Val

A documentary about Val Kilmer with the voice of his son Jack, because Val Kilmer had throat cancer, is considered cancer-free since 2017, but his voice suffered from "extensive radiation and chemotherapy."

"Val" premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in July and is now available to watch on Amazon.

What you know about Val Kilmer as an actor and a person always depends on how much you've studied him.

I knew that Val Kilmer had his difficulties on some film shoots in the 90s with directors (e.g. John Frankenheimer - "The island of Dr. Moreau", Joel Schuhmacher - "Batman Forever") and some fellow actors, so it was difficult for him to find roles from the mid 90s and he appeared more and more in B-movies and indepentend films. Ok.

The documentary is told from his point of view and we learn quite a bit about his childhood, his family, his acting beginnings, his career highlights and his present (anno documentary).

With a running time of about 108 minutes, a rather quiet, prudent narrative reveals a man who does not necessarily reflect everything as it was at the time, but reflects on the stations of his life at that time and shows us more the current Val Kilmer and in rare footage the Val Kilmer of that time. As for disputes with fellow actors, Val Kilmer is silent. That is also not the subject of the documentary, the gossip press can report on it. As far as problems with directors are concerned, I think they are only mentioned in one film, but that's not the topic either.

Here an actor shows how he came to acting and what it means to him, in a retrospective with quiet tones. Sometimes it's hard to understand Val Kilmer himself when he's speaking, but it's the unpretentiousness here and there that makes this documentary work. Val Kilmer recorded an incredible amount of his life himself and the documentary shows very private footage of his childhood with his brothers, his parents and his acting, be it in his own home movies, applications for movies, his "practicing" lines from Hamlet, etc.

Overall, fascinating, very moving, informative and very interesting, this (self-)portrait of an actor and artist who has a great sense of family and an incredibly wide range of acting.

Recommended.

First, I am a Val Kilmer fan but had not expected to be as surprised and gratified as I am for this movie. Every actor gives a part of themselves to us as a gift, but the honest reflection and bravery to show the weaknesses which many people hide, makes this an amazing movie.

I am shocked at some of the comments on other reviews; saddened and disheartened that people can watch (even if they did) someone take off their mask and be real, then respond with vileness and cruelty. This was the first time I have ever had the privilege of seeing someone deal with life after fame and call themselves out on the fear and self doubt which can go with living in the light of yesterday. Showing the real struggles, exhaustion, and misunderstanding of a life that could have been stolen by cancer, instead rekindled into faith. Thank you Val for showing me a piece of humanity I will cherish. It is brave and made me a better person for the glimpse.

So touching. There's a lot to unpack in this documentary, and it's done so well. Especially if you're over forty, have gone through a divorce or possibly dealing with a chronic illness...shines a light of self reflection that so many of us can relate to. A reminder that regardless of fame and fortune, a man is still human and will undoubtedly experience the same collective gains and losses in this life that we all share; love, heartbreak, joy, grief, success, and failure. And inevitably, time.

Val's journey is captivating and it's so beautiful to hear it told through his words and his son's voice. He really bares his soul and sometimes it made me cry other times I had to laugh..but through it all I felt compelled to admire a man, that in so many ways and in so many amazing roles, has quite literally been part of the soundtrack of my life... and for what's it worth, he'll always be my Huckleberry.

Val, you're so loved. Thanks for letting your fans see the best part of you. Your heart.

Thank you to the Kilmer Family and ofcourse Val for showing your side of earth and life. Your story is true, raw, deep, sad and funny. Laughter and creativity celebrated, truth spoken. Life is a journey that can be observed and appreciated or forgotten so thank you. We are all imperfect but with love and god it can beautiful. Peace and love and the right balance for you and your family.

You infrequently see as honest a documentary as "Val," a life of Val Kilmer (Batman, Jim Morrison, et al.). In fact, because it is largely made up of his 40 years of self-videotaping, it has the feel of one of the most authentic autobiographies ever made. With his voice and his son, Jack's, it feels as if we are in his living room as they play the highlights of his glamorous career.

Although I was super pleased about Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain in its analysis of celebrity, Val crushes that doc with Kilmer's honest assessments of his life and his career without seemingly embellishing it or shaping it favorably. Bourdain's life has charm and a surface truth, but Val feels like Kilmer has let us into his soul for long enough to see a talented artist ceaselessly trying to interpret his chaotic world.

Although in his mature years he has suffered the loss of his voice from a procedure on his trachea for throat cancer, I can't find a word of bitterness that he has to stop his career and plug the hole in a voice box to talk, albeit scratchy and taking a while to get used to. He remains in his 60's searching the secrets of life, the best being honesty and love. Those are the two words to describe him and this doc.

For the more detail-desiring cinephiles less sentimental than I, this doc is full of off-camera insights: his longing to play Morrison and then his giving up his months' guitar practice to airplay the role, his confession that he couldn't act or move in that imprisoning Batman suit, his disappointment at the disastrous film The Island of Dr. Moreau and missing his chance to get close to his idol, Marlon Brando, his bonding as Iceman with Cruise, and so much more.

The footage of him arguing with director John Frankenheimer defines not so much Val's reputation for being difficult but rather his striving for perfection-A Juilliard grad, not a god.

Throughout this personal portrait of a star who fell from grace from bad choices (Willow, anyone?) and his own arrogance, Val Kilmer appreciates the gifts life has given him and its disappointments from which he becomes one of the most self-aware documentarians in his profession.

Val is a doc to be savored, and now that it is streaming on Prime, to be seen more than once. It's that good.