Friends Drive Each Other Nuts

S IS FOR STANLEY (2015)

Reviewed by Jerry Saravia

You might think that a documentary about a film director's personal driver would be less than a spellbinding way to kill 90 minutes. Truth is that "S is For Stanley" is in fact a spellbinding documentary, a richly drawn and intriguing story that delivers an emotional wallop. It is about the fruitful relationship between two men who established a rapport through a friendship that could not die.

S is not just any Stanley, it is the late Stanley Kubrick, the restless taskmaster who hired Emilio D'Alessandro to drive back and forth between London and Kubrick's home which was a good half-hour away. Whether it was transporting the infamous giant phallus used as a weapon in "A Clockwork Orange" or handling the delivery of hundreds of candles for the "Barry Lyndon" shoot, or taking care of Kubrick's various cats or the faulty zipper in a jacket, there was no reprieve from the master filmmaker. D'Alessandro argued with his wife over the countless workdays with no vacation in sight and, during an argument, Stanley called for another favor. Stanley endlessly called Emilio's house until he figured the best thing was to have a private phone line with Emilio (interestingly, a private phone line also existed between Kubrick and Spielberg).

Though it shows Stanley Kubrick as relentless in his work ethic, it also unveils a far more human side than anyone had thought. Kubrick was not a cold, humorless man, he was full of life and had compassion for all living things. Helping to pay for the hospital bills for Emilio's son's or trying to save a donkey from getting slaughtered or wondering why the rabbits are laying in the sun, this man consistently wondered and cared about everything and everyone. In his last few years, especially during the grueling two and a half year shoot for his last film, "Eyes Wide Shut," Emilio reveals how sickly and grayer Kubrick got. Anyone believing in conspiracy theories about Stanley's death at the hands of assassins should hear Emilio's tearful depiction of Stanley's last day before dying - you can't help but choke up.

This intoxicating documentary by director Alex Infascelli also makes sure we get acquainted with Emilio, an Italian immigrant who drove a cab before being discovered by Kubrick. Emilio had a passion for racing car driving but his close relationship with Kubrick also showed he had a patience and a fondness for this man who wrote one memo after another to him. Emilio clearly has soul and empathy too. If the newer documentary "Filmworker," which details the relationship between Kubrick and his longtime assistant Leon Vitali, is half as good as this one then they will have the distinction of being the most introspective insights into the legendary director we'll ever have.

"S is for Stanley" fulfills two rules for any documentary about a renown filmmaker - if the character telling the story about the filmmaker is half as interesting as the filmmaker, you have made a good film. "S is for Stanley" could be subtitled "E is for Emilio."