Elizabeth Taylor: The Lost Tapes

As "Elizabeth Taylor: The Lost Tapes" (2024 releas4e; 101 min.) opens, we are told that Taylor did extensive audio interviews with a reporter starting in 1964 and that these tapes were finally unearthed. We then go to "1942" as we are reminded of Taylor's upbringing in Beverly Hills, and how she became a child star actress. At this point we are 10 minutes into the documetnary.

Couple of comments: this is the latest biopic documentary from director Nanette Burstein ("Hillary"). Here she revisits the life and times of one of Hollywood's greatest stars ever, Elizabeth Taylor, at one point the highest-paid star in Hollywood. While there are some other talking heads, it is mostly Taylor herself reflecting on her life and career, how marriages came and fell apart, and again and again ("I was infatuated with love", comments Taylor. The video footage including many of Taylor's private stash of 8mm film and polaroid photos, in particular to full color footage) reminds us that this indeed was a very different era. One thing that I kept thinking is that they don't make movie starts like that anymore. Whether that is a good thing or a bad thing, I will leave that in the middle.

"Elizabeth Taylor: The Lost Tapes" premiered at this year's Cannes film festival to good critical acclaim. The movie is currently rate 80% Certified Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes. Last weekend it started airing on HNBO and streaming on Max, where I caught it last night. Whether you are of a certain age and is reminded of Hollywood of a certain age, or you are a younger person not necessarily all that familiar with Elizabeth Taylor, I think this documentary serves young(er) and old(er) alike quite well. I'd readily suggest you check this out and draw your own conclusion.

Elizabeth Taylor was the real deal, a bonafide movie star, a consummate rule breaker, and a striking beauty who made both classic films and unadulterated bombs and led a notorious personal life that was endless fodder for the gossip columnists until her death in 2011. This 2024 documentary offers a new glimpse into her storied life through archival audio from 1964 interview sessions with biographer Richard Meryman never before released. Providing a wealth of film clips and newsreel footage to complement the tapes, documentary filmmaker Nanette Burstein wisely lets the treasure trove of material speak for itself as she tracks the subject's life from preternatural child star to leading AIDS research activist. The mythos and facts about Taylor are well familiar to anyone who has seen her best work and read the tabloids over the years. Burstein reminds us how vibrant she was in her prime.

The quality that shines through this show biz, bio doc most brightly for me is not the subject's vaunted sexuality, star power or penchant for tabloid scandal but, rather, her likability. Consider the following: Ms. Taylor was married seven times and broke up at least two seemingly happy marriages, including one with the wife being one of her best friends, and yet, far from hating or even disliking her, I found her most engaging. Maybe that is because the three traits that emerge most strongly from the conversations she has with a journalist appropriately named Meryman are honesty (along with a healthy dose of self deprecation), humor, and perceptiveness. She labors under no delusions that she was a brilliant actress, although I do feel she is under rated in that area, even with two Oscars in hand. Big star/good actor is her professional assessment (very good is mine). And I love her anecdotes, insights and one liners that both skilfully analyze and amusingly skewer all her husbands, or at least the five gone into here. And while she can occasionally get catty, especially in her comments about Debby Reynolds, more often she is critical of herself, as in her comment that one must do pennance for one's wrongs in this life, not the one after.

So, taken all in all, a fairly admirable person, especially when you include, as I'm happy to say this film does, her advocacy for the Hollywood gay community during the AIDS scourge when most straight folks were looking or running away. Give it a B plus.

Liz's top five films:

5) Cat

4) Father Of The Bride

3) Place In The Sun

2) Giant

1) Va. Woolf

And yes, "Butterfield 8" sucks!

"Elizabeth Taylor: The Lost Tapes" is without a doubt a compelling, provocative, and revealing doc that any film buff or movie history fan should see. Elizabeth from an early age shined by getting her start at age 10 in 1943's "Lassie Come Home". Soon Taylor electrified as she became the stuff of legend. On the "HBO" doc it's mostly her voice that we hear which was pulled from over 40 hours of discovered audio recordings with Richard Meryman.

Taylor admits she made mistakes and was not perfect as her love life and many marriages would prove, and like any doc we the viewers are treated to photos, film clips, footage, and headlines, always when she wed and divorced it was front page news.

Highlighted was Elizabeth growing up in front of the camera from her young teen roles to winning an Oscar for "Who's Afraid of Virginia Wolf?". She owed much of her success to her parents for helping her get involved in movies learning to act at acting and film school.

Taylor's life was a roller coaster from being swept off her feet by director Mike Todd and dealing with his tragic death in a plane crash. Then Liz romanced Eddie Fisher after he left Debbie Reynolds, only Elizabeth changed again leaving Eddie for Richard Burton whom she meet on the set of "Cleopatra".

Touching was highlighting Taylor's friendships with closeted gay actors such as Roddy McDowall and Rock Hudson, which later lead to her activism for AIDS research. Good look at a legendary actress who's work public and private will never be forgotten.

This documentary is a fascinating and revealing depiction that takes a deeply personal look at a brilliant actress. The film takes a very powerful approach to telling the story in an inventive documentary style.

It's an absorbing and engaging, an extraordinary film that is very insightful, honest and really quite emotional - one of the most powerful documentaries that I've seen in years.

In essence, this film delivers a riveting and all-encompassing testament to Taylor's legacy. By the end, you feel like you really knew her. For fans of Elizabeth Taylor, this is a must-see.

Highly recommended.