Man on the Moon

viewed December 22, 1999 at the Century Plaza 10

For full information about this film, click here

The problem with this film

This film puts itself in a tricky situation -- a subject who made his career striving towards inacessibility, staying one step ahead of everyone, so that people either got him or didn't.  He would have disowned this film.  That's what the somewhat clever beginning of the film tries to acknowledge, by having the ghost of Andy shun everyone from his film, and then welcome the rest of the audience (who is likely to be everyone) to watch the rest.

He was a true performance artist, unique.  

But this film doesn't quite tie in everything, like the role of meditation in his life.

Courtney Love seems to be thrown in as an afterthought.  Though she seems to be playing just herself, she has a lot of presence, though no real acting talent.

Milos Forman's greatness as a director in exploring the unappreciated visionary is too one-sided these days.

Amadeus may be his most accomplished film, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Next his most absorbing.  Now he seems more interested in hagiographies, Larry Flynt and Andy Kaufman.  

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