Robin Williams: Come Inside My Mind

This is my first Robin Williams documentary and I don't have the benefit of comparison to others. I have stayed away from Robin Williams documentaries because I had seen his late stand up comedy and interviews before and it was hard to watch--just by facial expression, hyper energy and an overwhelming desire to get the audience to laugh, it seemed like Williams has both a self-disdain and a pathological need to please.

HBO's documentary "Robin Williams: Come Inside My Mind" confirmed my impression but also made sense of it in probably the most lighthearted, favorable and loving way possible for the topic, with many sentimental but aware interviews with family members and close friends. All appeared to love Robin and to forgive him his need to always have an audience, even if this both freed Robin and debilitated him.

The documentary acknowledges a depression but ultimately regards a late diagnosis of Parkinson's as the clincher, and also a rare brain disease called Lewy dementia. Neither illness really got its fair explanation in this documentary, being mentioned almost in passing. But what Williams had in the last year of his life or may have had in the many years prior is not too much dwelled upon in general, and definitely not in a judgemental way.

The documentary does not attempt to exploit a narrative about the depressed joker, although part of that is readily available. Instead it keeps a distance and gives tribute to the life of an extraordinary man with a much entangled sense of self-worth. The documentary does do a good job in reminding you to care for your soul and to feel worth where it may be lacking, because while laughter is a therapeutic drug it can also be a damaging one to the person who always feels like they have to perform for someone in need of catharsis. "Come Inside My Mind" reminds you to seek your endorphins in other, more sustainable ways, while paying respects to a generous but burdnened comedian, who gave the world everything he had.

"Robin Williams: Come Inside My Mind" (2018 release - 117 min.) is a documentary about the life and times of comedian Robin Williams. As the documentary opens, we see robin improvise widely in an interview, while impressing a theater crowd at the same time. "Are you thinking faster than us?" asks the interviewer? Robin grins broadly. We then go back in time to his youth and high school days, and quickly we find ourselves in "Edinburgh, 1971", where he is performing "The Taming of the Shrew"... At this point we are a good 10 min. into the documentary.

Couple of comments: this is the latest bio-documentary from director Marina Zenovich, who previously has brought us documentaries about, among others, Richard Pryor and Roman Polanski. Here she tackles the ups and downs in Robin Williams' life and career. The bet moments come in the movie's first half, where we get clips, never seen before, of Robin's brilliant stand-up comedy. A slew of talking heads bring their perspective on it all, including Billy Crystal, "Mork & Mindy" co-star Pam Dawber, and, later on, Zak Williams, Robin's oldest son, now in his mid-30s. "Seeing him sharing with others was hard", admits Zak, as he rues Robin's many absences during Zak's childhood. But the bottom line was that Robin enjoyed life on stage: "On stage he was comfortable and in charge, in real life he was not", comments someone and that just about sums it up.

"Robin Williams: Come Inside My Mind" premiered at this year's Sundance film festival to good acclaim, and then went straight to HBO, which is where I caught it on HBO On Demand recently. The documentary is well made, no doubt. The last half hour, though, is pretty tough to watch, for obvious reasons. If you are a fan of Robin Williams, I'd readily suggest you check this out and draw your own conclusion.

Excellent Documentary, he was an awesome person, the only thing negative i have to say about the filming is the music in the background seemed to over take his words i had to really listen to hear him over it

You'll laugh and you'll cry. Such a Powerful documentary. Many people in the entertainment industry have come and gone but this is by far the Toughest. :(

Over four years ago now the world and in-turn the film/entertainment industry lost one of its brightest stars Robin Williams, it was a dimming of a light that will never be truly replaced, such was the skill and charisma that the beloved comedian and actor brought to his life.

A maniacal presence that seemed to always be operating at a different level to the rest of us, a mind full of ideas, complexities and wisdoms, Williams was a hard figure to pin down exactly, as you were often unsure if what you were seeing was the whole picture, but documentary filmmaker Marina Zenovich looks to examine this aspect in her fascinating and wonderfully put together HBO feature Robin Williams: Come Inside My Mind.

Not a typical documentary experience, as Zenovich crafts much of the film around Williams various interviews and musings as well as interviews with his loved ones and those that worked with him, Mind acts as both a heartfelt tribute to the esteemed performer and a sombre and honest representation of a man that had many demons over his career and battled (often outside of public knowledge) many an issue, that somehow never managed to deter Williams from bringing so much fun and entertainment to so many.

Mind is the type of experience that only enhances the legacy of Williams, who rose from unknown street comedian to TV alien, through to an Oscar winning actor, as we are taken through memory lane from Williams early days through to his more sombre and quiet end times, an actor and thinker trying to come to terms with life and what lays before him.

It's an affectionate undertaking, filled with rare and perhaps otherwise unseen private photographs and home videos and is filled with recognisable participants such as Williams long term friend Billy Crystal, Mork and Mindy co-star Pam Dawber and family members such as one-time wife Valerie Velardi (who battled with Williams previously non-public infidelity) and son Zak Williams, who all talk frankly and openly about their dear friend and family member.

Mind also wisely doesn't just examine Williams with rose-tinted glasses, as we are made very much aware of a man that whilst filled with goodness and kindness, was as flawed and filled with foibles as all of us, giving us a true all round picture of the man behind the icon.

Final Say -

A must-see for both ardent fans and more casual consumers of Williams life and work, Come Inside My Mind is an insightful look into the life and times of one of the all-time great entertainers, taken from us far too soon.

4 phone messages out of 5