David Bowie: The Last Five Years

Being born in 1960 I had the privilege of listening to David Bowie and watching his TV and movie performances for most of my life. This documentary really shows his ability and love of his craft right to the unfortunate end. I hope many people can take from this who suffer in any way what true strength and heart can do. I hope even though he's gone that the current and coming generations will appreciate his pure talent was and I believe this film shows just that. Bravo Tony Visconti, Carlos Alamar and others who knew him for your support and help through his career and your presence in this documentary. Having those only who actually knew him and not others who can only comment on his talent was a relief. Of all the documentaries I've watched through the years about someone famous this is the only one I give 10/10.

Last five years of the great star's life, but really a review of his career with studio versions of his songs played over obscure live footage.

Most interesting thing I took from it is the Major Tom element. At one point Bowie says it was his internal dialogue made manifest, then there's an image of a skeleton orbiting in space, then a skeleton discovered inside a spacesuit, then an adaptation of Heroes for Lazarus, then screw heads for eyes over a bandage in a death bed. You had to be there.

Overall: engaging, gets more interesting in the end.

This captures a great artist writing the final verses of his song.

He shows us who is was is who he is.

Proof of sick wisdom.

This is an interesting documentary about Bowie, however it is not what I had hoped for. Mostly it is interviews with people he worked with giving snippets of Bowie's personality, music and actions from way back. I don't understand where the "Last Five Years," comes into play. They show clips from as far back as they could find them. Also, it is rather disjointed with going from one phase of his career to the other, back and forth, back and forth, trying to perhaps contrast his styles, I suppose. If you are a huge Bowie fan, you will love it. If you liked his music simply for the music's sake, it will bore you.

Conceptually, it works as intended: Bowie, from the perspective of those who worked with him and loved him. And there is more joy than sadness here. No fluff, no glorification, just a true to life account of a creative genius' last 5 years, true to himself until the very end. You will never get a full picture from Bowie. It's up to you to figure out the puzzle, and it's beautiful.