Val (film)
| Val | |
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 Promotional poster | |
| Directed by |
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| Written by | Val Kilmer |
| Produced by |
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| Starring |
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| Narrated by | Jack Kilmer |
| Cinematography | Val Kilmer Tom Stratton Leila El Hayani |
| Edited by |
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| Music by | Garth Stevenson |
Production companies | |
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Release dates |
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Running time | 108 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Val is a 2021 American documentary film directed and produced by Leo Scott and Ting Poo.[2] It follows the life and career of actor Val Kilmer. The film had its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival on July 7, 2021, and was released in a limited release on July 23, 2021, prior to digital streaming on Prime Video on August 6, by Amazon Studios.
Synopsis
[edit]The film follows the life and career of actor Val Kilmer, including footage of Kilmer shot by himself throughout his career, footage of his childhood, and home movies.[3] The film showcases his battle with throat cancer and gives a behind-the-scenes view of his personal life, including the childhood death of his brother Wesley, his eight-year marriage to actress Joanne Whalley, and their children Mercedes and Jack.[4]
Production
[edit]Leo Scott initially began working as an editor with Harmony Korine on his short film The Lotus Community Workshop, where he came across Val Kilmer's archive, digging through 800 hours of footage, with Ting Poo boarding the project later on.[5][6] The footage, which Kilmer had shot for years, featured his growing up, attending school, auditioning, his career, and family.[4] Previously, the footage had sat in boxes for years, and once Kilmer was diagnosed with cancer and began losing his voice, it made him want to tell his story.[7] The film is narrated by Kilmer's own words, through his son Jack Kilmer.[8]
In May 2021, it was announced that Amazon Studios had acquired the US and Latin American rights for Val.[1]
Release
[edit]The film had its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival on July 7, 2021.[9] It had a limited release in theaters on July 23, 2021, prior to digital streaming on Prime Video on August 6, 2021.[10]
Reception
[edit]On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 94% based on 124 reviews, with an average rating of 7.8/10. The website's critics consensus reads, "An absorbingly reflective documentary that benefits from its subject's self-chronicling, Val offers an intimate look at a unique life and career."[11] On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 73 out of 100, based on 29 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[12]
See also
[edit]- Listen to Me Marlon - 2015 doc about Academy Award-winning actor and Val's one-time co-star Marlon Brando similar in content
- Lost Soul: The Doomed Journey of Richard Stanley's Island of Dr. Moreau, 2014 documentary about the behind the scenes making of the 1996 film The Island of Dr. Moreau, in which Kilmer played the character Montgomery.
References
[edit]- ^ a b McClintock, Pamela (May 27, 2021). "Val Kilmer Doc Set By Amazon Studios and A24 (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved May 27, 2021.
- ^ Roger Ebert.com
- ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (May 27, 2021). "Amazon Studios Takes U.S. & Latin America On 'Val', A24 Documentary About Actor Val Kilmer". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved May 27, 2021.
- ^ a b Olsen, Mark (July 23, 2021). "How Val Kilmer's children helped tell his story in the intimate documentary 'Val'". The Los Angeles Times. Retrieved July 24, 2021.
- ^ Kohn, Eric (July 6, 2021). "How Decades of Val Kilmer's Home Movies Became an Intimate Documentary Years in the Making". IndieWire. Retrieved July 24, 2021.
- ^ Handler, Rachel (July 7, 2021). "Val Kilmer Is Finally the Main Character". Vulture. Retrieved July 24, 2021.
- ^ Coyle, Jake (July 14, 2021). "Val Kilmer on a life in illusion and the new doc 'Val'". The Washington Post. Retrieved July 24, 2021.
- ^ Utichi, Joe (July 8, 2021). "Val Kilmer's Life Captured In 'Val' By Family And Friends: "He's A Filmmaker" – Cannes Studio". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved July 24, 2021.
- ^ "The films of the Official Selection 2021". Cannes Film Festival. June 3, 2021. Retrieved June 8, 2021.
- ^ Sharf, Zack (July 6, 2021). "'Val' Trailer: Val Kilmer Tells His Life Story Through Four Decades of Home Videos". IndieWire. Retrieved July 6, 2021.
- ^ "Val". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved July 18, 2022.
- ^ "Val Reviews". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Retrieved August 6, 2021.