Waste of time

Terrible acting, screenplay and direction.

Really Surprised!

Just what I expected

I saw this last night at about 3:00 AM. As a songwriter, as a Carpenters fan, you'll see the self destruction the drug use and ultimately the salvation of one the most poignant songwriters of the 1970's. I was one of the many that thought Paul Williams was actually dead. To see him moving on in life... Still writing, performing, and honored... It gives one hope that in the end, if one stays true to themselves, their craft and the people that they love, it'll all work out in the end.There's a couple of times that you get to see him with his dander up. But mostly, you get to understand the killer instinct that inhabits every songwriter in their quest to write that perfect tune. A take no prisoners attitude. He's moving forward, and if you just wanna look back in anger or regret, then don't come a callin'!Yes Paul, we all will be remembered for the things that we say and do, ...and you haven't done so bad yourself.Kat Holiday

As a fan of Paul Williams I was looking forward to this documentary. Indeed I was heartened when the director, Stephen Kessler, begins his film explaining what a fan he was of the era in which Paul Williams was well... Paul Williams, and how big a fan he was of the man himself. Alas, we never get to see into Paul Williams.Unbelievably, while "Phantom of the Paradise" and fan conventions for that film is where Kessler's story starts, the director never delves into just what made "Phantom of the Paradise" so special to so many, never asks Paul Williams about the film, his inspiration, his contributions to the film. It might as well have never happened. Hello?! Mr. Kessler?! Maybe peal back the onion a bit on "Phantom of the Paradise"? Ask a few questions about the film? I was waiting... nothing. The film only begins to show what it could have been at the very end where we finally see into what Paul Williams thinks of all this, what he once was, and his career. But unfortunately it's too little too late. Even the uplifting ending comes off as manufactured and trite. Like after knowing each other for over 2 years Paul just happens to mention, "Oh... I got VHS tapes".I trust there's a future in Mexican food commercials for Mr. Kessler. At least there, in the one we saw in his documentary, we saw the cheese in the burrito.

This film is a must-see for anyone who grew up in the 1970s, back when you couldn't watch TV without coming into contact with Paul Williams. You'll be transported back to the days when you sat on the shag carpeting in front of your family's console television, close enough to reach out and turn the knob to change channels. And the soundtrack will conjure up memories of riding in the back seat of your best friend's parents' station wagon, listening to Casey Kasem counting down the Top 40.Archival footage of Williams skydiving in an episode of "Circus of the Stars" is inserted at three different points in the film, each time conveying a different mood, coinciding with the stages of his life. Williams describes the feeling of going from A-list celebrity at the top of the world, to depressed, isolated drug addict, to sober husband and father who finally has control of both his career and his self-esteem.Director Stephen Kessler lives out the fantasy of finding your childhood idol, getting to follow him around, and becoming close friends. Don't try this yourself, because you'll probably be arrested for stalking. Just enjoy the hilarious relationship that develops between these two men and the inspiring story they have to tell.

I only just re-discovered Paul Williams a year ago, although he was a clear memory from my childhood. Williams was a ubiquitous TV personality in the 1970s. And although the film will definitely appeal to nostalgia addicts of a certain age, it has more than enough good humor and emotional resonance to draw in anyone who's never heard of him (everyone's heard his songs). Kessler approaches his subject with great love, respect, and a sometimes intrusive curiosity. Williams responds at first with suspicion, then eventually trust. The growing affinity between subject and filmmaker almost becomes a second plot line - the primary one being Williams' manic career. It's edited with wit and, dare I say, pathos. I sat fairly close to the screen, and there were a few moments where shaky camera-work bothered me, but that's an inevitability whenever a filmmaker obsessively attempts to capture the essence of a childhood hero. The film also functions as a meditation on the true meaning of success and happiness. It's a lesson sorely needed in an aggressively competitive world, but the film doesn't preach. You walk away with some of the most beautiful songs ringing in your head. A beautiful film.