Director: Lizzie Gottlieb
Cast: Robert Caro, Robert Gottlieb, Bill Clinton, Ethan Hawke
Have I Seen it Before: No. And let me tell you the ways in which that has annoyed me. Well, I’m not really annoyed. I saw that a screening of the film would be held at Circle in February. I’ve read several of the Lyndon Johnson biographies, and any documentary about the writing process is something for which I’ll be an easy mark. I showed up, ready to go on the day of, but the screening had been cancelled. By that point, I had already re-upped my membership with the theater, and have spent the last several months going to as many films as possible, reaching haltingly toward my destiny as a peak weird little movie guy.
Actually, the more that I think about it, the more I’m thrilled that the film has been dodging me all these months.
Did I Like It: But enough about me, let’s talk about the Roberts, both author Caro and editor Gottlieb. I’ve probably belabored the point with my past reviews, but the qualities of documentaries can be judged by three criteria*. First, is the topic of interest? Second, is there some genuine insight about the subject? Third, is the film granted some kind of unusual level of access to the subject. Succeeding on any one of the three criteria will usually make the film watchable. Special documentaries will pick up two out of three. The elite level will cover all three.
I’m tempted to say this covers all three and reaches that highest level. Gottlieb’s daughter gets her subjects on camera and at work, despite their initial reluctance, and Caro and Gottlieb themselves are foolproof as subjects where insight and interest are concerned. The only flaw I would find is the run in the middle where Caro’s work is summarized. Hopefully, the viewer is inspired to buy copies of those books on their own, and not content to get the Reader’s Digest version of the material.
*Assuming those responsible are actually working with a modicum of professional skill and equipment. Feels like a silly qualifier to add, but as someone who has spent much of the last several years on the screening committee of a film festival, I feel in my bones that it isn’t a mortal lock.