This film is a piece of performance art that intentionally confuses the line between fiction and reality, much as Andy Kaufman was once famous for. On the surface, this is a documentary about the desire of comedian Jonathan Winters to have his work as a painter taken seriously. Winters once spent some time in a mental hospital, so when his sanity begins to break under pressure to produce new work for a promised MoMA exhibit, viewers are left to wonder how much of his breakdown is real, and how much is a put on, as his behavior straddles a line between the frightening and ridiculous. Sadly, I fear that knowing it is all a put on prior to seeing the movie spoils much of the experience, since the film is not nearly as clever as a mere "mockumentary", as it is as an "Is He? or Isn't He?" piece of performance art.
Review of Certifiably Jonathan
Certifiably Jonathan
(2007)
The less one knows about this film going in, the better, so stop reading now!
20 February 2011
Warning: Spoilers