Lost
in La Mancha
Documentary Rated NYR
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Directed by:Keith Fulton, Louis Pepe
Produced by:Lucy Darwin
Written by: Kristian Levring, Janet McTeer
Narrated by: Jeff Bridges
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On Friday,
I got the one-two punch of Lost in La Mancha, Keith
Fulton & Louis Pepe’s chronicle of the life and premature
death of Terry Gilliam’s production of The Man Who
killed Don Quixote, and Bowling for Columbine,
Michael Moore’s new doc and easily his best work since
Roger & Me.
Pepe &
Fulton’s film is in that category that’s becoming more and
more present at festivals, the film that is better than the
quality of its production. I’m not saying that the guys didn’t do a good job, but there’s nothing
overwhelming about their work as documentarians… they are
as good as their subject.
And in this case, their subject is brilliant, wild,
scared, funny, passionate, seasoned, obstinate, impossible
and unstoppable… almost.
The saga
behind The Man Who Killed Don Quixote is both incredibly
unique and standard operating procedure at the same time.
Of course, many productions can be so described.
Some films go more smoothly than others, but each does
have its own unique life and each one is, in its way, a minor
miracle. The final word on Gilliam’s Don Quixote haven’t
been written… not so much because he still hopes to get it
produced someday, but because the story of this film is very
much the story of Gilliam’s career.
Can he overcome the perception that he is a brilliant
screw up and continue to make his films or will be lost to
filmmaking because he can’t get financed, much like Orson
Welles? As I wrote, we don’t know yet. But God knows, for the sake of film, I hope
he finds his way. To
lose a director of his vision would be a major loss indeed.
The documentary,
which will be release by IFC Films, starts early in pre-production
and stays with the film to its bitter end, as shooting ends
due to an ailing star and the entire possibility of making
the film devolves into a legal argument. And while the horror show element is clear,
the film is also one of the best I’ve seen at taking an audience
into the process of production, spotlighting the myriad details
and decisions that are made every day on every film.
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