The Outsider

The Outsider (2005)

*** (out of 4)

Good documentary on director James Toback and the 12-day shoot of his movie WHEN WILL I BE LOVED. The documentary covers the production, post-production and eventual search for a distributor and it really gives one a great look at filming an independent movie in today's culture. The documentary also takes a look at Toback's sometimes troubled life as well as what makes him an outsider in Hollywood. This is where we hear about some of his earlier pictures including FINGERS, TWO GIRLS AND A GUY and BLACK AND WHITE. Overall I thought this was a pretty good look at both the director and his attempt to make a personal picture. I saw WHEN WILL I BE LOVED several years ago and thought it was a bad movie but it's interesting to see what all it took to try and get it made and eventually seen by the public. In fact, I thought the most interesting aspect of the documentary was when Toback was trying to get someone to buy the movie and he realizes that it's going to be a hard sell. Toback is interviewed throughout the film but we also hear from Neve Campbell, Mike Tyson, Woody Allen, Robert Downey, Jr., Harvey Keitel, Jim Brown, Roger Ebert and several others as they discuss Toback and his work. THE OUTSIDER certainly isn't ground-breaking but it's a nice look at someone trying to make personal movies even if not very many want to watch them.