I Am Chris Farley (2015)

Such a frustrating disappointment

A lot of perfectly good film show their cards early, establish a unique premise and let the audience explore a topic at a leisurely pace, without much in terms of surprise. this film is not one of those films.

All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

7 out of 10 may seem like a good rating for I Am Chris Farley, and on the whole this is a documentary worth watching, primarily for those who have seen Farley's work back in the 90's (I want to see more of the perspective of someone who isn't a fan, or was too young to see the impact at the time). And for myself the work of this man has resonance from a specific time; as an adolescent, Farley came at just the right time in my life via his work on SNL and movies like Tommy Boy and Coneheads, and I even found as an overweight kid that he was kind of an odd role model.Here was a guy acting like a silly fool on TV and in movies, but in the roles he was committed completely, without any equivocation, while also having a pure, kind spirit about how he related to other actors and characters: a man-child in a way that wasn't stupid in an obnoxious way (a danger with comedian stars today). Among the sort of BIG comedic stars of his time he went even BIGGER than someone like Belushi (maybe slightly less, uh, nuanced if that's possible as comparison), and with a drive all his own. His death was a shattering moment in my life, though I wonder what would've happened had I grown up more with him around - but for a 13 year old, he was just about perfect.This documentary looks at his life from start to end, from his childhood and early years gaining his footing as someone who just liked to perform for people on stage (from small clubs to Second City), to SNL and stardom. There are plenty of talking-heads to keep it all moving, plus photos and selected clips from when he was on stage at things like the small club in Milwaukee where he got more focused as a performer, and it's his family that sheds light on a man who was loaded for bear with passion for being silly and making people laugh (sometimes to borderline dangerous results - an anecdote about taking out his penis in a high school typing class is very funny and could only work with Farley and the context of the place).There might have been a slight quality to some of this first half, and I think it's simply because the directors are making something for TV; this was shot for the Spike TV channel, and the filmmakers use light, bouncy (but very generic) music to move parts of it along, and the same type of generic music over sadder/darker moments when they pop up (mostly near the end of the movie). I also wish that the filmmakers, for all of the clips from SNL (of course) and Tommy Boy and Black Sheep, got other clips were featured to see his different roles (Wayne's World, Coneheads, Airheads, the final performances in Almost Heroes or Dirty Work), or even the audio for certain clips from his very early stage work. But most of all I wish the documentary were longer, and that the filmmakers went more in depth about the dark side of his life; it's not that it isn't touched on, and it's seen how he slipped off into despairing situations in addiction, but it's not given equal weight, and his final year is mostly skimmed over.And yet the clips that are featured are wonderful, and the anecdotes from certain people like Bob Odenkirk (you can tell Farley was so important a person, nevermind talent, to him), Lorne Michaels, and cast from SNL like Myers and Sandler and Spade make for shaping up Farley as this genuinely good person who was just genuinely uncontrollable as a comic talent and (unfortunately) as an addict. I found myself laughing, big belly laughs I mean, for scenes from SNL that I've seen many times. Something about Farley was so genuine as a performer, there was no real BS about him, and he would go for a joke even if it wasn't there (the skit on the show where he's in the beard at the restaurant) which just shows his total tenacity. And yet it's also revelatory to how he was a solid Christian man in spirit. What's most fascinating about I Am Chris Farley is seeing a man who's own love of excess as an actor and as a man was his own undoing. I wish there was more detail.

I am Joel "Meeza" Mesa (also known as a Lobsterman in a little boat) and the following is my review on the insightful documentary on the legendary late great comic Chris Farley entitled "I Am Chris Farley". Brent Hodge and Derik Murray, who collaborated in writing and directing the documentary, interview Farley's comic collaborators including SNL peers: Mike Myers, Adam Sandler, David Spade and others; and they provide their enlightening stories on their work & experiences with Chris on the SNL set. Chris Farley's brothers also put their ten cents in the pleasure of having Chris as a brother. Sure, the doc does present on Farley's drug addiction & low self-esteem which ultimately led to his death; but Hodge & Murray prioritized more the lively, generous, caring, and vivacious talented comic that was Chris Farley by celebrating his life. Farley was not just a Chippendale, I mean chip of the old block. Even through his depression, Farley had so much life in him; and it's very disheartening that his life was short lived. So that was me, Joel "Meeza" Mesa, telling you all Tommy Boys & Girls to see the entertaining documentary "I Am Chris Farley". ***** Excellent

A documentary on the comedian Chris Farley's life with interviews with fellow comedians and friends like David Spade, Christina Applegate, Mike Myers, Tom Arnold and Dan Aykroyd and others.It also has Chris siblings, most notably Kevin Farley in it to provide stories of what Chris was like growing up.Although it entertains and occasionally gets emotional when you see a hardended cynic like David Spade become emotional and having a hard time speaking it does feel like a very sugar-coated version of Chris' life.It doesn't really speak much of Chris' hardships and why he became an addict and any real bad things that he did (which I imagine he did do as we all do) and it pretty much paints him out as a saint clown with self esteem issues.Now I'm not saying that he wasn't a lovely guy, I'm sure he was, but there is a constant sense of "they're holding something back to save the memory of Chris Farley".It's also very simple in it's structure, it has a couple people talk about Chris as a child to Chris getting into acting and Chris on the set etc etc, no fancy cuts or effects, more like a memoir collection than a full on documentary where you get to know the man up close and personal.But still, worth the watch for sure, especially if you're a Chris Farley fan.

I quite like Chris Farley but I haven't seen enough of him to call myself a fan. From clips and bit parts, I've gathered what he's about, but it's a shame he's not starred in a more tempting film to watch him go full throttle. Nevertheless, his death is still a moving tragedy of a talented comic's life cut short. I Am Chris Farley is a passionate tribute to him that struggles to get passed its mourning, but with fair reason. Outside of clips of Farley making humorous but contextless noises, the documentary is never funny, but it doesn't have to be and it's moving where it counts. Generally taking the film in chronological order, it frames the film about a David Letterman interview that feels inconsequential in the grand scheme of things, but perhaps they didn't have the biggest wealth of material to delve into. The doc's biggest strengths naturally come from Farley's Saturday Night Live heyday which are a pleasure to watch. Despite the film's shortcomings, it's most interesting in the idea that someone as beloved and chaotic as Chris Farley would still concern himself over his craft being perfect and the film is most poignant when it acknowledges that anything less than perfection is still worthy. I Am Chris Farley is far from perfect but certainly worth the watch for anyone with at least a casual interest in the man.7/10