De Palma (2015) | agoodmovietowatch

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De Palma 8.7 2015 Movie

De Palma

Dir. Jake Paltrow & Noah Baumbach · United States of America · English

A singular documentary on iconic director Brian De Palma through his own lens

Our take by Jenna Gordon

This autobiographical documentary covering the span of Brian DePalma’s 50+ year filmmaking career is taken from the man himself. From budget-less independent films to multi-million dollar box-office projects, he offers a fascinating professional history. But don’t expect critical analysis of his frequently controversial choices (such as the infamous oversized drill used as a murder weapon in Body Double)—he will acknowledge the existence of these issues, if only to grin and shrug them off, at times literally. What you can expect is to feel you are taken by the hand through Hollywood filmmaking experiences over the course of decades: negotiations, rewrites, stolen scripts, scuffling actors; tours of technical points of interest from his movies with commentary on deftly chosen film clips. You don’t have to be a fan to get a wealth of entertainment here. Not to be missed.

What happens

An intimate conversation between filmmakers, chronicling De Palma’s 55-year career, his life, and his filmmaking process, with revealing anecdotes and, of course, a wealth of film clips.

What the critics said

Notable Critics

"Alluringly smooth and uncluttered, as if taking its cue from one of the tracking shots so beloved by its subject."

— Anthony Lane

"De Palma has the best kind of ending for a director documentary: it leaves us wondering what's yet to come from this protean and multifaceted filmmaker."

— Michael Sragow

Awards

Venice

1 nom

Nominated: Official Selection

Nat. Board of Review

1 win

Won: Top Five Documentaries

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About the author

Jenna Gordon

Jenna Gordon is a contributing writer at A Good Movie to Watch, focused on reviews and recommendations across the major streaming platforms.