Being Michael Madsen (2007)

User Rating:

5.7/10   

Director:

Michael Mongillo

Writers:

James Charbonneau (co-screenwriter)
Michael Mongillo (co-screenwriter)

Release Date:

December 2009 (USA)

Plot:

Actor Michael Madsen turns the tables on notorious paparazzo, Billy Dant, by hiring a trio of documentary filmmakers to chronicle Dant's life, loves, and troubles. |

Plot Keywords:

Character Name In Title

Cast

Michael Madsen	...	Himself
Jason Alan Smith	...	Billy Dant aka Peter Kenneth Ryan
Doug Tompos	...	Mark Pollard
Kathy Searle	...	Jackie Clark
Davis Mikaels	...	Dexter Hilt
Virginia Madsen	...	Herself
Daryl Hannah	...	Herself
David Carradine	...	Himself
Lacey Chabert	...	Vanessa Rapaport
Harry Dean Stanton	...	Himself
Paige Davis	...	Herself
Debbie Rochon	...	Mrs. Agnes Ripplehorn
Jack Betts	...	James J. Perry
Zeke Rippy	...	Teddy Gold
Vicki Roberts	...	Attorney Vicki Roberts

Also Known As:

Turning the Tables (USA) (original script title)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Filming Locations:

Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Mean Time Productions

Trivia:

Ninety percent of "Being Michael Madsen" was scripted, word for word, scene by scene. Only about ten percent of the interview dialogue was ad-libbed.

A treat for Madsen fans, and amusing for everyone else.

I was lucky enough to see the world premiere of this mockumentary at the Raindance Film Festival in London, with the titular Coolest Man on the Planet in attendance. A light satire on the paparazzi, entertainment industry and the self-righteousness of documentary film makers, this low-budget indie comedy is good for a few laughs.

Michael Madsen, playing himself, has been accused of killing an extra on one of his films by a slimeball paparazzo, Billy Dant (Jason Alan Smith). He sues Dant for slander, but when he loses, decides to teach him a lesson by sending a documentary film crew to stalk him and give him a taste of his own medicine. The plot reveals itself mostly through talking head interviews, and it takes a while for the film to warm up and for it to become clear what is going on. Once it gets going, though, it is quite funny and compelling.

Davis Mikaels, Kathy Searle and Doug Tompos are great as the film crew, each in the business for very different reasons, and all ringing true to life. The real draws, however, are the cameo talking heads by friends of Madsen, like David Carradine, Harry Dean Stanton, Daryl Hannah and his sister, Virginia Madsen, all making fun of themselves.

The film reminded me in places of a Christopher Guest one, and I certainly enjoyed it as much as For Your Consideration, which is on a similar subject (although also the least good of Guest's films). For something that only took ten days to shoot, the film makers have done an amazing job. Unfortunately, it perhaps still doesn't add up to enough for a cinema release. Being Michael Madsen should find its home on DVD or on something like HBO, where it will give fans of Mr. Madsen a treat, and everyone else a diverting hour and a half or so.