Review of American: The Bill Hicks Story (2010) by Stuart B — 23 Jun 2011

I can't say I was ever overly familiar with Bill Hicks, he got (almost) famous and then passed away before I ever really got into comedy, but that didn't hinder my enjoyment of a very well put together documentary which both celebrated his life but also his legacy, a one off comedian who broke boundaries and while never truly accepted in the US, cared about the country he lived in and tried to improve it through his art.

The documentary brings together archive footage of his earliest shows to his last, and weaving into them interviews from everyone who knew him best, and so despite knowing little beforehand felt I understood him and his ambitions afterwards.

At times it was brutally funny, while when touching upon his rapid illness and demise it was handled both sensitively and affectionately. Montaged with some amusing animations and edited cleverly, the documentary kept me intrigued throughout, and only left me with the profound knowledge that his brilliant potential was never quite fulfilled and what a genius the world is missing in the art of comedy and stand up now.