One of my all time favorites.

Good , But It Is Overrated By Some

Excellent, Without a doubt!!

The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

If you've ever seen any of his films (Scarface, Mission: Impossible, among seemingly countless others) or have noticed his rather strange spiral into exclusively erotic thrillers as of late, then you just might enjoy this doc. If you happen to be a fellow director or other Hollywood fellow, then you just might appreciate exploring the mind of a uniquely-minded director.The filmmakers used a rather straight-forward technique to capture Brian De Palma's life as a director/producer/writer. They put him in front of a camera, and then let him tell them story after story about making each of his films. This format may have grown stale after a few minutes and a few stories in the hands and mouth of anyone else. Not for De Palma though. His strength as a storyteller and the editor's strength of knowing when and how to cut from one story to another kept this documentary moving at an enjoyable pace.Since I had only seen four of his almost thirty feature-length films, I was in awe of how extensive and varied his career behind the camera had been. Most of his work just never appealed to me - too weird, vulgar, and/or ill-regarded for my rather delicate palate. Here, he made his work into bite-sized snippets for easy and delicious consumption.One thing that worried me and almost dissuaded me from seeing it was my worry about spoilers. After watching the documentary, I can say that he does spoil a few plot points of his movies. Does it matter? I don't think so. He's the kind of director that specializes in building suspense and not the kind that dazzles with mind-blowing twists. For Brian De Palma, it's the journey that counts, not the destination (as much).

Think about it. A film like Carlito's Way was made only 23 years ago. I cannot imagine a film like it getting made today. It cost $30 million in 1993. It would cost approximately $50 million to make today (I used % increase in CPI). I don't think any studio today would finance a $50 million gangster flick with little or no action. Unless it was made by Tarantino or someone.And even if it were to get made today, who would play Pacino and Sean Penn's roles? Tom hardy? Ryan gosling? Di Caprio? The actors today are simply terrible.I guess I went a little off topic. This documentary had De Palma talking us through some of his early socially conscious Greetings era films to his erotic films and also the big studio films. De Palma is like a really candid and jovial character who nonetheless exudes a certain toughness. It was interesting to note that he spoke at length about the movie composers that he worked with. De Palma worked with the very best of movie composers - Bernard Herrmann, Pino Donaggio, Ennio Morricone etc.He also gave an important advice to young filmmakers - most filmmakers do not make the films they want to. Certain films come their way and they make the best of it. He gave a few examples of how he would be working on one screenplay or a novel but then he would be offered something else to make and he would abandon the project he was working on. I thought that was very interesting.

Watching this documentary, one begins to realize how big of an influence De Palma himself in the world of movies. His output includes a little bit of every possible genre, and though he's not a young man anymore, he can still surprise us. He belongs to a group of directors that will probably never be matched in either their individual or collaborative work. He has definitely left a legacy worth enjoying and studying.De Palma started in the 60's, and the film gives some background on his earlier productions. It's the 70's where he started making movies that most of us are familiar with and will always associate his name with. He unleashed the world of horror with "Carrie", probably igniting a surge in popularity for King and himself. That film also introduced Sissy Spacek to us. The documentary continues to give us informational bits on most of his work, clarifying issues, telling us what he liked or he didn't like in some of the films, and how there were always unexpected developments in his productions depending on who his partners were.His work is for the most part quite remarkable. He combines beauty, obsession, and horror in films like "Body Double" and "Dressed to Kill". He works with some of the biggest stars in the world and directs hits or unexpected flops, but they are always memorable. Throughout the documentary, we admits his mistakes, and how his films could have been improved. He also tells us how other films which tried to imitate him fail because they might be going in a different direction. Overall, De Palma proves himself an artist, a man who loves movies, who understands them and knows how to make them. He values the association with a good writer, a good idea, and most importantly he is cognizant that there is no way one can work alone in a place like Hollywood, regardless of the risks and the benefits.

DE PALMA (2016) **** Engaging and informative documentary about filmmaker Brian De Palma with the auteur in full focus on screen recollecting his oeuvre with unapologetic frankness and good nature. Peppered with footage of his canon and self-effacing to a fault with its subject matter, filmmakers Noah Baumbach and Jake Paltrow - friends and fans alike of the director - fully immerse themselves into the up and down career highlights and bumps in the road while his personal life is more or less a side note on the whole. For film fans and fans of De Palma a must sees to appreciate the once heir apparent to Alfred Hitchcock by employing The Master's zen philosophy of camera movement, editing and composition as well as his own imprint and impact as a force majeur.