And Everything Is Going Fine
2010 Directed by Steven Soderbergh
Synopsis
From the first time he performed Swimming to Cambodia - the one-man account of his experience of making the 1984 film The Killing Fields - Spalding Gray made the art of the monologue his own. Drawing unstintingly on the most intimate aspects of his own life, his shows were vibrant, hilarious and moving. His death came tragically early, in 2004; this compilation of interview and performance footage nails his idiosyncratic and irreplaceable brilliance.
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Steven Soderbergh's "And Everything Is Going Fine" is a great documentary about the famed monologist Spalding Gray. It's appropriate that Gray is the only one you hear from in the film. In many ways it's his last monologue.
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Before now, I never knew who Spalding Gray was. I just caught this on tv, realised it was directed by Steven Soderbergh and said "Why the hell not?" Now I'm a big fan of the guy.
This was such a raw and fascinating documentary and Gray was a really fascinating human being. Even in death, he stands out as this fascinating person after what he's contributed to the culture. He was such a good talker. He easily lets his words just roll off the tounge whether his opinion is controversial or candid. His monologues were so mesmerizing in that he can easily make you laugh while giving you some interesting food for thought and insights on life. He analiyzed life…
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(Reposted from Soderbergh review series)
In early 2004, writer/monologuist Spalding Gray went missing. In hindsight, it should have obvious to anyone who’s read his book Impossible Vacation or seen him talk about his mother’s suicide that there was little chance he would be found alive. Sure enough, his body was discovered in the East River almost two months later, dead of an apparent suicide. Steven Soderbergh had worked with Gray before (in fact, Gray’s last interview was about Ron Vawter, who played Andie MacDowell’s psychiatrist in sex, lies, and videotape). He filmed his monologue Gray’s Anatomy, and cast him as the depressed Mr. Mungo in King of the Hill (whose fate is especially haunting after Gray’s suicide). After the suicide,…
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Soderbergh's hand doesn't feel as present here. However, the film manages to put together a very compelling portrait of a man who doesn't keep a lot close to the vest. Grey is as compelling as ever.
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Retrospective on Spaulding Gray in his own words.
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A very lovely tribute to somebody who was obviously a friend.
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Excerpts from a life
Performed for an audience
Give it some closure -
A dense viewing for those unfamiliar with Spalding Gray. Certainly, the man can come off a tad self-obsessed, but I detect nothing but earnestness and hard-earned insight in his reflections. I owe it another viewing... perhaps after the watching other Soderbergh-Gray collaborations.
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It’s a very interesting documentary that almost serves as Spalding’s final monologue. He was an interesting guy who lived an interesting life.
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A very fascinating and captivating documentary about the life and works of Spalding Gray told by the man himself.
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a biopic as quirky as the subject.