re-frame on a Best Buy tripod. The music seemed a distraction and there were some title card quotations scattered through out that lasted for too long.
I'd love to hear the opinions of anyone else who has seen this, but I doubt it will get much attention. Hasn't even shown up on IMDb. I hate wasted opportunities, and that's what this film seemed like to me.
I got to see it at the North American premiere at the Starz Denver Film Fest. The upside was that the filmmaker (Michael Henry Wilson) focused completely on Clint. Aside from a few (IMHO inappropriate) moments where the filmmaker was conversing with Clint, everything you heard came from Clint's mouth. So there were no typical bits about colleagues falling over themselves saying what a genius he was to work with. That was refresshing, and Clint is an engaging fellow.
They were at Clint's ranch and the famed director even sat down at his desk to show the filmmaker some behind the scenes footage from both Flags of our Fathers and Letters from Iwo Jima. So the guy had great access to an icon who has something interesting to say...or so you would think.
There were some good bits about his process and how he likes to work on the fly when on the set (glossing over the bit about him being monumentally prepared by the time he gets there). But there was no sense of struggle. Wilson either chose not to dig deeper, or he left that footage on the floor. Early on he asks Clint about how difficult it was to grow up in the depression. When Clint states that it was all he knew, so he didn't see it as a struggle at the time, he lets him off the hook. Clint says that he saw his parents struggle trying to put clothes on their back, but Wilson missed the opportunity to ask about that. Well Clint, how did witnessing that struggle affect the decisions you make in your films and your life?
The film is full of those moments. When addressing his early career with Leone and Siegel and how that affected him as a a director, it becomes almost a non issue, culminated with a screen shot from the end titles of The Beguiled (I think), dedicating it to "Sergio and Don" But he hardly addresses their influence aside from stating that the two directors worked differently.
Definitely some intersting BTS shots of his last two films, and Clint is an interesting enough guy to almost carry the film despite the bland nature of the talk...almost. But I can't help feeling the the film was scattered and unfocused. It chose not to be a linear retrospective, which is fine. But there was no theme, aside from Eastwood himself, and that seems like it might have been too large a well to draw from, at least for this filmmaker.
There were numerous technical issues as well. The camera kept jerking unnecessarily during locked down shots of Clint talking, as if the operator were trying to re-frame on a Best Buy tripod. The music seemed a distraction and there were some title card quotations scattered through out that lasted for too long.
I'd love to hear the opinions of anyone else who has seen this, but I doubt it will get much attention. Hasn't even shown up on IMDb. I hate wasted opportunities, and that's what this film seemed like to me.