|
 |  | Get Showtimes... |
Review #147 of 365
Film: Sketches of Frank Gehry [PG-13] 83 minutes
WIP™ Scale: $11.75
Where Viewed: Landmark Metro Cinemas, Seattle, WA
When 1st Seen: 8 June 2006
Time: 7:30 p.m.
Review Dedicated to: Ricky T. of Firestone, CO
 |
DVD |
Click for 'Review Lite' [a 150-word review of this film]
When you really sit down to think about it, a documentary on the life of architect Frank Gehry, perhaps best know for the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain, or, perhaps best know as the architect who snubbed his nose at the safe, conventional, traditional, tried and true, formless boxes that used to be thought of as appropriate architecture for buildings, embraced his inner child, embraced the artistic side of architecture, and created legions of followers and quite a few critics, might be an interesting idea. And such musings led multiple Academy Award®-nominee/winner, and friend of Mr. Gehry, Sydney Pollack, who had never before filmed a documentary, to take the challenge. The resulting film is lacking in only one stand out way—it does not take and Gehry-like risks. In fact, it is pretty traditional: a nearly linear tale that starts off with some of his Frank Gehry's sketches, leads to interviews in a fairly historically chronological sequence, a look into his workshop, a look at his building throughout the past 40 years, and some candid chats between Mr. Gehry and his director friend Mr. Pollack. In this sense, Mr. Pollack steps over the third wall and becomes a player in the story. It is clear that their relationship has been one of mutual artistic collaboration for some time despite disparate endeavors. It would have been cool, however, if Mr. Pollack had conceived a way to overlap the style of Gehry onto the making of the film itself. There are no curves, no winding corridors, no use of naturally occurring materials, no shapes, no geometry, no magnificent use of lighting. I found that somewhat disappointing and have no intention of letting that happen to this review. What is not disappointing however is getting to see and gain insight into Frank Gehry the man himself. For, whether you love his architecture or you pray none of his buildings ever come to your town, there is no denying that the has discovered a recipe for living life and looking at architecture from which even the most stoic disbelievers can learn. That magic, as he calls it, is really going after what you believe, being passionate about what you do, and not allowing perhaps 1000s of years of traditions, perhaps 100s of nay-sayers in your chosen profession, and literally dozens of unimaginative rule makers stand in your way. Instead, go out and make a difference because you believe you are doing something important. Personally, I found Frank Gehry fascinating. I loved the dichotomy of his character. He is a highly competitive person; and, yet, he has realized that the only way he can be really successful is to work collaboratively with a very good and strong team. He also has grown to handle the criticism that people level against his work—something we all probably need to learn to do better. He channels the criticism appropriately into improving future projects not by saying "Yes they were right," but by recognizing that his work always needs improvement. It isn't very often that history takes the time to record the musings and life story of a person who, while famous sure, isn't one of the most recognized faces of our time. The camera allows us to see the inner workings of his mind, to see how his ideas become a reality, and to observe his creative genius at work. The documentary works very well because it is a balanced portrayal. Mr. Pollack interviews some of Gehry's staunchest supporters and critics. All of this really helps us understand the man beyond his perceived ego. I enjoyed every minute of the film, but I loved getting to see Frank Gehry interact with the other people, plot and plan his next building, and reveal his human side the most. In the realm of learning, which I think can be an important aspect to the documentary genre, I learned two really important things. The first is in the area of freedom and unconventionality. Frank Gehry has not onlygiven freedom to be unconventional in the realm of architecture but in all other areas as well. Who says this has to be that way? Don't college professors and teachers especially realize the long-term damage they do to the future of creativity and ingenuity in our world by preaching a one-size fits all educational philosophy? I have had so many friends over the years, very talented artists and thinkers, be positively ruined by college professors who with their huge superiority complexes waltz in and put everyone in their place. A place, by the way, that is a confining little box of antiquated rules and ideas that I believe only when broken out of do we advance as a culture. So, I adore Frank Gehry for that. Second, I learned that a great deal about architecture, sure, but the most compelling thing to me that I learned is that casual observers who love cool buildings and all, might not ever really notice the role that light and reflection plays in the both design of structure and surface. I will never again be able to look at a building without considering the positive and negative illuminations, the way light is funneled in, out, and around the structure, and how it bounces and reflects both the surrounding buildings and into the space itself. This was a whole new area of understanding for me, that really makes Gehry's work even more interesting, dynamic, fluid, and influential. This is not one of the most jarring or draw-dropping documentary films ever made, but it certainly will entertain, enlighten, and preserve the methodology of the man considered by many to be the greatest architect of our times.
Back to Top | W.I.P. Scale™ | Most Recently Reviewed Films | Films of 2005 | Films of 2006 | movieEVERYday.com movieMARKETplace™
Click for 'Review Lite' [a 150-word review of this film]
Click for 'Review Lite' [a 150-word review of this film]
Available for Purchase or Pre-Order on DVD
Find your movies at MoviesUnlimited.com.
Sketches Of Frank Gehry [DVD](2005) DVD
| DVD | ||
| Related Book | Related Book | Related Book |
| Related Book | Related DVD | Related DVD |
Review-lite [150-word cap]
Imagine if world renowned architect, Frank Gehry--best know for the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain--asked his friend, Academy Award®-winning filmmaker Sydney Pollack, to make a documentary of his life. The result of the first-time documentarian might be, Sketches of Frank Gehry. While I enjoyed the film, I had one issue with it: while Gehry spent his life snubbing conventional, formless boxes as appropriate architecture for buildings, and embracing the artistic side of architecture, Mr. Pollack conceived no way to overlap the style of Gehry onto the making of the film. There are no curves, winding corridors, use of naturally occurring materials, shapes, magnificent use of lighting. Still, I found Frank Gehry extremely fascinating. This is not one of the most jarring documentaries ever made, but it will entertain, enlighten, and preserve the amazing methodology of the man considered by many to be the greatest architect of our times.
No comments:
Post a Comment