The Kid Stays in the Picture (2002)
US 93m, Colour & B&W
Directors: Nanette Burstein & Brett Morgen; Cast: Robert Evans, Francis Ford Coppola, Ali MacGraw, Jack Nicholson, Dustin Hoffman
The Kid Stays in the Picture is an engaging autobiographical film about the life of Robert Evans whose remarkable career and turbulent life as an actor, film producer and Hollywood studio head is told by way of a montage of photographs and film clips. In narrating the production himself, the film feels incredibly self-indulgent, and yet, who better to tell his stories? Despite his enormous ego, Evans’ film legacy speaks for itself, suggesting that not only did he have the knack for being in the right place at the right time (most of the time), that his instincts for talent, film and a good story were second to none (Klaus Ming April 2012).
I doubt if I’ll see this, but I enjoy reading about it because it reminds me of both The Sun Also Rises (which I like despite its flaws) and Wag the Dog (Dustin Hoffman’s perfornance was based on Evans — “This? This is nothing. I was three weeks into production on Song of Solomon when I realized I didn’t own the rights.”)
Definitely a flawed film, but such a fascinating character.