I Am Heath Ledger

I am a huge fan of heath ledger since his early work and I am a firm believer his portrayal of the joker in the "dark knight" is the greatest performance by an actor I have seen. This film touched me in so many ways that I feel that I knew the man personally as strange as it may seem. The personal accounts of people who knew him best, his own personal "vlog" footage really showed the true nature of heath and who he really was. A kind and joyful man who sadly lost his life too soon. I shed a tear many times especially to Bon iver's- Perth at the credits. I highly recommend this roller coaster of emotions to fans of heath and those who respected what he has achieved. It really is a fitting tribute to who the man was.

Greetings again from the darkness. Lao Tzu wrote "The flame that burns twice as bright, burns half as long". Though the math might be a bit off, that phrase aptly describes the too-brief life and career of shooting star Heath Ledger. As a 20 year old from Australia, his talent seemed to leap from the screen in 1999's 10 Things I Hate About You. As his popularity soared, so did his commitment to avoid being typecast as the charming and handsome love interest by the desperate directors of every upcoming rom-com project.

It seems inconceivable (that word means what you think it means) that Mr. Ledger only made 15 more movies before an overdose killed him in 2008 (at age 28). Adrian Buiterhuis and Derik Murray co-direct this portrait of the man, the artist, the friend, the father. We see the young Heath, nearly always with camera in hand, flouncing about with his buddies as he seeks his next adventure. The home videos and photos fill the screen with luminosity that we recognize from his movies … the camera loved his face, and he seemed to love everything about filmmaking.

Interviews, often the bane of biographical documentaries, provide a real sense of the admiration and love that Ledger attracted. His father, mother, sister, childhood Aussie friends, agent Steve Alexander, former lover Naomi Watts, and close friend Ben Harper pay tribute not just to the star who burned out too soon, but also the warm-hearted man they all connected with.

The film walks us through some of his key movies: his chance to work with his acting idol Mel Gibson in The Patriot, A Knight's Tale, his devastating performance in Monster's Ball, The Four Feathers, Ned Kelly, reminiscing with Catherine Hardwicke on Lords of Dogstown, his stunning turn in Brokeback Mountain, and his final movie The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus with his beloved director Terry Gilliam. Of course, there is also a full segment on his most famous (and his own personal favorite) role as The Joker (a guy with a plan) in The Dark Knight. The role not only won Ledger a posthumous Oscar, it became the most talked about film performance in years.

Even more interesting than the recollections from the various movie sets are the bits and pieces we get of Ledger as guy sharing the journey with his buddies, approaching master status as a chess player, as an artist dedicated to his craft, or as a photographer honing his style (in music videos) in what surely would have been an intriguing path as a director. Director Ang Lee brings us closer to understanding what we have missed out on in regards to Ledger as an artist, and with actress Michelle Williams, the mother of his daughter Matilda, choosing not to participate in the film, we still have the distance between fan and man that allows for due respect.

I love his vlogs!! Love all the clips Heath shot to record lots and lots of bits of ingenious and beautiful moments in his life. He was probably one of the earliest persons to shoot vlogs with certain artistry. He playing basketball in his living room reminds of Uma Thurman in the Pulp Fiction, when Mia is dancing wildly in her parlour and is absolutely oblivious of the surrounding world. All those familiar faces, Naomi Watts, Ang Lee and Ben Mendelssohn and their recollection of Heath presented what a generous person he was. He would've produced and even directed great films. Surprisingly ignorant as I was, I didn't know the relationship between Michelle and him until I watched this. The way Ang Lee and Health's friends recalled how they had met and fell in love during Brokeback Mountain and the way Michelle looked at him at the premiere are sweetly plaintive.

I'm one who does not have the best knowledge of Heath Ledger. I know some of his movies and think he was very good at both Brookeback Mountain and The Dark Knight. I have not seen all the movies he played in. This documentary gives real insight into his life, motivation, his wonderful attitude to life, his love for friends and pride for the family. Unlike other documentaries I've seen about celebrities, this is much closer and personal. It is full of feedback and reflections from his good friends, family and business partners. This makes the film credible and strong. We also see many private recordings that Heath did, either by himself or by others. We also get insight into his deep interests for other forms of art such as music and art. Overall, a deep dive in the life of an exciting, talented and inspiring man who died too soon.

I Am Heath Ledger is a great movie. It is just great. The movie has Heath Ledger's family members and friends tell their experience with Heath and his life. The film is heartwarming and sad at the same time. It goes from Heath's family talking about his experience making films such as The Patriot, Brokeback Mountain, and The Dark Knight, and his joy making them, to the sadness throughout the time of his death within their family and around the world. It is a great film. It made me cry. If you are a fan of Heath Ledger and his work, definitely check this one out. 10/10.