Clearly a tribute to Wilder rather than an out and out warts and all documentary about the man. This is an interesting birth to death picture of the great comic actor delivered through clips, praise from friends and colleagues, including Mel Brooks, who clearly loved him and from the man himself.
It is a little rose tinted with never a mention of some of the less than great films he did. Nevertheless he still comes across as a really nice, gentle and just slightly mysterious character who put in some of cinema's greatest comic creations, notably working with Brooks on The Producers, Blazing Saddles and Young Frankenstein. He also clearly had a rough ride later in life and indeed the last 10 minutes where his wife and friends reflect on the times before his death are quite sad and touching. Not a great documentary then, but a fitting tribute to a great comedian and a nice feller. Despite his many great comic turns, my favourite role of his, like that of his pal Harry Connick, is probably Willy Wonka - to me he was and ever will be Willy Wonka.
It is a little rose tinted with never a mention of some of the less than great films he did. Nevertheless he still comes across as a really nice, gentle and just slightly mysterious character who put in some of cinema's greatest comic creations, notably working with Brooks on The Producers, Blazing Saddles and Young Frankenstein. He also clearly had a rough ride later in life and indeed the last 10 minutes where his wife and friends reflect on the times before his death are quite sad and touching. Not a great documentary then, but a fitting tribute to a great comedian and a nice feller. Despite his many great comic turns, my favourite role of his, like that of his pal Harry Connick, is probably Willy Wonka - to me he was and ever will be Willy Wonka.