Steve McQueen: The Essence of Cool

June. 01,2005      NR
Rating:
7.4
Trailer Synopsis Cast

Friends, family, co-stars and admirers of actor Steve McQueen talk about his life and his movie career.

Steve McQueen as  Self (archive footage)
Chad McQueen as  Self
Neile Adams as  Self
Robert Culp as  Self
Suzanne Pleshette as  Self
Martin Landau as  Self
Don Gordon as  Self
David Foster as  Self
Lawrence Kasdan as  Self

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Reviews

Karry
2005/06/01

Best movie of this year hands down!

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Matialth
2005/06/02

Good concept, poorly executed.

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FuzzyTagz
2005/06/03

If the ambition is to provide two hours of instantly forgettable, popcorn-munching escapism, it succeeds.

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FirstWitch
2005/06/04

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

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TBJCSKCNRRQTreviews
2005/06/05

With a running time of 83 minutes, this is the shorter of the two feature-length documentaries on the 2-Disc Special Edition DVD of Bullitt. It consists of interviews(I liked the sort of "progression" in the on-screen graphic boxes that identify them) with those that worked with him, his friends and the like(not Ali McGraw, for some reason... and unsurprisingly, no one mentions why that is; maybe it had to do with something they experienced) and clips from his films(and yes, it spoils parts of several of them, obviously), a couple of times used to mirror the story being told, and done so really well. It's quite well-edited. This goes over his entire career and his personal life as well, from early on and throughout it. I have to admit, I barely knew anything about him before watching this, and now I might feel confident enough to describe him to someone else who is unaware of his personality. This keeps to a nice pace, if it doesn't seem to make efforts to mimic the energy of the man(honestly, that might have gotten straining to the viewer, what with this being an hour and a half). He is treated with respect, though the negatives of his behaviour are not ignored. The whole thing is interesting and the anecdotes are fun to hear. There is a little swearing, disturbing content and mention of drugs in this. I recommend it to any current or potential fan of McQueen, and anyone else who want to find out more about him. 7/10

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Woodyanders
2005/06/06

This documentary offers a fascinating wealth of information on legendary tough guy actor Steve McQueen. Everything from McQueen's troubled childhood to his exceptional charisma to his cool masculine presence to his competitive nature to his involvement with sex'n'drugs to his brave struggle with cancer gets addressed. Among the interview subjects are his wives Neile Adams and Barbara Minty (Adams' amazing anecdote about McQueen ordering two steaks in a restaurant is quite revealing), fellow actors Don Gordon, Robert Vaughn, Robert Culp, Sir Richard Attenborough, and Eli Wallach, directors Peter Yates and Norman Jewison, Suzanne Plushette, and son Chad (his stories about his dad being a loving and generous father are especially poignant). Starting off with his humble beginnings as a struggling newcomer at the Actors Studio in New York City, with additional details on his first lead in "The Blob," his breakthrough role on the hit TV series "Wanted: Dead or Alive," his star-making part in "The Magnificent Seven," confirming his iconic status in "The Great Escape," doing the lion's share of the driving for that extraordinary car chase in "Bullitt," his eventual interest in car racing, outstanding performance in "Papillon," becoming a recluse at the height of his popularity in the 70's, and his last two films "Tom Horn" and "The Hunter," this always compelling and perceptive documentary on the mesmerizing bad boy and former Marine with the piercing blue eyes who was a loner, a straight-shooter, an incredibly honest actor, and an extremely loyal friend makes you feel as if you actually knew McQueen by the end of the picture. Essential viewing.

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bskweeksdion
2005/06/07

As a MAJOR McQueen fan all of my life, I was eager to see this documentary and I was not disappointed. Many actors whom I have enjoyed and admired were interviewed and greatly added to the interest of the film. I especially enjoyed the interviews with his friends behind the camera and his relationship with them. I must agree with an earlier reviewer who commented on Neile Adams' statements but I also saw a woman who still loved that man after all these years. McQueen's last years as he battled with cancer were heart-wrenching but, I think, were handled with such honesty that it was bearable. Those last interviews were awesome and is this beautiful film available on DVD yet?

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boblipton
2005/06/08

This is a brilliant documentary on a fascinating film star. All too often, documentaries like this are bits of fluff that offer no insight into how the subject achieved what he did. Not this time.The interviews are conducted in a variety of manners. Some are conducted solo: his ex-wife, Neile Adams speaks of him, with an air of getting a lot of her chest; Robert Vaughn and Martin Landau, two of the most cerebral actors of that generation, talking about craft. Only Richard Attenborough is guarded.Other people they shoot in pairs or groups: director Norman Jewison and d.p. Haskell Wexler wind up talking freely, as do the three stuntmen, speaking in a group; and a taped interview with McQueen talks about his issues.It is not often you see the craft behind what goes onto the film. You do here. Don't miss this.

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