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IndieRockLance
Jan 29, 2003

The devourer of worlds demands a Moon Pie to satiate his hunger!
Directed by: Nanette Burstein, Brett Morgen
Starring: Robert Evans

The Kid Stays in the Picture is the story of Robert Evans, producer and former head of Paramount Studios. Evans narrates his life story from his business in the fashion industry with his brother and discovery as an actor, through his tenure as head of Paramount, into his conquests as producer and ending around when he was suspected of murdering a member of his cast.

Robert Evans is Hollywood personified, you'll be hard pressed to find a man that is more into himself than Evans is. The way that he talks about his life makes it seem like he's a golden god that has a Midas Touch for movies. The man is clearly in love with himself, but this is a movie about Hollywood and it only adds to the atmosphere that documentary conveys with pictures and the storyline. The thing about Robert Evans is that he still believes in the idea of the movie star and not the actor, the difference being you don't need talent to be a movie star but only being an actor doesn't always rake in the big bucks. If the almighty dollar had a church, this movie would be its bible.

Hollywood means never having to say you're sorry, but it also apparently means never owning up to your failures. Evans sure knows how to take credit, but he doesn't know how to admit to the things that don't make him picture perfect. Being busted for attempting to buy distribution size amounts of cocaine becomes a "brief lapse of judgment." Evans goes on at lengths about his love for Ali McGraw but there's no mention of his four other marriages. He privileged us with The Godfather and Chinatown, but there's no need to bring up Popeye, Urban Cowboy or The Phantom. The point is, the truthfulness of the events that are portrayed in the movie are highly suspect. We know these things happened, but it's debatable that they happened the way that Evans claims.

However, despite the discretion in story, the documentary looks very well put together. Instead of putting together a slide show of photographs, interviews and movie clips, the directors bring the photographs to life by cutting out figures, adding small effects and add a third dimension to what otherwise would be about as interesting as being forced to look at your aunt's slides from her vacation to Mississippi.

What brings the movie all together is Evans' narration. If you're going to be an rear end in a top hat, you may as well be one that is as smooth and sure of himself as Robert Evans is. His interesting delivery of his story makes this documentary better than average and even sparks the interest of people who don't enjoy documentaries. This is a story about Hollywood and while the truth might not be there, the style certainly is and that's what matters in the world of actors and actresses.

RATING: 3.5

PROS: Evans' Narration, Interesting Life Story, Great Style of Presentation
CONS: Robert Evans doesn't know the meaning of Failure

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0303353/

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Hamdoon
May 6, 2003
This film had me laughing my rear end off. Evans is such an over-the-top character, he's almost a caricature. He's the ultimate cocky, rich bastard. At first I wasn't sure if it was a parody or not. But eventually I realized that he is such a master buillshitter that he has crossed over into some transcendental plane of self-mythology, where he actually buys into his own legend and it actually becomes real, if only for him.

If you can't laugh about that sort of thing, then you will hate this movie with a passion, because it is the most self-aggrandizing load of vanity that you could ever imagine. I got a real kick out of it because it was obviously made by someone with a lot of style... and passion for his subject (hehe).

4/5

FitFortDanga
Nov 19, 2004

Nice try, asshole

Somewhat interesting. I liked the unusual style of the documentary, the way still photos were used in that odd but effective multi-plane effect. But I was expecting the subject matter to be a bit more scandalous. I guess I'd have to read the book for that. Rating: 3

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