Movie: Sketches of Frank Gehry

Another movie I've had in the queue since before it was on DVD is Sketches of Frank Gehry (2005). I missed it at the Doris Duke Theatre and have been waiting for it with anticipation ever since. It is a documentary of a sometimes hailed, sometimes reviled, architect who is indisputably a significant presence in contemporary architecture.

Among the other famous people weighing in, we have Dennis Hopper (it's not a documentary on art, music, or film without Hopper, now is it?) and Julian Schnabel doing his best Big Lebowski imitation in a fluffy white bathrobe and waving around a brandy snifter for editorial emphasis (credit to B. for the Lebowski observation).

Good reviews from critics and recommendations from people I admire led me to expect great things. It seemed a little long in that I felt like the most stirring points were made early on (like Gehry's dependence on therapy, his anxiety about his Jewish identity and his name change, his lucky opportunity and gutsy jump to doing art/architecture that was meaningful to him). But most of it was great and it's worth a look-see for anyone with even a superficial interest in design.