gregking4 Review of Method to the Madness of Jerry Lewis

Method to the Madness of Jerry Lewis (2011 TV Movie)

hugely entertaining and fascinating documentary offers a comprehensive look at Jerry Lewis's career

[8/10 · 11 August 2012]

Veteran comic Jerry Lewis may be 85, but at an age when most of us would he happy to put our feet up and take it easy, he is still working. He regularly tours his stand up comedy show, performing 150-minute shows, and even taking questions from the appreciative audience. This hugely entertaining and fascinating documentary offers a comprehensive look at his career, which has spanned seven decades, and looks at his enduring appeal. There are plenty of clips from his films, which will please his fans and film buffs. But director Gregg Barson (who also made the documentary about Phyllis Diller Goodnight, We Love You) has also included archival footage of his early appearances with his father, who was a big influence on him. We get the picture of Lewis as a perfectionist as he rehearses for his live appearances. There is also plenty of material showing him performing with his long time comedy partner Dean Martin, which gives a taste of their anarchic and largely improvised humour. Lewis and Martin were enormously popular in their day, before Lewis went solo and became an even bigger star. Barson has also included plenty of interviews with some of his contemporaries like Carol Burnett and Carl Reiner. He commands respect from modern comics like Eddie Murphy, Jerry Stiller and Billy Crystal, who talk about his influence and his comic legacy. Directors of the calibre of Steven Spielberg and John Landis sing his praises as an innovative filmmaker with an extraordinary level of control over his own work as writer, producer and director. And there is plenty from Lewis himself, as Barson seems to have been granted unlimited access to the star. However, as Lewis himself was the executive producer of the documentary don't expect too many controversial or intensely personal revelations. It is all about his career and his comic genius on stage and screen, and borders on hagiography at times. Nonetheless, this is a must for fans. Method To The Madness Of Jerry Lewis has been another highlight of the Melbourne International Film Festival.