Cleveronix A different way of telling a story

Taraparain Tells a fascinating and unsettling true story, and does so well, without pretending to have all the answers.

Aneesa Wardle The story, direction, characters, and writing/dialogue is akin to taking a tranquilizer shot to the neck, but everything else was so well done.

Fulke Great example of an old-fashioned, pure-at-heart escapist event movie that doesn't pretend to be anything that it's not and has boat loads of fun being its own ludicrous self.

kosmasp Werner Herzog and Klaus Kinski were like a couple. A very weird, loud, crazy and completely insane one, but while they fought quite a lot, it looks like they actually loved to be together. This documentary does make a wonderful double bill with "Jesus Christ Saviour" (or "JC Erlöser" as it is called in Germany). Of course you should watch the other documentary first and then this one. Hopefully being aware of the body of work Kinski and Herzog have produced together, too.It is even more obvious that those two were meant to find each other. One as crazy as the other. The documentary at hand, might only show Kinskis crazy side (and with Kinski gone, when this was made, he had no chance to comment), but to work with such a mad man, one had to be mad himself. A fascinating look behind the scenes of a couple of movies and possibly the most intimate and fascinating Kinski portrait, you'll ever see

Martin Teller I know this is meant to be about the relationship between Herzog and Kinski, but I really want less of the former and more of the latter. Kinski was a fascinating, explosive personality and we ought to see more of him outside the context of his work with Herzog. There's barely any acknowledgment of his life beyond those five films, either before, during or afterward. While this makes it a more personal film, it also feels like Herzog is trying to inject himself into the narrative of a documentary that is crying out to be more of a personality profile. At times it seems like he's attempting to hitch himself to Kinski's wagon of crazy. Also, much of this is duplicated in Les Blank's BURDEN OF DREAMS. I really didn't need to see that dreadful Robards/Jagger footage from FITZCARRALDO again.

MartinHafer At the onset, I found this to be a terrifically annoying film since all the interviews for this film were dubbed into English BUT the film clips were never dubbed or subtitled! So, in some interesting looking scenes, I was simply left guessing what was happening. And, in the beginning, when Klaus Kinski is having a HUGE tantrum, you have no idea what he's saying or the context--you just see a man screaming and yelling for no apparent reason.Now as for the film, it is a posthumous biographical film by famed director Werner Hertzog about his frequent leading man, Klaus Kinski who had died in 1991. Now it's obvious from the start by watching clips of Kinski behind the scenes that he was a violent, angry and seriously disturbed individual--highly reminiscent of such insanely angry directors David O. Russell and Troy Duffy. However, while Hertzog calmly talks about how awful Kinski was, you get the idea that he's not exactly being objective and the film is more a chance for him to air his hatred of the man. It's interesting because both men hated and loved and needed each other. One wonders if perhaps the seething energy between them might have actually been the results of latent homosexual feelings! It really does make you wonder and is an interesting theory! Watch the film with this in mind, and much of it makes more sense.Herzog seems to also strongly imply throughout the film that he was the "normal one" and talks calmly again and again at how horrible Kinski was and how everyone sided with him and hated Kinski. Yet, they worked together again and again, so you are left wondering if both men are crazy--having an odd shared psychotic disorder (an actual DSM-IV psychiatric diagnosis, by the way). This is especially likely since Herzog COULD have worked without Kinski and because the "normal" Herzog was renowned for some of the most bizarre and over-the-top on location shots in film history. AGUIRRE, THE WRATH OF GOD and FITZCARRALDO are both legendary because of stories of the excesses and tensions on the set.As a result of this unintentional view of Herzog, I actually found the film to be far more interesting in my insights into him! Sure, Kinski was a volatile nut....but after a short time this becomes a bit boring because it's just too easy to cast stones at this idiot as he tantrums and bullies. But why Herzog went to all the trouble and expense to construct a documentary that talks about how awful Kinski was--THAT'S what's really interesting to me. A bizarre sado-masochistic relationship that Herzog seems the last to acknowledge. Interesting throughout--a great portrait of some sick people!

Jonny_Numb Throughout "My Best Fiend," German director Werner Herzog recalls times when short-fused actor Klaus Kinski accused him of being a megalomaniac; in return, Herzog shot back the sentiment. Watching this documentary, it's quite obvious that Herzog is infatuated with his own impassioned narration and anecdotes, that tends to dominate over outsider commentary (actresses, extras, cameramen, etc.), leading to what amounts to a mostly one-man show. That being said, the film is much like any Herzog film–slowly paced, and an acquired taste–with passages of emotional power. "My Best Fiend" is billed as something of a Kinski docu, but the archival footage of the actor's mad tirades is regrettably limited, and Herzog is left to fill in the gaps with his own memories, which are at times overwrought and pretentious. As far as documentaries go, this is somewhat entertaining, but those expecting a bittersweet tribute to Kinski will probably be left cold by the experience.5.5/10