Review of Bert Stern - Original Madman (2011) by Jim D — 08 Aug 2012

Photographer Bert Stern took some of the most iconic photo portraits of the 20th century, including Marilyn Monroe's famous 'last sitting', and this is his story. The fact that it's told by his ridiculously younger muse and partner Shannah Laumeister means that it's told without much overt criticism, which is fine when you consider how superb his work was at his creative peak.

But while his fascination with beautiful women made him a famous photographer, it also reveals that perhaps he wasn't a very nice person. The direction is too starry-eyed to delve much into his very real flaws though, and too much time is spent reflecting on his present-day octogenarian condition, when all the audience wants is to see more of those glorious images from his heyday.