X
- 2016
- R
- A24
- 1 h 50 m
- 2016
- R
- A24
- 1 h 50 m
Summary One of the most talented, influential, and iconoclastic filmmakers of all time, Brian De Palma’s career started in the 60s and has included such acclaimed and diverse films as Carrie, Dressed to Kill, Blow Out, Scarface, The Untouchables, Carlito’s Way, and Mission: Impossible. In this lively, illuminating and unexpectedly moving documen...
Directed By: Noah Baumbach, Jake Paltrow
- 2016
- R
- A24
- 1 h 50 m
- 2016
- R
- A24
- 1 h 50 m
De Palma
7.5
Where to Watch
Summary One of the most talented, influential, and iconoclastic filmmakers of all time, Brian De Palma’s career started in the 60s and has included such acclaimed and diverse films as Carrie, Dressed to Kill, Blow Out, Scarface, The Untouchables, Carlito’s Way, and Mission: Impossible. In this lively, illuminating and unexpectedly moving documen...
Directed By: Noah Baumbach, Jake Paltrow
Where to Watch
Top Cast
Metascore
Universal Acclaim
Based on 31 Critic Reviews
83
97% Positive
30 Reviews
30 Reviews
3% Mixed
1 Review
1 Review
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
Metascore
Universal Acclaim
Based on 31 Critic Reviews
83
97% Positive
30 Reviews
30 Reviews
3% Mixed
1 Review
1 Review
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
De Palma is a true visionary, even if you might not quite agree with what that vision is. Either way, a trip through his wild and hugely influential filmography is mandatory for any film fan, and that’s just what directors Noah Baumbach and Jake Paltrow offer in their new documentary.
As De Palma shows us, whether he’s got two more films left in him or two dozen — Holy Mackerel — what a career!
User Score
Generally Favorable
Based on 35 User Ratings
7.5
89% Positive
31 Ratings
31 Ratings
3% Mixed
1 Rating
1 Rating
9% Negative
3 Ratings
3 Ratings
User Score
Generally Favorable
Based on 35 User Ratings
7.5
89% Positive
31 Ratings
31 Ratings
3% Mixed
1 Rating
1 Rating
9% Negative
3 Ratings
3 Ratings
I want to see more films like this: Just one important director talking me through his filmography step-by-step. Nothing else. No critics, no friends, no actors, no nothing, just the filmmaker explaining
what he did why...This film showed that it works! And I want more...
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A fascinating documentary that's a must-see for anyone even remotely interested in the director's work, or even film in general.
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Weirdly touching documentary.
At times amusing, at others analytical, De Palma is both an homage and a lecture.
Acolytes of Brian De Palma’s flavorful, flamboyant filmography hardly need reminding of his acrobatic ability as a visual storyteller; what they’ll learn from De Palma is that in front of the camera, he’s a pretty marvelous raconteur, too.
A documentary in which one of the most voyeuristic directors in American cinema delivers an engaging, if maddeningly unresolved, tutorial in film production and appreciation.
De Palma is a timely reminder of one of cinema's most infuriating yet entertaining characters.
As a card carrying member of the De Palma fan club it is much appreciated to find this an absorbing and fitting tribute to the best director of all time. There are no talking heads here, only the big guy himself tossing out facts or anecdotal tidbits on all his films from A-Z. And indeed the work speaks for itself. Even a lesser De Palma was always better than the best from a journeyman director. His best work, Carrie, is my favourite film of all time, but his other greats include Phantom of the Paradise, Obsession, Dressed to Kill, Blow out and The Untouchables. Another couple of his films would also deserve this accolade – Scarface and Casualties of War. However, their distressingly unflinching content makes them far more difficult to want to revisit. De Palma himself states that most Directors do their best work in their 30’s, 40’s and 50’s and it would certainly seem to be true when assessing his filmography. His later films whilst never less than interesting are nowhere near the quality of his best work. In fact between 1990 and 2016 he has only made one outstanding movie – Carlito’s Way.
The 70’s was indeed a great decade for both movies and directors. Spielberg, Coppola and Scorsese were all getting their due. King of them all though was this man, comparatively under appreciated. His imaginative use of the camera, stylisation and fearless audacity are just breath taking. He certainly knows how to produce a ‘set piece’. Hitchcock should, and I’m sure would, have been flattered by his visual tributes. His many critics were arbitrarily dismissive and uncomprehending of his nods to the ‘master of suspense’. Only the legendary Pauline Kael seemed to truly champion him. De Palma can also be proud of the absolutely beautiful music scores that accompany most of his films from composers like Pino ****, Bernard Herrman and Ennio Morricone.
Film makers Noah Baumbach and Jake Paltrow are to be congratulated, not only for the wealth of film clips on offer, but for allowing us to feast on the brilliance that is Brian De Palma. It is, as Films Illustrated said in their review of ‘Carrie’ in 1977, a superb treat.
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Many years ago my older brother and I went to the Ramona Theater in Detroit to watch a movie that, based on the newspaper ad, was being compared to Hitchcock's Psycho. As soon as Bernard Herrmann's music started, I was hooked. And from Sisters on, I've loved De Palma's films. And I forgot he basically discovered Robert De Niro and was in the midst of George Lucas, Stephen Spielburg Francis Ford Coppola, etc. at the beginning of their careers. And instead of the traditional documentary, it's De Palma telling stories and clips. And what a storyteller he is. Great trip through his movies.
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Very solid movie. One of the worst aspects of those Q&As with directors and stars when you see a screening is when the interviewer/moderator poses long-winded, ridiculous questions. There is NONE of that here. You get 2 things - De Palma taking, and clips from his movies (and a few others he was involved in at one time or another - and nothing more! It's concentrated De Palma for the entire movie, and he imparts some amazing nuggets about directing and movie-making in general. I'm a huge fan of Blow Out and Body Double, so I was VERY happy that he spent plenty of time on each. This is a guy who pushed the limits, and he made some incredibly unique films. I whole-heartedly recommend this picture.
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An enjoyable, straightforward doc. The only "talking head" you here from is Brian De Palma himself, who is relaxed & candid in his discussion of his background and films. De Palma's musings are interspersed with well-chosen clips from either his own movies or other movies that influenced him (and with De Palma, the latter is particularly important, considering how referential his pictures can be).
I've only seen a half dozen De Palma movies (basically all the biggies), so a good portion of this work was new to me, but it was entertaining and insightful throughout. For example, why does almost everyone die at the beginning of Mission: Impossible? Not really for narrative reasons, but b/c it's a Tom Cruise movie and you want the focus to be on the superstar!
De Palma's back story (his dad was an orthopedic surgeon who let his kids watch numerous operations) helps explain his comfort with (sometimes excessive) blood and gore and he is completely upfront that he likes watching women -- watching them walk, talk, undress, and so he's going to reflect that in his movies. You don't like it? Watch another film.
All that would be just ridiculous if he wasn't talented as heck -- he makes scenes interesting, through camera placement & movement, to sound design, to his use of split screen and more. He's a show off but with such high skill that it usually works.
Definitely recommended.
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De Palma is one of those movies you must see all over again until you get to one certain point where you're just so tired and want to do something else instead. It's that great.
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Production Company
Empire Ward Pictures
Release Date Jun 10, 2016
Duration 1 h 50 m
Rating R
Genres
Tagline Being a director is being a watcher
Website
http://de-palma.jp/
Awards
National Board of Review, USA
• 1 Win & 1 Nomination
St. Louis Film Critics Association, US
• 1 Nomination
San Diego Film Critics Society Awards
• 1 Nomination
