Film Reviews

Sketches of Frank Gehry

• Rating:
• Director: Sydney Pollack
• Starring: Dennis Hopper
• Details: US / Germany / 83mins (12).

"That is so stupid-looking, it's great." Frank Gehry is an architect, that's a given, but he's more like an experimental artist in his approach; never afraid to try anything new and hates being hemmed in by 'rules'. Gehry has been described as a "contemporary cubist sculptor", which suits more than mere architect, and one glance at his most famous building - the museum in Bilbao, whose magnificent design competes with the art displayed inside - will tell anyone that the man who designed it is either a genius or plain barking. The fact that Pollack and Gehry are pals helps the openness of the interviews and allows the viewer to get inside Gehry's mind as he tells us all about his insecurities and lack of confidence. The presence of his therapist helps matters too. Pollack too is unafraid to admit some apprehension as even the director of The Swimmer and The Firm can doubt his talent: "I always felt like I was pretending to be a director." This documentary differs from others. Pollack is also trying something new as this is his first documentary and, according to him, he has never held a camera before. In more experienced hands, the documentary might have been cold, flat and deliberate, but Pollack's unpretentious approach (Gehry's detractors are allowed their say) is the winning factor.

Review by Gavin Burke