Portrait of a '60% Perfect Man': Billy Wilder (1980) User Reviews

Interesting...but far from comprehensive.

[planktonrules · 7/10 · 22 January 2011]

This is an extra included with the DVD set for "Ace in the Hole"--a wonderfully cynical Billy Wilder film about the power of the press. In "Portrait of a 60% Perfect Man", a French film company interviews veteran director Wilder who was now in his mid-70s. Oddly, there didn't seem to be a lot of direction by the interviewer and much of it was simply a stream of consciousness discussion by Wilder. Much of the time he just talked and talked and the film seemed to wander. Now this is NOT a bad thing--after all, Wilder was an interesting man who lived an exciting life.

In addition to Wilder, there are a few interviews with his actor friends, but it only included Jack Lemmon and Walter Mathau. Had more celebrities been on hand (such as Tony Curtis to ALSO talk about "Some Like It Hot" or William Holden), it would have been better and provided a more well-rounded film. As a result, while the film was interesting, it doesn't seem that definitive a study of the great director and his craft.

By the way, watch Wilder throughout the film--it's kind of funny to see him and his body language--walking about one minute, laying in a hammock the next....it certainly was rather unconventional. Also, speaking of unconventional, pay close attention to him towards the end of the film--Wilder REALLY becomes cranky and rather funny. See this and see what I mean.

Wilder Untamed

[Lejink · 7/10 · 13 September 2021]

Cards on the table, Billy Wilder is definitely in my top 5, probably top 3 film directors. He's made many of my all-time favourite movies including "Ball Of Fire" (as co-writer), "Double Indemnity", "Sunset Boulevard", "Some Like It Hot", "The Apartment" and my personal favourite of his, "Ace In The Hole". Here, he's an amiable interviewee of a slightly starchy French reporter who asks him a series of reasonably interesting if not always essential questions about his life and work to date (the programme was shot in 1984).

One is struck immediately with the relatively modest surroundings Wilder inhabits. We first see him in his small, cluttered office. There's no P. A. in sight as Wilder responds frankly and pithily to his mild interrogation. Later we see him in his Malibu beach home and are guided through his priceless modern art collection, featuring works by Picasso, Chagall and Renoir, amongst others and finally he's giving his answers from a hammock in his garden.

His accent is still very thick Eastern European, drawing a parodic impersonation from Jack Lemmon, who chips in with the odd anecdote alongside his cinematic Siamese twin Walter Matthau, but Wilder is more interesting on his own. The one hour, location-switching format rather than a straight face to face encounter means that valuable time is lost as Wilder offers hospitality or small-talk to his guest but it was nice to see how hospitable he was, with no auteur hang-ups on display here.

There were insights into fascinating stars with whom he'd worked like Monroe, Laughton and Dietrich, but not a word about Bogart, Garbo or Swanson. Some films were barely touched upon, like "Sabrina", "Stalag 17" and "Irma La Douce" but what should you expect in in such an abbreviated programme.

Anyway, I saw enough to convince me that Wilder would have been great company, wise, amusing, friendly and generous. A must-see for fans of the great man.

Looking Back at Wilder

[gavin6942 · 6/10 · 15 July 2014]

A French film company interviews veteran Austrian-American director Billy Wilder in 1980, who by this point was in his mid-70s.

Another reviewer points out that "there didn't seem to be a lot of direction by the interviewer and much of it was simply a stream of consciousness discussion by Wilder." Indeed, he answers the phone, talks about a bird cage and more or less just perambulates while the camera rolls.

There are a few interviews with Wilder's actor friends, but this primarily means just Jack Lemmon and Walter Mathau, causing the perspective to be rather limited. Of course, just an hour of Wilder talking about his career is interesting in itself, but if you are going to bring in others, why not bring in many more, flesh it out, even add a few minutes to the running time? It is nice to cover a bit of Wilder's influences, especially his early work with Ernst Lubitsch (a man who needs to be better known by modern audiences). And we get a retelling of the "Seven Year Itch" skirt story, which has become something of legend.

Movie-wise, there has never been anything like "Billy Wilder" - laugh-wise, love-wise, or otherwise-wise!

[Marwan-Bob · 9/10 · 22 June 2019]

A Documentary Film About Perhaps The Greatest screenplay writers Ever Lived, BILLY WILDER...i Honestly can listen to this man Talk for Days, i just Love Him and His Masterpieces.