Sorry, this movie sucks

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

It is an exhilarating, distressing, funny and profound film, with one of the more memorable film scores in years,

A clunky actioner with a handful of cool moments.

With a running time of 83 minutes, this is the shorter of the two feature-length documentaries on the 2-Disc Special Edition DVD of Bullitt. It consists of interviews(I liked the sort of "progression" in the on-screen graphic boxes that identify them) with those that worked with him, his friends and the like(not Ali McGraw, for some reason... and unsurprisingly, no one mentions why that is; maybe it had to do with something they experienced) and clips from his films(and yes, it spoils parts of several of them, obviously), a couple of times used to mirror the story being told, and done so really well. It's quite well-edited. This goes over his entire career and his personal life as well, from early on and throughout it. I have to admit, I barely knew anything about him before watching this, and now I might feel confident enough to describe him to someone else who is unaware of his personality. This keeps to a nice pace, if it doesn't seem to make efforts to mimic the energy of the man(honestly, that might have gotten straining to the viewer, what with this being an hour and a half). He is treated with respect, though the negatives of his behaviour are not ignored. The whole thing is interesting and the anecdotes are fun to hear. There is a little swearing, disturbing content and mention of drugs in this. I recommend it to any current or potential fan of McQueen, and anyone else who want to find out more about him. 7/10

This documentary offers a fascinating wealth of information on legendary tough guy actor Steve McQueen. Everything from McQueen's troubled childhood to his exceptional charisma to his cool masculine presence to his competitive nature to his involvement with sex'n'drugs to his brave struggle with cancer gets addressed. Among the interview subjects are his wives Neile Adams and Barbara Minty (Adams' amazing anecdote about McQueen ordering two steaks in a restaurant is quite revealing), fellow actors Don Gordon, Robert Vaughn, Robert Culp, Sir Richard Attenborough, and Eli Wallach, directors Peter Yates and Norman Jewison, Suzanne Plushette, and son Chad (his stories about his dad being a loving and generous father are especially poignant). Starting off with his humble beginnings as a struggling newcomer at the Actors Studio in New York City, with additional details on his first lead in "The Blob," his breakthrough role on the hit TV series "Wanted: Dead or Alive," his star-making part in "The Magnificent Seven," confirming his iconic status in "The Great Escape," doing the lion's share of the driving for that extraordinary car chase in "Bullitt," his eventual interest in car racing, outstanding performance in "Papillon," becoming a recluse at the height of his popularity in the 70's, and his last two films "Tom Horn" and "The Hunter," this always compelling and perceptive documentary on the mesmerizing bad boy and former Marine with the piercing blue eyes who was a loner, a straight-shooter, an incredibly honest actor, and an extremely loyal friend makes you feel as if you actually knew McQueen by the end of the picture. Essential viewing.

Loved the documentary "Essence of Cool". I'd seen Steve McQueen in a few movies as a younger person but now, older with a slightly different outlook to "back then" I realized what a man Steve was as an actor. Every (mature aged) woman loves a dare devil!Most interesting were the cool motor cycles Steve rode. And I loved how he taught his kids to ride. What a Dad! I now want to go rent all his old movies - asap.From humble beginnings came a focused, risk taking, talented individual. Well done to the producers and to all the contributors of this great documentary. They captured the man, especially his "Essence of Cool".

As a MAJOR McQueen fan all of my life, I was eager to see this documentary and I was not disappointed. Many actors whom I have enjoyed and admired were interviewed and greatly added to the interest of the film. I especially enjoyed the interviews with his friends behind the camera and his relationship with them. I must agree with an earlier reviewer who commented on Neile Adams' statements but I also saw a woman who still loved that man after all these years. McQueen's last years as he battled with cancer were heart-wrenching but, I think, were handled with such honesty that it was bearable. Those last interviews were awesome and is this beautiful film available on DVD yet?