De Palma (2016)

Boring

A Masterpiece!

It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.

All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

DE PALMA is a nice interview/career retrospective for director Brian De Palma, a Hollywood talent who has been making short films since the 1960s. I'm a big De Palma fan and have been for many years, so watching this documentary was a real treat for me. It's simple, unfussy, and unhurried stuff, presenting De Palma as he sits in front of a fireplace and talks about his films from his early shorts through to his recent efforts. Many clips from the movies are used to illustrate his points, but other than that it's straightforward, anecdotal, and thoroughly engaging.

De Palma (2015) **** (out of 4) Directors Noah Baumbach and Jake Paltrow got Brian De Palma to sit down and talk about all of the movies that he has made. This documentary has De Palma basically giving a history lesson about all of his movies. He talks about his influences, their failures or things that he wish he had done differently.If you're a fan of De Palma's work then you probably already know that he has contributed to countless interviews and special features for his movies. There's a lot of stuff out there where the director talks about his career but this documentary works because you can pretty much get everything in one sitting. I really liked the flow of the picture because it really does come across as being shot in real time and it's just like you're sitting down at a table with the director and listening to him talk about his career.DE PALMA is certainly a must-see for film buffs because the director is quite honest with his talk. At this point in his career he certainly doesn't have to worry about offending anyone and this leads to some very good stories about issue he had on films with actors including Robert DeNiro on THE UNTOUCHABLES. Each film is given a good amount of discussion and it's fascinating getting to hear the director pat himself on the back when he thought he did a great job or pointing out things that went wrong.None of them films are given great, full details but as I said there are countless bonus features out there that dive into each film in more detail. This film works remarkably well because of how simple it is. The camera is set up close to De Palma and he simply talks and tells stories.

Watching this documentary, one begins to realize how big of an influence De Palma himself in the world of movies. His output includes a little bit of every possible genre, and though he's not a young man anymore, he can still surprise us. He belongs to a group of directors that will probably never be matched in either their individual or collaborative work. He has definitely left a legacy worth enjoying and studying.De Palma started in the 60's, and the film gives some background on his earlier productions. It's the 70's where he started making movies that most of us are familiar with and will always associate his name with. He unleashed the world of horror with "Carrie", probably igniting a surge in popularity for King and himself. That film also introduced Sissy Spacek to us. The documentary continues to give us informational bits on most of his work, clarifying issues, telling us what he liked or he didn't like in some of the films, and how there were always unexpected developments in his productions depending on who his partners were.His work is for the most part quite remarkable. He combines beauty, obsession, and horror in films like "Body Double" and "Dressed to Kill". He works with some of the biggest stars in the world and directs hits or unexpected flops, but they are always memorable. Throughout the documentary, we admits his mistakes, and how his films could have been improved. He also tells us how other films which tried to imitate him fail because they might be going in a different direction. Overall, De Palma proves himself an artist, a man who loves movies, who understands them and knows how to make them. He values the association with a good writer, a good idea, and most importantly he is cognizant that there is no way one can work alone in a place like Hollywood, regardless of the risks and the benefits.

DE PALMA (2016) **** Engaging and informative documentary about filmmaker Brian De Palma with the auteur in full focus on screen recollecting his oeuvre with unapologetic frankness and good nature. Peppered with footage of his canon and self-effacing to a fault with its subject matter, filmmakers Noah Baumbach and Jake Paltrow - friends and fans alike of the director - fully immerse themselves into the up and down career highlights and bumps in the road while his personal life is more or less a side note on the whole. For film fans and fans of De Palma a must sees to appreciate the once heir apparent to Alfred Hitchcock by employing The Master's zen philosophy of camera movement, editing and composition as well as his own imprint and impact as a force majeur.