Elaine Stritch: Shoot Me Movie Review

Elaine Stritch: Shoot Me is a documentary produced and directed by Chiemi Karasawa. Elizabeth Hemmerdinger has co-produced this film as well. This documentary is distributed under the banner of Sundance Selects. Shane Sigler,

Joshua Z. Weinstein and Rod Lambornis are the cinematographers, while Kjerstin Rossi and Pax Wassermann are the editors of this film. The documentary focuses on the journey of Broadway luminary Elaine Stritch. Guest appearances include Alec Baldwin Alec Baldwin is an American actor and comedian bor >> Read More... , Rob Bowman, Tina Fey A multi-talented person, Tina Fey is an American a >> Read More... , James Gandolfini, Paul Iacono, Cherry Jones, George C. Wolfe, etc. The film got a theatrical release on 20 May 2014. 

Plot

What does it take to be a performing artist unto the last? Well, Elaine Stritch has an answer for that. ‘Elaine Stritch: Shoot Me’ is a documentary that delves deep into her journey as an actor, as well as her one-of-a-kind journey.

Star Performances

Since this is just a documentary, there is hardly any scope for standout performers. Yet, Elaine Stritch’s cheeky persona made this experience worth it. The way she narrated her journey, and revealed her internal struggles is also intriguing.

Analysis

Documentaries are not meant to entertain you often. ‘Elaine Stritch: Shoot Me’ is one sweet exception though. This is the journey of a Broadway legend, who has been entertaining American audiences for more than five decades.

This documentary has a focus on Elaine’s latter years, including her larger-than-life talent, and her quirky approach to the theatre. She also does not hold back her flaws, alcoholism being one of the examples. When asked what she fears the most, she simply replies ‘Drinking.’ Not an easy task by any means. 

The documentary could have been better, giving a healthy mix of her early years as an artist, as well as a deeper insight into her struggles with alcoholism and diabetes. However, the never-say-die attitude of Elaine Stritch, coupled with her storytelling skills more than makes up for it.

Elaine Stritch’s documentary also shows us the struggles of maintaining your position as a credible actor, especially in the later stages of your life, when not everything is in your control. The appearances of luminaries like Alec Baldwin, Tina Fey, and Rob Bowman, only add to the charm of this show, as well as her journey
Yes, the documentary is not a class apart. The editing could have been better, some of the sequences could have been narrated in a better fashion. However, lest we forget, this is a documentary, and for someone’s career as vivid as Elaine Stritch, this is still worth a watch.

What's There?

• The cheeky storytelling of Elaine Stritch

What's Not There?

• Minor glitches with transitions and editing

Verdict

‘Elaine Stritch: Shoot Me’ is a documentary that reveals the latter part of the former Broadway legend’s journey. This does not shy away from showing some of the lesser talked about parts of Elaine’s life and yet portrays her spirit with the never-say-die attitude that she sported. If you want a deeper insight into Broadway and some of its luminaries, you can give this a try!