120% effort with love

FILMWORKER (2017)

Reviewed by Jerry Saravia

If I could spend the rest of my life watching actors, associates, personal assistants and writers talk about working with one of the few masters (or taskmasters to some) of cinema, Stanley Kubrick, I would be more than satisfied. Kubrick was not just any movie director, he held the medium in high esteem, cultivating it for the maximum potential best he could get out of it. "Filmworker" is about Leon Vitali, a notable presence in any Kubrick film after his stellar performance in "Barry Lyndon," who devoted his life to do anything he could to uphold Kubrick's vision. It is a tremendous accomplishment and one that finally gets the attention Leon deserves.

Leon Vitali first came to prominence as an actor in various British TV dramas and movies. When he landed the role of Barry Lyndon's angry stepson Lord Bullingdon in Kubrick's "Barry Lyndon," Vitali's acting career could've skyrocketed. Perhaps that was the perception by the media and the Hollywood industry yet Vitali had other ideas - he wanted to work behind-the-scenes for Kubrick. Vitali became the personal assistant to the perfectionist director, keeping a close eye (along with the director) on film prints from the labs, color correction and timing of prints, overseeing film trailers and packaging of home video from around the world, sending memos to actors who have been reassigned to different roles, and so on. Everyone was scared of Kubrick and had faced intense pressure on the set of all of his films ("Full Metal Jacket" was apparently a tougher film to work than most). Leon seemed to be the one who could face ungodly, 24 hour pressure without losing his own temper - the stress might have killed Leon but he loved Stanley as a friend and perhaps that is what carried him through. Clearly more than just an assistant - he was a "filmworker." That and he also helped with menial, non-film related tasks such as cleaning rooms at the Kubrick Estate or keeping track of the cat compound!

"Filmworker" is smoothly edited and structured by director Tony Zierra, establishing an intimate rhythm with Leon Vitali's skills as a storyteller - most of this documentary focuses on him and Leon's tremendous presence and lion-like voice keeps interest afloat. Though the film shies away a bit from Leon's life as a family man and those lengthy periods where Kubrick was not shooting a movie (though Leon was involved in other jobs such as locating all known Kubrick film prints and categorizing production details on the never-filmed "Wartime Lies"), it is established that his rigid work ethic was his life. "Filmworker" is also about a devoted friendship and loyalty between two hard-working men who did their best to make sure that the artistic vision remained true to the artist. It was not just giving 110% - it was giving 120% effort with love. And the cat compound.