I admit I know nothing about James Toback or his movies. I am a Neve Campbell fan, though. Since "When Will I Be Loved," there was always a buzz about this director I didn't know anything about. Well, okay, I'd heard of a few of his movies. Then there was a documentary called "The Outsider." So, I stumbled upon "The Outsider". What I saw was a man fascinated with his own obsessions. Brilliant or not, I could not decide. Nevertheless, as some of the guests said, he is a "character" and I would have to agree with that assessment. The documentary was a revealing behind the scenes look a indie film-making, with a director who, by necessity, left his actors to improv dialog and simply blocked out scenes for them, who gave up soda if his leading lady gave up smoking.
There was much standing or sitting around the sets, in between takes, a "just hangin'" spontaneous air. It looked like Woody Allen was on his way to the deli on the corner; Norman Mailer relaxed in his study; Robert Downey Jr. in what looked like a hotel room. The pace of the documentary got bogged in a few areas, but Toback himself, if somewhat long-winded and intellectual, is a likable enough rogue to move things along.
But what I found even more interesting than Toback himself is the reality of indies and art films. The budget for "When Will I Be Loved" was $2 million. For the privilege of being in a Toback film, I wonder if Neve got lunch and parking money. I thought Woody Allen's comments particularly thoughtful, musing about the narrow demographic for art films.
"The Outsider" is more interesting as a documentary as "When Will I Be Loved" was as an indie, art film.
