A simply told film but powerful story of a man hated on one side of the world and desired on the other.
With a life like Polanski's, any documentary is going to stir questions about the insanity of media, art and morality. Roman Polanski: A Film Memoir is a point in time, while Polanski was detained in Switzerland in 2009, where he enters a conversation with long-time friend and former business partner Andrew Braunsberg. The documentary is more than just an interview; two old friends laugh and discuss Polanksi's life from birth to cinema nobility.
The life of Polanski is so engrossing that the bare and basic style of interview with quick cut aways to film examples, family photos and subtle music complemented the man who has lived ten lifetimes in one.
Besides his life, the film shows a beautiful friendship between two people who have been there in the best and worst moments in one's life. Having Braunsberg opens up the questions about his darkest affairs with respect and honesty that an non-associated interviewer would not normally explore. It's raw and honest, not shying away that it's Polanski's view. The film doesn't justify any of the mistakes but only discusses the problems around his actions and the cultural morality of media's influence.
A simply told film but powerful story of a man hated on one side of the world and desired on the other.