A thrilling journey into the creative process which has placed Gehry at the very top of anyone’s list of visionary architects. His buildings across the globe consistently become iconic centrepieces of the cities in which they are built, from the Guggenheim in Bilbao to the EMP Museum in Seattle.
What makes this documentary even more engaging than simply an overview of its fascinating subject is the man behind the camera and the roster of household names he calls on to illuminate his subject.
Director Sydney Pollack (Three Days of the Condor, Out of Africa) is a lifelong personal friend of Gehry and it shows in the rapport and respect the two men evidently have for each other.
Pollack embraces his ‘everyman’ exploration of architecture and uses it as an entry point to Gehry’s fascinating artistic process and the concept of making art in a commercial context.
If that weren’t enough, the roster of often insightful interviewees is truly impressive: artists Ed Ruscha and Chuck Arnold, Hollywood clients Dennis Hopper and Michael Eisner, and perhaps most revealingly Gehry’s long-time therapist and friend Milton Wexler. A lovely, beautifully crafted treat.