To me, this movie is perfection.

For all the hype it got I was expecting a lot more!

a film so unique, intoxicating and bizarre that it not only demands another viewing, but is also forgivable as a satirical comedy where the jokes eventually take the back seat.

It's an amazing and heartbreaking story.

I've read a couple of reviews which say that this documentary is biased toward offering a flattering view of Rand. Though that may be the case, I still found the documentary to be very compelling. There are many video clips of interviews with her which gave me a much deeper sense of who she is as a person. Though she is a self-declared atheist and speaks of reason as being man's highest faculty, I think that those are simply the words that she uses to express something that for me isn't atheism and is beyond mere reason. Though I think that intuition in many ways is superior to reason, I don't know her description of reason and Objectivism necessarily contradicts the importance of spirit and intuition. She simply does not believe in a wishy-washy, New Agey mysticism and in a God who is separate from Man. Though I'm not sure that I agree with her disregard of altruism and her call for selfishness, I again think that she and I may simply use the words in a different way. She offers a compelling call to honor that which is great within oneself and to honor oneself by being true to oneself. Doing so honors what it is to be human, and that honors all human beings. This documentary helped me see that I had missed some of the essence of what she is about. Beyond her controversial use of certain words like selfishness and altruism, I share a similar understanding of life, what one might call God, and what it is to be human. I am reminded to be more true to myself and not to live for others at the sacrifice of what is true for me. One can truly live for others only if one is first true to himself. Listening to Rand gives me a visceral understanding of this idea, not just a philosophical understanding. This documentary deserves at least 8/10, if not more.

Whether it was altruism, Immanuel Kant or religion, she had no patience for that with which she did not agree. While I'm glad she was as much outspoken about her atheism as she was with her right-wing views, a lot of what she wrote seemed to view man in a sort of vacuum.Yes, I am proud when I do a good job. And, I think one of the greatest feelings is not only achieving success, but deserving it. However, I work hard to impact the people around me. Whether it's for my customers or for my coworkers, it's why I put in the extra effort.As for my altruistic efforts (minor as they may be), they make up my "sense of life." On another topic, why she was so appalled by suicide is beyond me.I'm not a philosophy student, and I've never written about it, so please pardon any juvenile statements in this post. Thanks.

Documentary (narrated by Sharon Gless) about the life and times of author/philosopher Ayn Rand. Movies goes into exhaustive detail about her coming here from Russia, her "objectivism" philosophy, her books, her whole entire life. The film is too long (2 1/2 hours) and gets repititous at times (we hear about every single aspect of objectivism--it's not necessary and really weighs the movie down). Nonetheless, it is interesting and (I think) worth seeing for people who like or are interested in Rand. If you don't like her stay away.

Much critical has been and will be said about this writer; this film's coverage is a fair salvo from Rand's side. As such, it's indispensable in the debate about the relevance of her philosophy, novels and achievements.