Some iconic talents of cinema rarely gave an interview, while others were relegated to the routine press circus. Regardless of where one falls on the spectrum, the bite-sized, often pre-packaged tidbits of one’s career do little to paint an accurate portrait of a life, and it’s effectively unfeasible to get such a look apart from the talent itself. However, the new documentary Listen to Me Marlon provides something vastly more extensive and intimate than a standard interview, as it’s culled from hours and hours of personal audio tapes from the iconic actor.
I said in my review, “Instead of a hagiography, what makes this documentary so exceptionally powerful is the raw, unfiltered, humanistic look at a man struggling with inferiority despite his unrivaled acclaim. Through archival footage, including vintage screen tests and interviews, we’re provided the treasured, rare experience of stepping inside the mind of a legendary talent. As the finest possible documentary one could get on the subject, Listen to Me Marlon delivers an extraordinarily well-crafted and deeply emotional portrayal. It doesn’t simply remind us that Brando remains one of our greatest actors, but peels back his layers to reveal a significant amount about his life. We will never see another performance from the actor, but this documentary is a worthy substitute.”
Ahead of a release next month, check out the fantastic first trailer and poster below for one of the summer’s must-see movies.
With exclusive access to personal archive, this is the definitive Marlon Brando cinema documentary. Charting his exceptional career as an actor and extraordinary life away from the stage and screen, the film will fully explore the complexities of the man by telling the story uniquely from Marlon’s perspective.
Listen to Me Marlon opens on July 29th.