By Jan Wahl–
A remarkable film has just been released. The subject is the ultimate bad boy and a talented man who made the overlooked accessible to all of us. He took us on unimagined journeys and into the depth of cultures we never knew. His name was Anthony Bourdain, a giant of courage and creativity.
Oscar award winner Morgan Neville (20 Feet from Stardom) has crafted a two- hour documentary that will have you devouring every frame. Many of us followed Bourdain’s books and trajectory as he went from acclaimed chef to heroin addict to best-selling author and TV star.
He revolutionized food and travel television by being the antidote to adorable, cuddly, and sweet. He took us to the Congo, Afghanistan, and Jordan along with the usual suspects of Italy and France. When going to those typical places, he always dug down into something deeper than seen on other shows. When visiting Brooklyn or Rome or anywhere else on this globe, he often took us to the dark side, allowing us voyeurs to wander streets we never knew existed. He sought out dissidents and former rock stars, always looking for the edgy, raw, and surprising. But it was always his own cynical, world-weary voice that kept us excited and searching with him.
Tony Bourdain died in 2018 at the age of 61. It didn’t make sense to any of us. Surely it was a murder or accident, not a suicide. Here was a man who was at the top of the game, a loving father, someone who was free to write his own ticket to the future. He was found with no drugs or alcohol in his system. His friends and colleagues, loved ones, and fans were interviewed after the death, attempting to understand what happened to this gifted soul. Did he let down his armor against depression, didn’t listen to the doctors for meds, decided his beloved 11-year-old daughter was better off without him, found the pain of living too great? Were fame and travel driving him into madness? The end of the film is powerful, and it is impossible not to be touched by it.
I met Bourdain twice when he was through town selling books. I found the same intriguing, authentic bad boy who had become a national treasure. Roadrunner is a film he would’ve approved of—edgy and hip, just like Tony.
Hedy Lamarr saw herself as a bad girl, evil in fact, for not telling the United States government Hitler’s plans for overthrowing Europe. She knew the specifics, names, dates, and weapons at the ready when she came to Hollywood, fleeing a Nazi husband. Before escaping from her munition’s millionaire in Vienna, Hedy found out all the information and knew her country and others would soon be swallowed up by the machine of the Third Reich. Knowing she could’ve saved millions, Hedy began a lifelong self-loathing, though the guilt led to her communication invention that may have saved thousands. We still use it today.
Crazy story, no? But true and well documented in The Only Woman in the Room, by Marie Benedict. This New York Times bestseller is called a novel, but I found it true to all I’ve studied on Hedy Lamarr, with a great deal of detail about her inventions that was new and enlightening. Lamarr was a woman of secrets, from her Jewish heritage to her ability as a scientist. She was used to (as many women are) of keeping on the mask, painting the face, and hiding the thoughts. One doesn’t have to be as beautiful as Hedy to know the feeling of not being taken seriously as a woman by the male establishment. This caused her enormous pain and led to a life of despair and disappointment. I wish she had lived to see the respect she is finally receiving. The book is a page turner, and celebrates a woman who lived bigger than anyone thought possible.
Rita Moreno: Just a Girl Who Decided to Go for It is another remarkable documentary that is as fun, wild, and smart as its subject. Rita Moreno has a story to tell. In this fast-moving documentary feature, we go from the young girl from Puerto Rico who finds her way to Hollywood. Clawing her way through stereotypes and insulting experiences, she is slowly recognized as the major talent she always will be. Her love affair with Marlon Brando, disappointing marriage, Oscar, loving friends, and sheer thrill of victory make this film a joy to watch. You go, Rita. You deserve it all!
Jan Wahl is a Hollywood historian, film critic on various broadcast outlets, and has her own YouTube channel series, “Jan Wahl Showbiz.” She has two Emmys and many awards for her longtime work on behalf of film buffs and the LGBTQ community. Contact her at www.janwahl.com
Published on July 29, 2021
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