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Grizzly Man
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MPAA RATING: R for language
Starring Franc G. Fallico, Amie Huguenard, and Timothy Treadwell
In his mesmerizing new film, acclaimed director Werner Herzog explores the life and death of amateur grizzly bear expert and wildlife preservationist Timothy Treadwell. (Lions Gate Films)
| GENRE(S): | Documentary |
| WRITTEN BY: | Werner Herzog |
| DIRECTED BY: | Werner Herzog |
| RELEASE DATE: |
DVD: December 27, 2005 Theatrical: August 12, 2005 |
| RUNNING TIME: | 103 minutes, Color |
| ORIGIN: | USA |
Alfred P. Sloan Feature Film Prize, 2005 Sundance Film Festival
All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...
The average user rating for this movie is 6.8 (out of 10) based on 87 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.
Mithyus gave it a10:
Looking through everything the movie is said to be, the polemics and the opinions, you will see one undeniable truth - Grizzly Man shows the history of a man whose love, ideal, and the perseverance in defending them gave him a meaning in life. Timothy Treadwell shows us the most raw essence of the conscious human in search for happyness, disregarding the common limitations of human behaviour and going beyond. And even if Herzog sometimes blurs this focus, the inspirational story of this admirable man and his love for animals and nature are presented in a perfectly solid way. Truly, a masterpiece of real life.
Matt B gave it an8:
Half way through this film I thought it was the funniest mockumentary since Spinal Tap- if it wasn't for the bear footage. The fascinating thing about this documentary is that all the participants are hilarious, overblown, and larger than life. Christiphor Guest et al would be hard pushed to CREATE characters and lines as funny as these. Do people like this really exist? The ex girlfriend recounting her and Timothy's meeting in a restaurant and the macabre coroner talking about body parts, not to mention the helicopter pilot's complete lack of emotion and Treadwell's mania are some of the elements that lend themselves to one of the most bizarre documentaries I have ever seen. Bravo!
Brenden B. gave it a7:
Worth watching for the wildlife scenes alone. Too much footage of his ex.
Spanky V. gave it a4:
Goofball movie. Guy is a nut case. Why is awards go to the "kookiest"movies? Oh yeah, the people giving the awards are kooks.
Matthew B. gave it a6:
The last reader's comment said the "film was real." But here's the problem I have with Herzog, his staging many key scenes, then pretending he doesn't. The coroner for instance, who is obviously reading lines. Not to mention the "actor friend." The scene where Herzog pretends he's hearing the tape for the first time is especially painful, only because it highlights Herzog's superficial qualities that only point toward his filmmaking tendencies. I had the same problem with this film that I had with his most recent "White Diamond," only moreso, feeling its subject exploited in the name of the filmmaker's thesis. At the same time, the Treadwell footage was in and of itself absolutely fascinating, if not disturbing, in that all too familiar Reality Television kind of way (the confessions to the camera, for instance). All in all, a not very good film from a very problematic filmmaker, whose work leaves me more and more frustrated, often infuriated, as the years go on.
Tim D. gave it an8:
This film contains come fascinating momnents. Timothy Treadwell is such a perverse and captivating character that he manages to steal the attention in a film that should be about some of the most stunning wildlife footage ever shot. Treadwell iks a character that no other country could have created. A man who goes from a Gulllivers' Travels themed restaurant to living with bears and foxes, via Cheers auditions. There is a chilike innocence to him that is both endearing yet demanding of sympathy. He is a true eccentric of film, and not in a 'look, i've put marshmallows in my ears, aren't i wacky?' sort of way. The film however lacks a bit of direction. Herzog's footage is spliced together in a somehwat discombobulating order that, while covering a lot of ground, gives us the impression that we aren't moving anywhere. His commentary can also be sometimes be condescending. Which is a shame, because Grizzly Man could have been one of the greatest documentaries put to film.
Nick S. gave it a10:
Those who rate this film very low and simply dismiss Treadwell as a "fruitcake" are the true fruitcakes, systemic examples of the proud ignorance that not only ALLOWS the social world of man to remain the chaotic and indifferent power game it has evolved into but further REINFORCES these same harmful machinations that drove the weak-hearted Timothy Treadwell into his tragic existence alone in the wilderness. The natural world (and hence all the things existing within it) is an ethically crazy and mixed-up thing, and it saddens me to see people trashing the work of a man (Herzog) who is simply attempting to make honest sense of it all and share his findings with us along the way. The film is not "flawless" or "perfect," but on a sliding scale relative to the vast majority of things that daily barrage my periphery, it easily deserves the highest endorsement.

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