STILL is a documentary about actor and activist Michael J. Fox. Through archival footage, reenactments, and a current interview with Fox as well as sequences from his life now, his career and life are explored.
Fox is an incredibly compelling presence, pre or post diagnosis that has always been true. His career and struggles are fascinating, there's no question. But like with many of these types of projects there is a level of restraint that prevents the movie from progressing beyond interesting/entertaining to profound/impactful. His work and his advocacy are inspiring, but much of his story we already know, as the movie and Fox himself relate, much of it played out on the public stage and in his work. So its not as if much of the content here is unknown or inaccessible. So what here is new, well we get to see Fox and here the story in his own words, that's really great. But the pacing, which hurtles through his career and challenges, never pauses long enough to allow much reflection or insight. This is indicative of Fox himself, always moving forward, not one for introspection, so I guess function follows form in this case, and yet its the job of the director to stop and investigate when needed which Davis Guggenheim does not do. Fox's substance abuse is barely addressed, the effect his diagnosis(and struggle with that diagnosis) had on his family or loved ones isn't really addressed, other than advocating for Parkinson's research and the Michael J. Fox Foundation(which is amazing don't get me wrong) there is a kind of breezing over of the emotional reality that this particular circumstance would have.
I'm not saying Fox is obligated to bare everything and give the public full access to his family or his inner life or his secrets. But because he doesn't this movie doesn't really break the surface of the ever-expanding sea of this particular genre of retrospective celebrity doc. There's, ultimately, not much here that you couldn't get from watching his movies and/or reading his memoir/wiki.
Pleasant and pleasingly nostalgic, if standard.
Currently streaming on Apple+.
Stream It.
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