“We used substances to alter our consciousness. I convinced myself that it calmed me down and kept me high instead of facing the fact that I was out of control. To be honest, I look back now and think, ‘It’s great that I only managed to finish one of my movies. But none of that stopped the Downeys.”. This is confirmed by the man who is the hero of epics like ‘Avengers’ or ‘Sherlock Holmes’ in a scene from ‘Robert Downey Sr.’, a documentary about the career of someone who was on paper avant-garde pioneer. -garde cinema of the late 60s in the United States, but above all, it is devoted to thinking. complex relationship between a fatherHis son, who died at the age of 85 from Parkinson’s disease in July of last year, and is said to be one of the highest-paid players in history. just opened Netflix.
‘Sr’ made a huge artistic impact on him.jr.‘, who spent his childhood years literally between filming and nights in a cot attached to an editing desk. However, the connection between the two was also rooted in more problematic affinities. “I was addicted, mostly cocaine and give a stimulant”, confessing the father to the camera as he recalls his years as a director, decades before his son died. various jail breaks as a result of alcohol and drug use. Is addiction passed down from father to son, the film asks the question without raising it openly. In the past, both have made public ‘Jr’ started drinking medicines 8 years old because ‘Sr’ shared with her. “At the time we thought it would be hypocritical to keep our kids away from marijuana and everything else,” he recalls at one point in the documentary; in another, we discover that the ‘Iron Man’ star embarked on a journey in his childhood where he was “in charge of marijuana”.
It’s true that Downey Sr. wore it when he died. years away from the film industry. A little over fifty years ago, however, it served as the flag of the counterculture thanks to stubbornly ‘underground’ films like ‘Chafed Elbows’ (1966), ‘No More Excuses’ (1968), and what was its greatest success? “Putney Swope” (1969) was hailed as a savage satire on the advertising industry, race in Hollywood, and corporate corruption reflecting the turbulent “zetigeist” and effectively a cut of the “establishment” cover. But his subsequent films did not help consolidate his reputation. Among them, ‘Pound’ stands out, in which human actors play dogs waiting to be sacrificed, especially as it represents the first performance of future Tony Stark at just 5 years old.
It was directed by Chris Smith, who has spent years exploring pop culture through documentaries such as “Robert Downey Sr”, “Jim and Andy” (2017), “Fyre” (2018) and the TV series “Tiger King”. as producer; In any case, it features episodes directed by the protagonist, who for the first time in 15 years can’t resist the temptation to return to positioning himself on the side of the camera where he feels most comfortable. Same way, Shot in black and white only to evoke the ‘low cost’ aspect of ‘Sr’ early work.also the person with whom he shares a certain sense of humor.
During the shoot, conversations between father and son the father’s walks through the scenes of his youth and his conversations with his son’s psychologist, the family moments where we get to know all the members of the Downey clan, are replaced by archival footage, not just archive footage from the old man’s movies. but also his short acting job in Paul Thomas Anderson’s ‘Boogie Nights’ (1997) and interviews with friends, including Anderson. “It’s not a secret Paul Thomas Anderson is probably the son my father wanted to have.”, Downey Jr. looking at the camera and only half joking.
Taken together, the scenes in which the Marvel icon starred here showcase a broader catalog of emotions than any of the characters he has embodied throughout his career. And in this repertoire no sign of resentment While it’s understandable if it were, it’s the opposite. “You encouraged me to stay connected to the world and not give up,” he reminded his father, visibly touched by the gratitude. It is impossible not to share this feeling when seeing them, especially knowing that in a few months the father and son will be saying their last goodbyes.