Review of I Am Chris Farley (2015) by Jaime J — 18 Aug 2015

"There's a limit to how wonderful it is, to me. And that limit is when you kill yourself with drugs and alcohol. You know? That's when it stops being so fucking magical.".

Those words, uttered with such a sad and sour disappointed tone by Bob Odenkirk, really hammers home what affect the loss of a one-of-a-kind talent can have on their friends.

Chris Farley was never big in the UK and I was personally never drawn to him as a comic persona. However, this documentary shed light on a man whose energy was matched only by his insecurities and personal demons - a tragic and common thread among funnymen. It is perhaps that he wasn't so well known to me that after a while this film starts to feel like a loop of his peers telling you over and over again how funny and brilliant he was. As if we just didn't get it. I think it's the only thing holding it back.

The SNL footage almost speaks louder than the anecdotes accompanying them, and rightly so; you only have to watch Farley at work to understand that he made everyone around laugh. The tales told of his early life and work away from performing help for a bigger picture of a gentle ball of fire, and I found myself harbouring a new appreciation for him. This is what a documentary should do.

I laughed out loud and felt a connection with Chris Farley because, although revered as a comedy genius and all-round nice guy, he shared all the same flaws, failings and insecurities we all do. You can't help but feel truly sad that he died at only 33.

I was pleasantly surprised.