Harry Dean Stanton: Partly Fiction

source: Harry Dean Stanton: Partly Fiction

As a fan of HDS, I was looking forward to a factual documentary and a celebration of his work, but this collection of clips, old songs and ramblings was deeply irritating. We kept giving it another five minutes to see if it would come up with something interesting, new or informative, but it never did. We gave up after about 30 minutes.

Harry Dean Stanton: Partly Fiction (2012) *** 1/2 (out of 4) This documentary takes a look at character actor Harry Dean Stanton but if you're expecting something normal then you're certainly not going to get that. Stanton admits that he's a loner and a man of few words so allowing a documentary crew in might seem strange but it makes for a rewarding film. Stanton doesn't say too much in the film and there are times where he says he doesn't want to discuss certain things like his parents. Later, some stories come out about his parents as he is discussing his working style and we learn small bits of information about him. Throughout the documentary he briefly touches upon a few of his films as well as his relationship with the likes of Jack Nicholson and Marlon Brando who he worked with on THE MISSOURI BREAKS. The film also offers up some great moments where Stanton sits down with the likes of David Lynch and Kris Kristofferson. These small conversations are a lot of fun and it really helps you see a bit more into the actor. The likes of Wim Wenders, Debbie Harry and Sam Shepard are also interviewed here and share their thoughts on why Stanton is so special. Again, if you're expecting some sort of documentary that covers every aspect of Stanton's life and career then that's not what this is. In fact, very few of his movies are discussed yet we do get to hear him say that he regrets not doing more stuff musically in his career. We also get few different songs performed by the actor and they were actually very good. HARRY DEAD STANTON: PARTLY FICTION is a fascinating movie and one that his fans should enjoy.

PLOT HARRY DEAN STANTON: PARTLY FICTION is a portrait of the iconic actor comprised of intimate moments, film clips from some of his 250 films and his own heart-breaking renditions of American folk songs. The film explores the actor's enigmatic outlook on his life, his unexploited talents as a musician, and includes candid scenes with David Lynch, Wim Wenders, Sam Shepard, Kris Kristofferson and Debbie Harry. The fragile soul of an actor emerges from the poignant collage. All this movie prove is that HDS is a nutcase. He no longer knows where he is and smokes like a fiend. It's actually rather sad because he REALLY donest know where he is. David Lynch arrives and tries to prop him up but doesn't succeed. It's really sad watching a movie where the main guy clearly just want to go to sleep.