Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story – Film Review
Christopher Reeve is an actor I knew very little about – his Superman films were well before my time and he died when I was a teenager – so I thought Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story wouldn’t pack a punch. How wrong I was!
This documentary, directed by Ian Bonhôte and Peter Ettedgui, tells the life story of Reeve using his narration from his audiobooks, archival interviews and film footage as well as testimonies from his children Matthew Reeve, Will Reeve and Alexandra Reeve Givens and celebrity friends like Jeff Daniels, Glenn Close and Whoopi Goldberg.
Unlike some documentaries that retell events in chronological order, this film hops around in a non-linear fashion. I don’t always love that approach but it works so well here. It begins in 1995 when Reeve becomes paralysed from the neck down after falling from a horse and then goes back to the beginning before coming full circle. I must admit I was thrown at the start because I knew so little about Reeve and needed some context but it didn’t take long for his situation and family set-up to be explained.
Because I don’t particularly care for Superman as a character or view Reeve as the definitive version, I didn’t have a deep desire to see this film. I had more of a casual interest rather than an emotional or nostalgic connection. So it’s a testament to the documentary that I found it so engaging, enlightening and tragic. I didn’t think I would cry but it really hit me in the feelings. If that’s what I was like, Reeve and Superman fans must be in bits!
I was particularly impressed with the testimony from Reeve’s children. They are so open and honest, especially Matthew, who doesn’t sugarcoat his father’s behaviour at all. They also don’t hold back their tears when recalling his final days. It’s so brave of them to discuss such sad and intimate moments with the whole world. Their accounts choked me up, as well as archival footage of Reeve with his close friend Robin Williams (a childhood fave).
This documentary might not offer much fresh material if you’re already a big fan of Reeve. However, as a virtual newcomer, I was fascinated from start to finish. What a remarkable celebrity documentary.
In cinemas from Friday 1st November