Waltzing with Brando

I recently sat down to screen Waltzing with Brando, a biographical film about Bernard Judge's friendship with Marlon Brando, with a heavy emphasis as to how their relationship came to be. I went in with the highest of expectations due to the involvement of Billy Zane, Tia Carrere, Richard Dreyfuss, and Jon Heder. What joy to not only have those expectations met, but surpassed. The storytelling flavor feels likened to a wholesome Hunter S. Thompson tale narrated in the style of Stand by Me or The Sandlot, with infidelity and alcohol still in the mix. Which I think rightfully conveyed the …

Films about celluloid icons during interesting or unusual periods in their personal and professional lives can make for great viewing. Of course, much depends on the quality, nature and depth of the source material for their stories. But, unfortunately, that’s where the latest offering from writer-director Bill Fishman – a comedic memoir about a legendary actor – comes up short. In the second half of the 20th Century, Marlon Brando (Billy Zane) captivated audiences with his performances in such films as “A Streetcar Named Desire” (1951) and “On the Waterfront” (1954), and, by the 1970s, he had…