Being Eddie

All too often do we bio-documentaries rely on controversy or tragedy and Being Eddie is a refreshing reminder of documentary on post-peak stardom. A reminder of what a talent Murphy is, the power of change his breakthrough ushered in and the re-illumination of a star whose light is not yet burnt out.

I agree with Pete Davidson in this Eddie Murphy documentary when he says that the voice of the donkey in Shrek may be the greatest comedy performance or indeed any performance in any animated movie in history. Eddie reveals it was very draining to do because of the loud emotions & yelling, so I'd like Eddie to know that his many fans appreciate how he is ALWAYS giving the proverbial 110% on the big screen. If you're one of those fans, make sure to watch this.

Documentary. Biography. Biopic. These words used to mean something. Legendary documentarian Albert Maysles described filming a person's life as "direct cinema." Nothing got in the way of the viewer vicariously experiencing the thing documented. That was the point.

Here, in "Being Eddie," like with "Sly" or "Arnold," everything is in the way. Their egos. The brand they seek to protect. Boundaries and rules for what can be shown or said. Oh, Eddie's brother Charlie died?? Oh, he remarried? Wait, how many kids does he have?? Hold up, he had a feud with SNL?? These interesting pieces of his life would reveal him, but they're glossed over. It's like Eddie himself says about experiencing grief or loss- you just "touch it" and then quickly back away.

I'll say this: I did find it interesting he never drank or tried drugs. And I can appreciate his commitment to his kids. "If you put your kids first, you never make a wrong decision." It's refreshing to hear a star cite that "peace of mind" is the goal in life.

At the same time, it's the contradictions that would make an interesting documentary, and interesting subject - that Murphy seems centered and at peace yet felt so wounded by a David Spade SNL bit in 1995 that he severed ties with the show. Or that he's such an "East Coaster" but lives in California - why, exactly? Or that he's done as much as he has for the Black community and has a white wife (I don't care who you love, but it surely is an aspect of his life worth lingering on for a minute or two!) We don't even get a word from her, or how they met, or what it's like being married to Dr. Dolittle.

He has a massive (I mean massive) mansion that seems exorbitant even for a movie star. Did he make other investments? Was it all Shrek money? The idea that these things are too "personal" really contradicts the whole point of a biography. Instead, what we get is a paean. Seinfeld and Chappelle singing his praises, Murphy himself comparing his fame and talent to that of Jimi Hendrix.

This careful, curated portrayal of a man accomplished far less than I think was intended, and for that, a score of 6/10. Or, if what was intended was to simply paint a rosy picture of his supposed greatness, 6/10 for that too.

This story shows Eddie Murphy's story well, but it doesn't go deep into the struggles he had that made him quit movies and comedy, and everything else that was on screen, but when he came back on SNL in 2019, that was a moment when he got back his old strength and since then he is back like he never left. In my opnion this whole documentary was done well.

I think this a good look at the life and career of Eddie Murphy. I loved Eddie Murphy on SNL and I loved some of his movies. Others were horrible. He takes a lot of chances and not all work out but he was a trend setter. I loved the interviews with Chappelle, and the SNL crew etc. Eddie is an odd interview and has a somewhat overblown view of some things. I think there is the world of Eddie Murphy and the world according to Eddie Murphy and they re not exactly the same thing. That doesn't;t diminish his accomplishments or talent. Worth watching.