Mike Wallace Is Here

I really wanted to like this documentary, as the critical reviews for this were mostly positive, and I found Mike Wallace to have an interesting career. But the film basically was just a history of Mike Wallace interviewing people, with no cohesion, and no bigger picture. It would have been nice to hear how his colleagues thought of him, or how his son and TV journalist Chris thought about him, but there is none of that. I also thought it was a mistake not to caption during the movie which famous person he was talking to. That was revealed at the very end, and who cares at that point? Since I'm in my late 50's, I recognized almost everybody he spoke to without needing to see a caption, but people younger than me are going to recognize fewer people. And I was annoyed that there were no captions identifying people that I was unable to recognize.

Also, because they show his interviews from the 60's in black and white, there is lots of smoking going on...lots.

The 2019 documentary Mike Wallace is Here, directed by Avi Belkin, is a sharp and compelling portrait of one of broadcast journalism's most influential and uncompromising figures. Through a skillful blend of archival footage and cleverly selected interviews, the film constructs a narrative that feels both intimate and expansive. It is edited with precision and rhythm, never straying into melodrama or sensationalism, instead allowing Wallace's own words and presence to guide the story. The absence of a traditional narrator gives the documentary a refreshing sense of authenticity, inviting the audience to draw their own conclusions from the material presented.

What stands out most is the film's even-handed tone. Rather than glorifying Wallace or vilifying his methods, Mike Wallace is Here offers a balanced view of a man who was at once relentless, self-critical, and at times emotionally vulnerable. Belkin avoids over-contextualizing or moralizing, allowing Wallace's many televised confrontations - with everyone from Vladimir Putin to Barbra Streisand - to speak for themselves. The result is a portrait that feels honest, highlighting both Wallace's brilliance and the toll his career may have taken on his personal life.

Overall, the documentary is impressively constructed and consistently engaging. It doesn't rely on flashy effects or dramatizations, but instead trusts the power of its subject and the historical record. For anyone interested in journalism, media ethics, or the art of the interview, Mike Wallace is Here is a thoughtful, well-made film that offers a rare behind-the-scenes view of a man who spent his life in the spotlight - asking the questions no one else dared to.

As a great admirer of Mike Wallace and his work on 60 Minutes, I was excited to see this documentary. Unfortunately, "Mike Wallace Is Here" proved to be a major disappointment, failing to do justice to this remarkable journalist.

The main flaw of the film is its frantic editing pace. Instead of allowing the viewer to immerse themselves in the material, the documentary is cut like a music video or a Hollywood action movie. This approach destroys all flow and context, which is particularly detrimental when covering such an impressive career as Wallace's.

Even worse, the film often fails to identify Wallace's interviewees, causing important context to be lost. Sometimes, there are even two different clips shown on screen simultaneously, along with audio, creating confusion and distraction rather than deepening the viewer's understanding.

Despite the interesting subject matter - Mike Wallace being one of the most significant journalists of recent decades - the presentation unfortunately manages to ruin the experience. Instead of providing insight into the life and work of this remarkable man, the film leaves the viewer confused and dissatisfied.

It's a shame to see such interesting material and Mike Wallace's career handled in this way. For those interested in getting to know Wallace better, I recommend watching his original interviews on 60 Minutes instead. There, his talent and professionalism shine through much better than in this unsatisfactory documentary.

This documentary highlights a common challenge in rating such films: the gap between the inherent interest of the subject matter and the quality of the documentary itself. In the case of "Mike Wallace Is Here," this gap is particularly wide. While Wallace's career and impact on journalism are undoubtedly fascinating and worthy of study, the film's execution falls far short of its potential. As viewers, we're left to grapple with the disparity between our interest in the subject and our disappointment with its presentation, making it challenging to assign a rating that feels truly representative of the overall experience.

By far this was one of 2019's best doc's as it showcased and highlighted the 50 years of investigative reporting from legendary newsman Mike Wallace. The film begins with Wallace's humble upbringing and how radio influenced him. And how he broke into the business he started with advertising and doing commercials which lead to the Mike Wallace interview hour. Yet in a tragedy when his son died it caused Mike to take a leap to network news as at "CBS" it's where his found his gem and bread and butter special that was being a reporter on the news magazine hour "60 minutes". Wallace known for his direct and tough questions lead the way combined with the programs hard hitting investigative look at issues and many 20th century leaders. This would become a broadcast staple despite controversy and law suits from companies, still Mike was a leader as the evolution of broadcast TV began with him! Never before scene footage and the interviews are revealing and eye opening as many well known people were featured and it highlights Wallace's bout with depression. Overall well done doc of the investigative legend which was a killer strong self portrait.

Mike Wallace's career peak coincided with my lifetime. So this look at his life and his work, and the context of the times, was breathtaking for me in many ways. I learned new details of his backstory, and followed the arc of his work, with great interest and new perspective.

I wonder, though, if people younger than I am will recognize and understand the influence and sway that the 60 Minutes stories held for all of us back in the day. In these days of fractured and siloed media strategies, I worry that will be lost on new viewers.

There were a number of instances where the protagonists of the stories were not identified, and even I was searching my memory files for some of their names. But I know they were key figures in their times. Others, though, will be obvious, for sure.

That said, I think the news media ecosystem that we follow with this story is crucial to understanding where we are today. The infotainment pablum combined with cautious corporate legal teams we have now makes you yearn for the hard-driving precursors that Wallace represented.

I came out of this film thinking hard about the past and the future. Definitely worth a watch.