He never had a string of blockbuster successes like Steven Spielberg.
He never amassed the intergalactic riches of George Lucas or New York street cred of Martin Scorsese.
And he never made an etched-in-history American masterpiece like Francis Coppola.
His heir-to-Hitchcock style and bravura, breathless suspense sequences allow him to be dismissed as derivative to some.
Maybe thats why hes always been a directors director.
And maybe thats why it also took a pair of filmmakers to make a documentary about his singular career.
De Palma, the personandthe film, is a one-man show.
between well-curated clips from his cinematic offspring.
If youre not a De Palma believer, Baumbach and Paltrows film may smack of self-mythology.
But if you are, its 107 minutes of celluloid heaven.
De Palma seems to have an innate sense for the perfect anecdote to symbolize each of his films.
ForObsession, he grouses about star Cliff Robertsons ego and sabotaging lack of generosity.
Hes a great talker.
De Palma had Bob Hoskins lined up in wait in case De Niro didnt come through.
