Val (I) (2021) User Reviews

Poignant

[juliafrizzell · 9/10 · 6 August 2021]

So touching. There's a lot to unpack in this documentary, and it's done so well. Especially if you're over forty, have gone through a divorce or possibly dealing with a chronic illness...shines a light of self reflection that so many of us can relate to. A reminder that regardless of fame and fortune, a man is still human and will undoubtedly experience the same collective gains and losses in this life that we all share; love, heartbreak, joy, grief, success, and failure. And inevitably, time.

Val's journey is captivating and it's so beautiful to hear it told through his words and his son's voice. He really bares his soul and sometimes it made me cry other times I had to laugh..but through it all I felt compelled to admire a man, that in so many ways and in so many amazing roles, has quite literally been part of the soundtrack of my life... and for what's it worth, he'll always be my Huckleberry.

Val, you're so loved. Thanks for letting your fans see the best part of you. Your heart.

unexpectedly touching

[taytaytaylar · 8/10 · 29 July 2021]

Went on a whim to see this movie expecting to learn a little about val kilmer... Was not expecting to feel so moved, heartbroken, inspired, & really just feel as emotional as i felt leaving the theater. A movie about acting , the creative process , overcoming the obstacles in front of us & continually moving forward despite of them. This movie really spoke to me ! Also loved that it was narrated by his son.

Fascinating, very moving, informative and interesting personal view on Val Kilmer

[Shadowboy_25cm · 8/10 · 6 August 2021]

A documentary about Val Kilmer with the voice of his son Jack, because Val Kilmer had throat cancer, is considered cancer-free since 2017, but his voice suffered from "extensive radiation and chemotherapy."

"Val" premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in July and is now available to watch on Amazon.

What you know about Val Kilmer as an actor and a person always depends on how much you've studied him.

I knew that Val Kilmer had his difficulties on some film shoots in the 90s with directors (e.g. John Frankenheimer - "The island of Dr. Moreau", Joel Schuhmacher - "Batman Forever") and some fellow actors, so it was difficult for him to find roles from the mid 90s and he appeared more and more in B-movies and indepentend films. Ok.

The documentary is told from his point of view and we learn quite a bit about his childhood, his family, his acting beginnings, his career highlights and his present (anno documentary).

With a running time of about 108 minutes, a rather quiet, prudent narrative reveals a man who does not necessarily reflect everything as it was at the time, but reflects on the stations of his life at that time and shows us more the current Val Kilmer and in rare footage the Val Kilmer of that time. As for disputes with fellow actors, Val Kilmer is silent. That is also not the subject of the documentary, the gossip press can report on it. As far as problems with directors are concerned, I think they are only mentioned in one film, but that's not the topic either.

Here an actor shows how he came to acting and what it means to him, in a retrospective with quiet tones. Sometimes it's hard to understand Val Kilmer himself when he's speaking, but it's the unpretentiousness here and there that makes this documentary work. Val Kilmer recorded an incredible amount of his life himself and the documentary shows very private footage of his childhood with his brothers, his parents and his acting, be it in his own home movies, applications for movies, his "practicing" lines from Hamlet, etc.

Overall, fascinating, very moving, informative and very interesting, this (self-)portrait of an actor and artist who has a great sense of family and an incredibly wide range of acting.

Recommended.

I set up an account just for this movie

[dustinmscott · 10/10 · 6 August 2021]

First, I am a Val Kilmer fan but had not expected to be as surprised and gratified as I am for this movie. Every actor gives a part of themselves to us as a gift, but the honest reflection and bravery to show the weaknesses which many people hide, makes this an amazing movie.

I am shocked at some of the comments on other reviews; saddened and disheartened that people can watch (even if they did) someone take off their mask and be real, then respond with vileness and cruelty. This was the first time I have ever had the privilege of seeing someone deal with life after fame and call themselves out on the fear and self doubt which can go with living in the light of yesterday. Showing the real struggles, exhaustion, and misunderstanding of a life that could have been stolen by cancer, instead rekindled into faith. Thank you Val for showing me a piece of humanity I will cherish. It is brave and made me a better person for the glimpse.

I am STUNNED by the people ripping him and his suffering

[Deidre-17 · 10/10 · 10 August 2021]

People giving this one star because "all people suffer". You clearly have lost your humanity somewhere. Disgusting. I can't believe the people posting "another millionaire who lost his money" BS on here are anything other than total sociopaths. You should be ASHAMED and horrified. This is a beautiful and vulnerable look at another human being and their life and struggles and triumphs. I suggest you see where you left your humanity along the way.

Beautiful, Real, Moving - Thank you Val!

[shannonluke-05115 · 6 August 2021]

Thank you to the Kilmer Family and ofcourse Val for showing your side of earth and life. Your story is true, raw, deep, sad and funny. Laughter and creativity celebrated, truth spoken. Life is a journey that can be observed and appreciated or forgotten so thank you. We are all imperfect but with love and god it can beautiful. Peace and love and the right balance for you and your family.

An entertaining and elusive illusion

[mikeburdick · 6/10 · 15 August 2021]

Don't get me wrong, 'Val' is captivating and compelling viewing. Kilmer was, after all, one of Hollywood's top-dog actors of the late '80s, early '90s-and he basically filmed his entire life, which creates interest, authenticity and nostalgia. However, despite the film's main theme being about the ability of acting to create the illusion of truth, this documentary manages to steer clear of any honesty or meaningful revelations about its main character.

The central question for anyone remotely aware of Kilmer is likely, 'What happened to that guy?' Largely because he was one of those actors who went from 0 to 100 overnight, from 'Top Secret' to 'Top Gun', from nobody to Jim Morrison. Then he disappeared just as fast.

Through home videos and a one-man film crew-Kilmer himself, seemingly capturing every waking moment of his own life-we get to know this character's major plot points, yet oddly never really get close to the answers to our questions.

The film seems to follow basically a chronological timeline of Kilmer's childhood, entry into acting and major film career, jumping out occasionally into his life today, dealing with a difficult medical condition. Again, it's compelling viewing. There's a brutal honesty and bravery involved in Kilmer allowing the world an uncomfortable glimpse into his post-surgery personal life.

However, you begin to notice some glaring omissions, most notably a missing 20 years when his career slid off a cliff, begging the questions: What happened to his career? How did he go from A-list to C-list? What happened to his marriage?

Despite the phenomenal home-shot footage and well-curated soundtrack, after a while, you begin to suspect that the actor might have left his most convincing and honest material on the cutting room floor, that perhaps not every tragedy that befell him was someone else's fault, and that the intent of the film was not in fact to document the truth, but to purposely obfuscate it.

It's totally understandable that someone who has gone through tough times, made some mistakes and perhaps behaved less than admirably would want to gloss over those moments and flaws. However, there is no hero's journey without recognition and growth. So the end result is less of a compelling, insightful life story and more of a nostalgic memoir.

The Iceman Cometh!

[claire-60940 · 10/10 · 25 July 2021]

I've been a fan of this man for decades and you could feel the extent of his journey in the depth of the characters he portrayed. It was both beautiful and tragic to take a glimpse at the journey itself.

Journey of a creative soul

[mmthos · 6/10 · 28 September 2021]

Frustrations and triumphs, supplemented with home video thru the years, uncannily voiced by his son since the loss of his voice. Sincere and affecting.

Heartbreaking!

[diogomanuelsabino · 10/10 · 14 July 2021]

A brilliant documentary on the life and struggles of a brilliant man.!!!

"My name is Val and I've lived a magical life"

[paul-allaer · 7/10 · 7 August 2021]

"Val" (2021 release; 109 min.) is a documentary about actor/Hollywood enfant terrible Val Kilmer. As the movie opens, Harry Nilsson's Everybody's Talkin' is playing while we get a tour of Val's house and he shows the endless boxes of home videos and other footage that he has amassed over the decades. He also mentions that throat cancer has left his voice badly impaired--and his son Jack is doing the voice over in most of the documentary--although today's Val is interviewed as well. We then go to "How It All Began"... At this point we are 10 min. Into the documentary.

Couple of comments: although nominally directed by Leo Scott and Ting Poo, this is Val Kilmer's movie all the way. He is credited as writer and producer, but the real star in all of this is the endless archive footage that Val amassed and which is used to provide a deeply intimate and personal look back at the life and times of the erstwhile Hollywood enfant terrible. Thankfully the documentary is chronological. The footage of Val at The Juilliard School is priceless (Kelly McGillis was a contemporary). Val is perhaps best known for his roles in "The Doors" and "Batman Forever", and both films get extra attention. But it's when you look at Val's overall body of work that you get a sense of the vast talents of this man. The documentary does a great job conveying this, but it's in the personal (family; film's behind the scenes) moments that the documentary really shines. Just watch Val comment on the impact of his brother Wesley's death at age 15, just when Val was about to start at Juilliard.

"Val" premiered at this year's Cannes Film Festival, and had a brief theatrical run before then shifting to Amazon Prime, which is where I caught it. If you are a fan of Val Kilmer, or are simply interested in Hollywood, I'd readily suggest you check this out, be it in the theater (unlikely at this point), on VOD, or eventually on DVD/Blu-ray, and draw your own conclusion.

Very honest and touching

[PFFAW · 9/10 · 7 August 2021]

A friend of a friend was Val Kilmer's personal assistant back in the 90s. She loved working for him and had the nicest things to say about him. I was always a little skeptical, because of his reputation. But this film matches every great thing she said about him. Really lovely and thoughtful. I haven't seen anything like this in a long time.

Fascinating but leaves you wanting more

[Katz5 · 7/10 · 8 August 2021]

Video cameras with built-in mics entered the commercial market around 1981, right around the time a young, talented actor with Native American roots named Val Kilmer decided to become an actor - first on stage, and then on film, and then back to stage. Armed with several such video cameras, Kilmer and members of his family started shooting - resulting in boxes upon boxes of videotapes and 8 MM tapes that Kilmer still has. Following a brush with throat cancer and surgery that left him with an electronic voice box as his "voice," the elder Kilmer, along with his son and daughter, set out to make this engrossing documentary, that celebrates the man, his survival, and his art and love of the arts (not just acting, but also music and painting).

As entertaining, funny, sad, poignant as this nearly 2-hour documentary is, you are left wanting more. Maybe some interviews with his co-stars. Late in his acting career, Kilmer earned a reputation for being "difficult," yet this documentary only touches on that. There are intriguing behind-the-scenes sequences shot during the making of the Island of Dr. Moreau, a movie that could have killed Kilmer's career, but thankfully did not (Ghost and the Darkness and The Saint were released after the notorious bomb that co-starred a nearly demented Marlon Brando).

Watching the film, I had forgotten how many movies Kilmer appeared in. Much attention is given to Top Gun, of course, as well as The Doors (the actor confesses that he believed he was born to play Jim Morrison - and certainly had the physical similarities as a starting point). And The Island of Dr. Moreau is given a lot of attention as well, particularly one of apparently many arguments the actor had with director John Frankenheimer (one of which was captured on video and can be seen in this documentary). Who was the bigger problem on that movie set? Kilmer, or Frankenheimer? The viewers are left to decide for themselves. Personally I would have enjoyed seeing more about his relationship with Cher early in his career, and more about his marriage with Joanne Whaley, who seems to be an intensely private person as evidenced in this documentary (and was probably mostly left out of the film for that reason). Also Thunderheart, a movie that at the time of release meant a lot to Kilmer, is barely mentioned.

But in the end we're left with a fairly optimistic documentary - despite his inability to talk, Kilmer claims he's pretty healthy overall and "sounds worse than he feels." But not being able to talk certainly hampers movie and stage careers - and Kilmer was set to bring his one-man show (written himself) as Mark Twain to Broadway when he was stricken with cancer. He throws himself into his new art studio and appears at Comic Con, gamely signing movie posters, Top Gun gear, and Batman toys for hours to support himself and his studio.

Perhaps a BluRay of this documentary could include interviews with actors he worked with - certainly he could not have "alienated" all of them (which the tabloids hinted about years ago). Tom Cruise, Nicole Kidman, Kelly McGillis, Elisabeth Shue, Kurt Russell, Robert Downey Jr., Jim Carrey, Robert DeNiro, and directors like Michael Mann, Ron Howard, Oliver Stone...so many possibilities.

For Fans only

[andrewrye-06535 · 5/10 · 23 August 2021]

I enjoy Val Kilmer in some roles but lets face it, most of his movies were stinkers to mediocre at best.

Then he'd release a movie and be brilliant. Doc Holiday and Jim Morrison come to mind and he plays those characters mesmerisingly. Top Gun and Batman were just blockbuster fodder and not worth fawning over as some reviews would have you believe. I would have loved to have seen him as Mark Twain, what little was shown at the end looked amazing. He does real characters with such passion, that in these films he is head and shoulders above any other actor, perhaps with the exception of Daniel Day-Lewis who really did pick his roles with thought.

But the majority of his work appeared mailed in perhaps for the paycheck, who knows. I still have memories of a bloated Val Kilmer stumbling around in an action movie and wondering 'what happened?'. This part of his life was never mentioned as was the cause for his throat cancer, more than likely smoking. And the not so good interviews were conveniently ignored. The actors mentioned in the line up were his cast mates, no more. There are no in-depth interviews with fellow actors or very much of anything from behind the scenes. So we have no idea what other actors thought of him.

The whole documentary was shot by Val himself (taken from a room full of VHS tapes apparently), and he always wanted to be in movies. So he always knew when the camera was on and acted accordingly. There were very very few actual candid moments. In his later home videos (post cancer treatment) he comes across as a man-baby, not the serious actor he tried portraying in earlier home videos. A shame, the man definitely had talent.

I gave him a 5 because he was a talent once, he didn't show us the real Val, I am guessing that's still locked up with his other VHS videos. Shame really, very little shown from such a vast collection and no in-depth interviews with his fellow actors, directors and producers. And, a 5 for his mum, a real treasure and you can't help but love her.

This just felt sanitised.

Still tearing up

[ruthburley · 9/10 · 7 August 2021]

I've been missing Val Kilmer & didn't know why he'd been absent. Now, I'm heartbroken for his struggle, & I appreciate him so very much. Bless him & all he has brought to us as a stunning dedicated actor.

Heart on screen

[edeng-62210 · 10/10 · 27 July 2021]

Wonderful film. Touched me in many indescribable ways. This shows you what dedication, passion, and art truly means. I was hypnotized, taken with his story and filled with pure emotion. I am grateful I saw it in theaters and to see all of the interesting characters he developed, his work, his audition, life as an artist, Iceman in Top Gun, Jim Morrison in The Doors, are just 2 of my favorite movies and to see the behind the scenes from the man itself, there's no better feeling and learning experience like it. Thank you Val Kilmer!

An emotional project

[Gordon-11 · 7 August 2021]

This is clearly an emotional project for Val, as he looks back on his life and his career. It provides such an unique and intimate insight into his life.

Val. Raw. Transparent. Vulnerable.

[sotasmith · 7/10 · 8 October 2021]

Val. This video autobiography is raw. Part home video, and commercial film clips, Val Kilmer, survivor of throat cancer, recalls his acting legacy thru a massive home video collection with the help of his son who does voice-overs on behalf of his father.

This is a unique insight to Val Kilmer's contributions to the art of acting, and his vulnerability along his journey.

A Glimpse into sweet man & soul.

[icaremore · 10/10 · 6 August 2021]

Worth the time. Val's love & passion's are in plain view here. Family man. Artist. Good human being.

Thank you for your contribution Val as an artist, you've been one of my favorites for some thirty years.

Good man

[PedroPires90 · 7/10 · 29 September 2021]

Interesting. Knew zero about him, now I want him to win every time.

A love letter to his fans

[pixiesglow · 10/10 · 7 August 2021]

This documentary will leaving your heart humbled by an artist in a medium in which he truly excels in. His ability to be human and vulnerable is honorable of the man it truly is! It is hard to tell the story of your life while it's still unfolding but he has done it in away that makes you truly hopeful for more of his art in the future.

Self absorbed

[redroominparis · 7/10 · 16 August 2021]

It's obvious to me that beyond his tragic health issue, there were many things that happened along the way that would help to explain his fractured career and relationships, as well as his seemingly bizarre behavior. Unfortunately he chooses to omit, and thus creates more questions than answers.

That being said, it's truly remarkable how much footage this gentlemen has to document his life, and it's rewarding to see some of my favorite actors as young men, scrapping their way through New York and Hollywood.

After watching, my main takeaway is that Val Kilmer is first and foremost and actor. I truly believe the Hollywood elite made sure his career would stall, but I also believe he had a hand in that demise.

Are you people kidding me?!!

[wldsthrnboy · 10/10 · 7 August 2021]

I honestly do not understand the comments/reviews / opinions that want to degrade this piece of art as some kind of vanity piece or justification or attempt to create a false narrative buy a narcissist.

So let's start with the obvious stuff. It takes a certain amount of narcissism to even have the confidence to attempt to be successful in an industry that is 100% based on outside opinions of your performance. It is a completely nother level of narcissism to actually be successful at said industry and push past everything in your sphere saying it is impossible odds, but knowing that they are wrong and you are right and actually be successful. That word narcissism is treated like a character flaw. But the mass majority of truly successful people on the planet possess it. Val Kilmer was not just successful at it but massively so.

Next let's examine the fact that integrity and valuing his art form over certain industry hierarchies or monitery factors enabled those who did value them over integrity sow a reputation for being difficult to handle. Guess what. People who don't have integrity or share your value system view you as difficult if you actually do have the integrity to stand by your principles. When you don't, you end up as a very talented actor doing anything for money like Nicholas Cage.

This is all happened before the internet and artists had a voice of their own capable of reaching the world , only needing an internet connection. The only side you got to hear back then was the side either willing to pay for it or willing to print the scandalous to sell ad space.

Then to top it off you take a man who at one time was maybe not the biggest box office draw, but within smelling distance of the Pinnacle. A man who nobody denies was a chameleon who could sink into any role and be convincing. An artist that most people still consider a mystery because fame was not the goal. A true artist. You take that man at the absolute most vulnerable time of his life, quite literally knocking on heaven's door, give him a voice to share his life and his answers to the mystery that he is. Then you want to say it is because of vanity? You seriously have self-confidence issues of your own.

Coming out of watching this and being completely moved, my only negative thought is the disappointment of not being able to see his One Man show based on The Life and times of Mark Twain. What footage of it they were able to include looked totally encapsulating and had it ever made it to Broadway I would put good money on the fact that it would have been a Tony winner.

Sympathize With Kilmer's Situation

[gsandra-26876 · 6/10 · 7 August 2021]

This is not a very convincing documentary. There may be an interesting film to be made about this man's life, but this isn't it.

First 30 minutes great then...

[ddio-26092 · 5/10 · 14 August 2021]

The trailer made this film look a hell of a lot better. For someone who had a warehouse of footage, I was thinking we'd see some great BTS moments or rare 80s Hollywood. And the first 30 minutes we do, but then the film slides into really weird monologues and just mundane events of a quirky actor. Sometimes we aren't the best person to tell our own story, this film proves that.