The Last Movie Stars Review
9.5/10
"Once the realization is accepted that even between the closest human beings, infinite distances continue. A wonderful living side by side can grow if they succeed in loving the distance between them. Which makes it possible for each to see the other whole against the sky."
- Rainer Maria Rilke
This quote, spoken by Ethan Hawke in the film, is a wonderful encapsulation of the soul of the story. How is it possible for me to encompass the lives of Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward within the confines of a review? Well, it’s not, so I won’t even try to. It takes a lot of passion to make a documentary like this work so well. Too often, docs about famous people are glorified gossip. What makes Hawke’s film so wonderful is how genuine his appreciation for Newman and Woodward is. When he interviews people and speaks about their work, his joy and fascination are infectious. I could tell how passionate he is about these people and how much they influenced him.
Newman has been one of my favorite actors since I was in high school. I admit I discovered Woodward’s work later. I found his rebellious roles in films like Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, Hud, and The Hustler appealing as an outlet for my lack of rebellion at that age. The most I ever did to fight the man was defy the dress code at school and walk around like the biggest badass. There was a mystique to his performances that I don’t see with actors anymore today. There were certainly actors with more emotional range than him, but in terms of raw charisma, I think he was the best leading man in Hollywood.
I knew he was married to Joanne Woodward, but that was the extent of my knowledge. That sense of mystery added to his appeal. Culturally, we tend to deify celebrities. We build them up to be more than who they actually are. We think we know these people, but we never will really. All we know is their public persona. I have limited experience with acting, but I’ve noticed there is an eternal contradiction to the craft. For many actors, you want to infuse a role with your genuine self. A fusion of the character and who you are. You want to audience to connect with that portrayal, but they don't know you. No matter how much you inject your heart and soul into a character, somebody watching will never know the real you. But if you can make them feel like they do and connect with your performance on a deeper level, that is the highest honor.
Newman and Woodward were able to hook me with their performances in completely different ways. He was more stoic and internalized. His emotions bubbled beneath the surface, trying to claw their way out. He became more vulnerable on screen in his later years in great films like The Verdict. She was completely different. There was an unguarded sensitivity to her roles that gripped your heart. Seeing her in films like Rachel, Rachel and The Three Faces of Eve is enough to show how remarkable she is. Seeing this doc made me want to check out more of her work.
When somebody achieves icon status, there is always a risk they will let that adoration go to their head. I imagine Hawke can relate to how Newman pushed himself beyond his public image. In the 90s, Hawke was seen as a dashing heartthrob, much like Newman. Watching his early work, you get the feeling there is a restless spirit there. Someone not content with being put in a box. As ridiculously handsome as Newman was, he went out of his way to pursue challenging roles. Hud for example is one of my favorite film performances of all time. He brings so much charm to such a despicable character. It was one of the earliest examples of a film anti-hero.
If The Last Movie Stars was a typical biographical doc it would still be solid, but what makes this one fantastic is how grounded it is in the relationship between Newman and Woodward. At heart, it is a love story about the trials and tribulations they went through and still maintained their relationship. Their shared journey is as captivating as any film I’ve seen this year. Hawke does not hold back when it comes to their struggles. Newman struggled with alcoholism for many years, almost to the point of destroying their marriage completely. Woodward felt like her career was being sidelined when raising their kids took over her life.
Hawke interviews their daughters and it’s easy to tell they have a lot of love for their parents, but still feel conflicted about the tensions in the family. After all, Newman was having an affair for multiple years with Woodward when he was with his first wife. It’s not easy for kids to get over how their father is the reason the family broke up. Despite their torn feelings, they adore their father and Joanne. Nobody wants to put their children through a divorce, it’s a horrible situation to be in. Hearing his first wife Jackie Witte talk openly about her feelings and thoughts on what happened is heartbreaking. She cares for him but is aware that their marriage was not going to last. Hawke doesn’t present these facets of their lives as a criticism; it is an honest portrait of complicated people. It is not meant to point fingers and assign blame to anybody. What it does is give you a deeper understanding of how nuanced we all are, even when we obtain legendary statuses like Newman and Woodward.
Watching the doc made me think about why I gravitate toward certain actors. For example. Phillip Seymour Hoffman will always be one of my favorites. When he died, I realized I knew nothing about him. I never seek out celebrity gossip, but even when you don’t look for it you often stumble upon facts about these people. With Hoffman, all I knew is I loved his work. I didn’t have any other association or knowledge beyond that. There is a purity to that in a way. I never viewed him as a godlike figure, his work just connected with me, much in the same way Newman’s does. Although, they are completely different actors.
I loved the structure of The Last Movie Stars. Much of it is based on transcribed audio interviews with many people in Newman and Woodward’s life. There were hours and hours of audio recorded for his autobiography, but then he destroyed all the tapes. Thankfully, Hawke had access to the transcriptions and had a group of various actors plays the roles of the people being interviewed to narrate the story. George Clooney is perfect as Newman and Laura Linney is equally fantastic as Woodward. Some of the actors are not utilized as much, like Ewan MacGregor, but that is understandable considering how many people were interviewed.
Hawke has made a truly captivating series. Throughout the six episodes, it never dragged. Going into it, part of me thought that knowing so much about these actors would take away some of their allure. If anything, it strengthened what drew me to them in the first place. Not only do I appreciate their work, but now I have a greater understanding of what they overcame in their relationship to last so many years. Even if you have no interest in Newman and Woodward, I still highly recommend this doc. It is easily one of the best films I’ve seen this year so far.
