Sr.

This intimate portrait by director Chris Smith (American Movie, Jim & Andy, Fyre: The Greatest Party That Never Happened) explores the life and career of the pioneering independent filmmaker Robert Downey Sr., whose irreverent, low-budget 60s and 70s cult hits like Putney Swope and Greaser’s Palace had a lasting effect on cinema. Smith hangs out with Downey Sr. and Downey Jr. as they unpack their complicated history and close relationship, while Norman Lear, Alan Arkin, Paul Thomas Anderson and others weigh in on the elder Downey's still-influential work. As Smith works on his picture, Downey Sr. edits the footage into his own version, which is less a documentary about himself and more an art film about the everyday observations of a dying man. While this was not started as the final film of Robert Downey Sr., it's clear everyone involved feels that way about it.

The documentary is a surprisingly moving and funny picture that captures something distinctive about family and mortality. The way Smith uses clips of Downey Sr.'s old films brilliantly captures what it must have felt like to see those movies in their day—often more effectively than actually watching them does. Downey Sr. seems to know he’s on his way out, and over the three years of this project, we both see him deteriorate and see how his family deals with this—by filming and editing. In addition to the film being an above-average tribute to a lesser-known Hollywood icon, I wouldn't be surprised if it ends up on many lists of the movies that best captured the COVID years.