Robert Evans is a Hollywood legend. For the good, for the bad and for the somewhere in between. The man is often portrayed as the "guy that got lucky", but isn't that a bit unfair? He was only the oil that made the steel wheels go around - but in Tinseltown oil is king.
He also had good taste and he got what he wanted. He made Francis Ford Copolla what he is today having - as this film makes clear - made three utterly offbeat flops and a b-picture.
He is more than a row of credits - including producing the best film that was ever made in The Godfather. Or so IMDb.com says anyway. Did anyone see a blockbuster in a gangster film before it was actually made? No, but Evans did.
This production uses the (droning) voice of Evans and a load of cuts-and-paste animation's plus old film clips. There are times when the clips are probably nothing to do with the subject in hand. London police holding back the crowds? Which crowds? Or does this not matter?
Evans shows that he can actually act a bit despite being a failed actor. Just a bit. Enough to get the money and to persuade the money guys that they are not hearing the sound of toilets flushing. Even though they sometimes did. Naturally this has nothing to do with Evans. The Cotton Club was expensive because he lost control of his original lead and lost control of his director.
Sometime after this someone ended up dead. Somehow people started to falsely tie Evans in to this death. He was never even a suspect - but there had to be more to it than he is telling here. I know a short change when I hear one!
He had loads of friends. From Bob Hope to Jack Nicolson, stopping off at Paul Newman. He even had them appear at his benefit gig - some sort of trade off to stop him going to prison for dope dealing. I won't spoil the film by giving the full excuse here - but he should have served time.
It is hard to feel sorry for Evans because he had loads of women (he was a good looking guy), loads of dope (you should here the excuses made here!!!) and loads of money. He did work hard as well.
What drags this production down a couple of notches is that Evans never lets anyone else speak. It is my version or no version and is not really a documentary in my book. More a long drone - although the subject makes up for it a little bit.
Evans has gone the way of all flesh. He has got older, he has got fatter and he has got lazier. But he has had his day in the sun and that is what counts. His fifteen minutes are up and the party is over. He lived the American dream and emerged the other side - if only just.
This film demonstrates that hard work and luck are no substitute for talent, but they are the next best thing..
He also had good taste and he got what he wanted. He made Francis Ford Copolla what he is today having - as this film makes clear - made three utterly offbeat flops and a b-picture.
He is more than a row of credits - including producing the best film that was ever made in The Godfather. Or so IMDb.com says anyway. Did anyone see a blockbuster in a gangster film before it was actually made? No, but Evans did.
This production uses the (droning) voice of Evans and a load of cuts-and-paste animation's plus old film clips. There are times when the clips are probably nothing to do with the subject in hand. London police holding back the crowds? Which crowds? Or does this not matter?
Evans shows that he can actually act a bit despite being a failed actor. Just a bit. Enough to get the money and to persuade the money guys that they are not hearing the sound of toilets flushing. Even though they sometimes did. Naturally this has nothing to do with Evans. The Cotton Club was expensive because he lost control of his original lead and lost control of his director.
Sometime after this someone ended up dead. Somehow people started to falsely tie Evans in to this death. He was never even a suspect - but there had to be more to it than he is telling here. I know a short change when I hear one!
He had loads of friends. From Bob Hope to Jack Nicolson, stopping off at Paul Newman. He even had them appear at his benefit gig - some sort of trade off to stop him going to prison for dope dealing. I won't spoil the film by giving the full excuse here - but he should have served time.
It is hard to feel sorry for Evans because he had loads of women (he was a good looking guy), loads of dope (you should here the excuses made here!!!) and loads of money. He did work hard as well.
What drags this production down a couple of notches is that Evans never lets anyone else speak. It is my version or no version and is not really a documentary in my book. More a long drone - although the subject makes up for it a little bit.
Evans has gone the way of all flesh. He has got older, he has got fatter and he has got lazier. But he has had his day in the sun and that is what counts. His fifteen minutes are up and the party is over. He lived the American dream and emerged the other side - if only just.
This film demonstrates that hard work and luck are no substitute for talent, but they are the next best thing..