Val

• Directed and Produced by Leo Scott and Ting Poo
• July 7, 2021 (Cannes) / July 23, 2021 (United States) / August 6, 2021 (Prime Video)

The life and career of Val Kilmer.

To set the stage Val begins by showing Kilmer as, well, a bit of an a-hole. Maybe a likable one but still an a-hole. This is a story told through Val Kilmer’s words though not his voice often. It’s a combination of video from his personal collection and what he wrote for the film. The movie itself is like something told by a man that just had to get some stuff off of his chest. He just needed to speak about his life and the things he did. Not in an egotistical way but to get across to others how he felt in a way that put feeling to those memories.

Kilmer is portrayed like someone you enjoy having around but because he’s either so intense in annoying people for fun or just being who he is you might not invite him though once he gets there you’re having a good time because of him. I dare say he makes things interesting by how he tells the story. Taking a step or two back his Hollywood story is not too special in relation to dozens of others. It is the way he tells about it that makes it engaging. We see his son Jack providing narration which adds a nice touch when he is impressed by what he is reading.

This mixes his tragedy and the personal losses he experienced in one form or another. One thing that comes across to me anyway is that were are two big sources of pain for him in his life: the death of his brother in an accidental drowning, and his divorce.

There’s a sense of gratitude from Val Kilmer for the life he’s been able to have. Towards his fans and towards those who offered him the experiences he had though there were experiences he wanted but never quite got like his Mark Twain screenplay. They show clips of the one-man performance he was giving to earn money and perhaps even finance the film in some way and honestly it looked good.

Through the use of his personal recordings Val gives us a very intimate feel. I’m not sure how the entirety of his personal catalog stands up but they use the good stuff here and just enough in relation to whatever they’re talking about. It never gets boring or lags.

A highlight is footage of Marlon Brando on the set of The Island of Dr. Moreau. Not a well-regarded film but Brando is in costume and Kilmer comments how natural this weird dress looks on the man and Kilmer was strangely right.

Val is an excellent documentary when it comes to emotion and giving you a broad look at the subject. Worth a watch.