The Netflix documentary "Sr." lets two generations of Robert Downeys share a final scene together. Plus: The best Robert Downey Jr. movie that isn't actually a movie.
I cannot wait to see this documentary; the next sight you see is me pushing everything else out of my streaming queue! Also my favorite part of the Downey interview, in addition to the murder stare, is how his chest is literally heaving up and down. I expected him to throw his other comic-book movie persona aside and morph into the Hulk.
As a former reporter, my take is the guy was not up to the task. He was so nervous, I shuddered watching. Without a relationship with my subject, I am not going to go off topic unless I ask him if I can ask personal questions. To Robert’s credit, he was thoughtful and cooperative until the guy tried to get something sexy, which Robert was not there to do. That reporter obviously was inexperienced
I desperately wanted to see Putney Swope when it came out, but I had to delay that opportunity as I was studying for the Massachusetts bar. The afternoon after I had finished the second day of examination, I walked out of the Prudential center where the exam was located, and stepped across the street where Putney Swope was still playing. I was completely wasted, of course, which is probably the ideal way to see Putney Swope. It was simply funny funny funny.
Thanks for the heads up! We are renewing Netflix this month, Sr. will certainly be on the view list. Normally I avoid documentaries, an aversion to the real world I suspect. Sr. however is a welcome exception, also a reminder to re-view Putney Swope!
I don't think he's a spoiled movie star, but I am surprised he's not ready to deflect a question that steps out of bounds with more grace. I can understand the raised heart rate implied by the deep breaths, but I figured he was about to bounce a question off.
As I write this, it strikes me that maybe it points more to his overall honesty and kindness that he wanted to assume the best from the interviewer, and I'm surprised his handler didn't cut it off sooner. Maybe the third glance over when his eyes are clearly saying WTF?
It's hard to overstate how grueling these junkets are. You're sitting in a room 6 - 8 hours a day for at least a weekend, answering the same questions over and over. RDJ seemed like he was already close to the end of his rope when the interviewer began his questions. He tried, politely I think, throwing him a lifeline several times to let him know he was crossing a line but the journalist chose to forge right ahead. I don't think RDJ was being spoiled. His comment that this wasn't a Diane Sawyer interview was spot on. My favorite bit was the cameraman's look at the end like "Dude, you totally messed up."
None of us are our personas. I once worked on a movie with a well known actor. He was being interviewed by a local TV reporter (this was in Arizona). The reporter asked an “off script” question, and the actor basically said, “I’ll talk about two things - this movie and the one thing I really love to do - which is raise horses. Otherwise, no one really gives a damn what I think about anything. If I were a plumber - you wouldn’t be here talking to me about politics. So let’s stick to the script.”
Also, as regards actors in general, I have known several, some of them quite well - they are for the most part professionals, but we often forget that they are actors, not writers - the lines they utter are not carefully crafted nor are they the product of revision. They are simply personal comments. This often disappoints the public. While it is true that many actors seek and enjoy fame, dealing with that fame comes at a cost - the longer that fame lasts, the better the actor can deal with it as a rule. This is why younger actors have a greater percentage of flame-out. I also believe the better actors are more self-confident, and can deal with fame in a more even-handed way.
Great description of this wild video. That's the most intense I've eve seen RDJ. It made me wonder how frightening it would be to pull something similar with Robert DeNiro, who is famously reticent in interviews to begin with. I know I'm afraid of his persona, but he's probably pretty intense in interviews, too.
I felt the interviewer was fishing for a tidbit or a slip-up, something juicy. I felt he came off inexperienced and somewhat sleazy. RJD was giving him "the look" to back him off but he kept going. He didn't deserve the interview he got and appeared a fool. A tip of the hat to RJD for leaving the interview.
I saw Putney Swope on the big screen, at age 16 -- at my prep school, Mt. Hermon (the year before it became Northfield Mt. Hermon). We also saw Midnight Cowboy and Women in Love. In fact, the first thing of note that happened after I arrived at campus was an assembly for all juniors and seniors where we were shown Lindsay Anderson's _If ...._ and tasked to talk about it amongst ourselves! I just realized that the one-two punch of If.... and Putney Swope set the table for my becoming a cinephile 30+ years later. I have to see Putney again and then this doc.
And I also just realized that this insanely liberal cinematic slate had to have been an influence on the theater kids, with historic results. It sounds like a joke, but the very first NMH Senior Class Play was _Marat / Sade_, in a professional-quality production. That started a tradition that, a decade later, spawned Laura Linney, and three years after, Uma Thurman, who was discovered in the class play and immediately dropped out to turn pro. There are others, most notably Elizabeth Perkins.
I cannot wait to see this documentary; the next sight you see is me pushing everything else out of my streaming queue! Also my favorite part of the Downey interview, in addition to the murder stare, is how his chest is literally heaving up and down. I expected him to throw his other comic-book movie persona aside and morph into the Hulk.
As a former reporter, my take is the guy was not up to the task. He was so nervous, I shuddered watching. Without a relationship with my subject, I am not going to go off topic unless I ask him if I can ask personal questions. To Robert’s credit, he was thoughtful and cooperative until the guy tried to get something sexy, which Robert was not there to do. That reporter obviously was inexperienced
Good for Downey.... the man had no right.... Thanks for the tip of the documentary and for this.
I desperately wanted to see Putney Swope when it came out, but I had to delay that opportunity as I was studying for the Massachusetts bar. The afternoon after I had finished the second day of examination, I walked out of the Prudential center where the exam was located, and stepped across the street where Putney Swope was still playing. I was completely wasted, of course, which is probably the ideal way to see Putney Swope. It was simply funny funny funny.
Thanks for the heads up! We are renewing Netflix this month, Sr. will certainly be on the view list. Normally I avoid documentaries, an aversion to the real world I suspect. Sr. however is a welcome exception, also a reminder to re-view Putney Swope!
I don't think he's a spoiled movie star, but I am surprised he's not ready to deflect a question that steps out of bounds with more grace. I can understand the raised heart rate implied by the deep breaths, but I figured he was about to bounce a question off.
As I write this, it strikes me that maybe it points more to his overall honesty and kindness that he wanted to assume the best from the interviewer, and I'm surprised his handler didn't cut it off sooner. Maybe the third glance over when his eyes are clearly saying WTF?
It's hard to overstate how grueling these junkets are. You're sitting in a room 6 - 8 hours a day for at least a weekend, answering the same questions over and over. RDJ seemed like he was already close to the end of his rope when the interviewer began his questions. He tried, politely I think, throwing him a lifeline several times to let him know he was crossing a line but the journalist chose to forge right ahead. I don't think RDJ was being spoiled. His comment that this wasn't a Diane Sawyer interview was spot on. My favorite bit was the cameraman's look at the end like "Dude, you totally messed up."
None of us are our personas. I once worked on a movie with a well known actor. He was being interviewed by a local TV reporter (this was in Arizona). The reporter asked an “off script” question, and the actor basically said, “I’ll talk about two things - this movie and the one thing I really love to do - which is raise horses. Otherwise, no one really gives a damn what I think about anything. If I were a plumber - you wouldn’t be here talking to me about politics. So let’s stick to the script.”
Also, as regards actors in general, I have known several, some of them quite well - they are for the most part professionals, but we often forget that they are actors, not writers - the lines they utter are not carefully crafted nor are they the product of revision. They are simply personal comments. This often disappoints the public. While it is true that many actors seek and enjoy fame, dealing with that fame comes at a cost - the longer that fame lasts, the better the actor can deal with it as a rule. This is why younger actors have a greater percentage of flame-out. I also believe the better actors are more self-confident, and can deal with fame in a more even-handed way.
Great description of this wild video. That's the most intense I've eve seen RDJ. It made me wonder how frightening it would be to pull something similar with Robert DeNiro, who is famously reticent in interviews to begin with. I know I'm afraid of his persona, but he's probably pretty intense in interviews, too.
I felt the interviewer was fishing for a tidbit or a slip-up, something juicy. I felt he came off inexperienced and somewhat sleazy. RJD was giving him "the look" to back him off but he kept going. He didn't deserve the interview he got and appeared a fool. A tip of the hat to RJD for leaving the interview.
What would Sean Penn have done?
I saw Putney Swope on the big screen, at age 16 -- at my prep school, Mt. Hermon (the year before it became Northfield Mt. Hermon). We also saw Midnight Cowboy and Women in Love. In fact, the first thing of note that happened after I arrived at campus was an assembly for all juniors and seniors where we were shown Lindsay Anderson's _If ...._ and tasked to talk about it amongst ourselves! I just realized that the one-two punch of If.... and Putney Swope set the table for my becoming a cinephile 30+ years later. I have to see Putney again and then this doc.
And I also just realized that this insanely liberal cinematic slate had to have been an influence on the theater kids, with historic results. It sounds like a joke, but the very first NMH Senior Class Play was _Marat / Sade_, in a professional-quality production. That started a tradition that, a decade later, spawned Laura Linney, and three years after, Uma Thurman, who was discovered in the class play and immediately dropped out to turn pro. There are others, most notably Elizabeth Perkins.
Have you seen Krishnan having his butt shut down by Quentin Tarantino during press for Django?
Another one for your students https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=GrsJDy8VjZk