Great Film overall

A movie that not only functions as a solid scarefest but a razor-sharp satire.

Story: It's very simple but honestly that is fine.

The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

Like many others, am an admirer of Werner Herzog's work and his partnership with Klaus Kinski is quite iconic for good reason. Kinski was a great actor who deserved more recognition than he actually got, and his work with Herzog was when he was at his best.All five of their films together are worth watching or more. Was let down somewhat by 'Cobra Verde', but 'Aguirre Wrath of God' is a masterful crowning achievement in German (and foreign) cinema and 'Fitzcarraldo' (for me their best) is even more of a masterpiece. 'Nosferatu' and 'Woyzeck' are also great, near-classics. Just for the record, admired Herzog's work in all five films (it was the script and story that let down 'Cobra Verde') and Kinski's performances were great or more in all too.'My Best Fiend' is fascinating, as well as sometimes funny and affecting, and a must for anybody wanting to know more about Herzog and Kinski, more so on Kinski. Herzog comes across as a very knowledgeable and quite funny man, also very perceptive, if also somewhat mad (not quite as much as Kinski though). What is said about Kinski is incredibly illuminating, not only showing what a great actor he was but also that he was a complex individual, much more complex than he is often made out to be.Much is said about how notoriously difficult he was to work with, that he was pretty nuts and wasn't the nicest of guys, but actually there is also things said about him having a softer side (the most memorable being his 'Woyzeck' co-star Eva Mattes) that we don't hear much of. The other contributions are also interesting, such as from Mattes and Claudia Cardinale.It is also made with a lot of affection, and one really does see how great an actor Kinski was.Overall, fascinating and a must see, both for fans of this partnership and as a documentary in general. 10/10 Bethany Cox

It's not a long time since I watched for the very first a Werner Herzog film. Actually that happened during this same month (when I watched Nosferatu: Phantom der Nacht). Right now I have seen four of the five films that Herzog and Klaus Kinski made as together as director and actor (Cobra Verde is the only one still to watch but I have it already on DVD) so it was time to finally watch My Best Fiend. Is obvious that now I'm totally into the work of Herzog, this documentary is a must see for any fan of the work of Herzog and of the acting of Kinski. It is not a masterwork however the subject is more than interesting. I remember that the first time I watched a performance of Kinski was in the film Les Fruits de la Passion. By then I didn't know who was Kinski and I haven't watched that film again (I have it on VHS and right now I don't have a video tape recorder available) but I do remember it a little. I have it as part of a box of erotic classics and it does have many sex scenes, quite explicit. Later I saw Kinski in For A Few Dollars More, a film that I loved and Kinski is great in it however it was until this month when, as I said, finally I watched a Herzog film and with that I quickly remember Les Fruits de la Passion. Basically I never forgot that Sergio Leone film but with Nosferatu: Phantom der Nacht and Aguirre, der Zorn Gottes I began my true admiration for Kinski.The films of the team Herzog/Kinski are more than great, extremely interesting and all of the ones I have seen with a magnificent Kinski. My Best Fiend is a documentary indicated just for persons who loved those films for obvious reasons. And it doesn't shows who was Kinski apart of what Herzog lived with him but he lived a lot of things, interesting things. We watch Herzog visiting those places where Kinski made that another grey hair appeared in Herzog's head. And Herzog begins in Munich where he shared house with Kinski (I didn't know that Kinski was 16 years older than Herzog), where he knew Kinski, his temperament. The footage of the making of the films is really interesting. Kinski was crazy, simply. I remember that recently when I talked with my cousin about the Herzog/Kinski films I said "I read that Kinski was crazy" and he said "but why?" I said something like "well he shot someone of the crew" "well for sure that's a type of madness" said my cousin. I'm mentioning this because I read many stuff of Kinski mainly in the Internet before watching this film and most of the quotes of Herzog come from this film. Of course Herzog not only visited the places but also meet with some of the cast and crew who worked with him and Kinski. Is unique because we watch Herzog speaking Spanish, of course German and narrating in English. We also see two actresses, the one of Woyzeck (they visited the place where they filmed Woyzeck) and the one of Fitzcarraldo. Eva Mattes won in Cannes but Kinski doesn't and is very funny to hear Herzog saying that Kinski said something like "I don't need awards, I know I'm a genius", it is true. It is interesting enough to easily say that it was absolutely worth watching. Of course Herzog was the sane and Kinski the madman when they were together but Herzog was also crazy, he has other type of craziness. Many unforgettable images but one of my favourites is when they meet again after some years I think in Colorado. Is all happiness and with that I guess many of the ones who knew both could think something like "who can understand these two? " There's also footage of a fight between Kinski and a producer, I think, and is a fight apparently for food. Watch how Kinski respected Herzog. I respect both for those four films that I loved and I hope soon I can say I love the five films of the Herzog/Kinski team. This was just the second documentary of Herzog that I watched, the other was Grizzly Man and for me that film is a masterwork. This one should be watched once you have watched some of those mentioned five films.

The documentary made by Werner Herzog tells about the legendary love-hate relationship between the director who was ready to climb to Hell for his every movie and border-line insane genius actor Klaus Kinski who might have been one of the creatures from Hell that Herzog had to face. It is hard to imagine two people more different than Herzog and Kinski: "...stone and waves, the coldest ice and hottest flames have more in common, differ less" but they both were driven and obsessed artists. Famous for his wild and ferocious talent and temperament to match, Kinski was incredibly difficult to work with. He wrote about himself, "I am a wild animal born in captivity, in a zoo but where beast would have claws, I have talent". Kinski's talent was fully realized in five films that he made with Werner Herzog over a fifteen-year working period, starting with astounding "Aguirre, the Wrath of God" (1973), and then following with "Fitzcarraldo," "Nosferatu" (1979), inspired by Murnau's silent vampire classic; "Woyzeck" (1979), about a 19th century army private who seems mad to others because he looks and acts so differently from them, and "Cobra Verde" (1988). It is impossible to imagine any other actor starring in these films and they are without doubt the best Kinski ever made (and he made hundreds of films). Thanks to the Herzog's documentary we are able to learn what exactly went on behind the stunning images and unforgettable performances. According to Herzog, "people like Marlon Brando are just kindergarden comparing to Kinski. He is mad and unpredictable." They liked each other, they hated each other, and they respected each other at the same time making plans to murder each other. Kinski, who respected Herzog, and valued his friendship, confessed to the director that in his autobiography he would describe their relationship in not very flattering terms - otherwise, the crowd would not read it. Herzog recalls how they both would sit together at the bench after the shooting and discuss what Kinski would write in his book. I am curious if they discussed and agreed upon the following passage and if Herzog helped Kinski with some of the colorful metaphors: "I absolutely despise this murderous Herzog! Huge red ants should p**s into his lying eyes, gobble up his balls, penetrate his a**hole and eat his guts." Even after watching the fascinating documentary, it is difficult to fully understand the relationship between two giants but as Herzog admits, the only thing that counts is what we see on the screen and what we see is amazing.

For some reason, I thought this would in some manner be a hiatus in Herzog's directing career and that the film would be a down-to-earth, matter-of-factish documentary. Surprisingly, it turned out to be a typical Herzog film, as always with the protagonist (in this case Kinski) balancing on the edge of insanity and the overall atmosphere of the movie ending up to be very strange. It has fewer of the flaws(?) found in the earlier Herzog movies. However, the entire movie was dubbed into English even on my subtitled version. It turned out fine, but seemed a little unnecessary. In sum, Herzog fans shouldn't miss this one.