I decided to watch Waltzing with Brando, a biographical film detailing Bernard Judge’s friendship with Marlon Brando and how that connection developed. I had really high hopes going in because Billy Zane, Tia Carrere, Richard Dreyfuss, and Jon Heder were involved. It was wonderful not only to have those expectations fulfilled but exceeded. The storytelling has a feel similar to a heartwarming Hunter S. Thompson story told with the charm of Stand by Me or The Sandlot, even though there's infidelity and drinking present. I think this really captured what it would be like to become friends with someone as important in the industry as Marlon Brando—feeling small. The film acknowledges Marlon Brando the man while also showing his imperfections. It does so in a very kind and human way, allowing for the complexities that come with a life lived. I suggest going into it understanding that activism looked different back then than it does now. They were far ahead of most people in Western society, but they didn’t realize their actions still had colonial implications. Billy Zane's performance is what really stood out to me. He has consistently given great performances throughout his career (Demon Knight being my favorite), but here he’s exceptional as Brando. He seemed genuine and honest, truly becoming the character. Jon Heder was also excellent playing Bernard Judge, the person who told this story. An architect brought in by Brando to help him build an ecologically self-sufficient retreat on a remote Tahitian island so that Brando could leave Hollywood behind and live as a happy hermit. We experience things through Judge’s perspective, witnessing his struggles. The film felt somewhat disjointed stylistically, but surprisingly, this actually worked well for the project. The tone shifts constantly, creating a sense that I, as the viewer, had an emotional investment in how the story would play out. There's also plenty of humor sprinkled throughout. I wholeheartedly recommend Waltzing with Brando to everyone. Don’t miss the end credits.

Source on TMDB