Adrienne

This love-letter by Adrienne Shelly's widower is heartfelt and well-constructed. It got some poor reviews by people who are focused on their own tragedies. I lost someone very close to me only six months ago, but I assure you I'm able to judge this film on its own merits.

The film is a bit self-indulgent in terms of (uneven) pacing and run-time. While I'm sure Mr. Ostroy had good reasons for including all the historical footage that he did (and I'm just some random jerk), I believe that slightly more aggressive editing would have helped.

There is a spooky moment about 40 minutes in; it caught my attention. There is also a moment near the end, in an interview with the (very strong) daughter, that for me was so sad and genuine, it was like a dagger to the heart.

I rate this thoughtful and evocative film at eight (8) stars. RIP Adrienne; you are missed.

As "Adrienne" (2021 release; 98 min.) opens, we see home video footage of a Halloween party in 2006, featuring actress-director Adrienne Shelly and her 2 yr old daughter Sophie. The voice over informs us that shockingly Adrienne would be found dead the very next day, November 1, 2006. We then go to "New York City, May, 2019", where the musical "Waitress", adapted from Adrienne Shelly's last movie released just months after her death, is doing great business on Broadway. At this point we are 10 min into the film.

Couple of comments: this documentary is directed by Andy Ostroy, husband of Adrienne Shelly. The movie is two things into one: first and foremost, Ostroy wants to pay tribute to Adrienne and at the same time preserve Adrienne's legacy and memory for Sophie (now 17 years old), as a mother, a wife, an actress, a director. Second, Ostroy wants to fully understand what exactly happened that fateful November 1, 2006. I must admit I vaguely recall this happening, but I didn't know much of Adrienne Shelly's body of work. What I wasn't prepared for is the emotional toll of watching this, considering the senseless death of Adrienne. Bottom line: this movie is clearly a labor of love from Ostroy.

"Adrienne" premiered recently on HBO and is now available on HBO On Demand and HBO Max, where I caught it the other day. Whether you are a fan who is familiar with Adrienne Shelly or you know know next to nothing about her, as was the case for me, I'd readily suggest you check this out, and draw your own conclusion.

She will always be the "100% Indie actress" <3, along with fdirector Hal Hartley, it was for me, the Indie cinema era at their prime, before it became more comercial.

Andy, thank you for sharing Adrienne with us. Your documentary shows us more about Adrienne than we knew. She was such a talented, beautiful and smart woman. I throughly enjoyed her work and fortunately I can watch her films to my heart's content. Of course I wish she was still here. Waitress is a film I've seen at least a half dozen times. Her writing was so on point and the characters were developed perfectly. It was a natural process for you to make a documentary about her since you're in the business. You're expression of love for Adrienne comes through in every scene. I wish for you and your daughter a happy life.

Director Andy Ostroy made this tribute about his late wife, Adrienne Shelley, the actress, writer and director who was murdered by an Ecuadorian immigrant who was looking for money to pay his debt to the coyote who brought him to the US. To add insult to injury, the NY police initially refused to look past the circumstances of her death and called it a suicide. Only after his arguments did they reopen the investigation and call it a murder.

Senseless.

The movie is Ostroy's gift to his their daughter Sophie, who looks much like her mother. Even fourteen years after Adrienne's death, Their pain is still palpable.

What Ostroy wants us to know is how much Adrienne had to offer the world, how much it hurts that she is gone, and how much more she might have done. He interviews friends and coworkers, and gives the viewer glimpses of her last project,

The documentary is sad and unfocused, but what would you expect from something so intimate?