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The Life of Reilly

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Synopsis

Charles Nelson Reilly, in a one-man bravura performance, takes us on a journey through his bizarre, star-studded, tragic, hilarious, and ultimately amazing life with a potent blend of tenderness and quick one-liners. The Life Of Reilly was written by Mr. Reilly and Paul Linke; the film was filmed on HD live before audiences at the El Portal Theater in North Hollywood, California in October 2004.

Review

For any kid growing up in the late '60s and 70s, Charles Nelson Reilly - a theatrically impish, witty man seen sporting huge glasses and proudly clothed in the latest in loud, outlandish fashions was a staple on games shows like "The Match Game," "Hollywood Squares" and late at night on "The Tonight Show." He was one of the few identifiable gay men (we must remember Paul Lynde) on television.

The Life of Reilly marries the cinematic stage adaptation techniques of The Night Larry Kramer Kissed Me to the delightfully outrageous performance styling of Charles Nelson Reilly, resulting in a touching tribute to the star and his touring stage monologue, "Save it For the Stage." Drawing from his seventy-plus years of life and his more than than forty years in show business (which included everything from Tony Award-winning performances on the Broadway stage to to his famous appearances on “Match Game”), Reilly evokes moments of madness and melodrama alongside comical takes on his movies, television, theater and game show roles. Aided by an intimate understanding of their subject (not to mention Reilly's own self-awareness and keen grasp of his public image), the filmmakers brilliantly emphasize Reilly's self-referential jabs and pop cultural allusions with archival footage and sound effects that reinforce his anecdotal references. These poignant formal embellishments produce a dynamic kind of biographical cinema that rivals Tarnation's compellingly layered and emotionally demanding techniques. Displaying Reilly's charming trademarks that include his wonderfully sudden comic outbursts, signature hairpiece and over-sized eyeglasses, The Life of Reilly presents a fondly stylized portrait that's bound to dazzle his joyfully adoring fans and welcome unacquainted newcomers to this larger-than-life star.

-- Jared Earley

Keywords

Aging/The Elderly, Comedy, Gay Icon, Gay Male, Gay/Lesbian, Performing Arts, Stage-to-Film, Television

Genres

Comedy, Documentary

Customer Reviews

Remembering Charles Nelson Reilly

Amos Lassen wrote on 10/10/2010:

The Life of Reilly
Remembering Charles Nelson Reilly
Amos Lassen
Charles Nelson Reilly, famous for his game show jokes and sexual innuendos and guest appearances on the "X Files" takes us through his life which was bizarre, star-studded, tragic, hilarious, and totally amazing and he does so life sensitivity and quick one-liners. "The Life of Reilly" is an adaptation of Reilly's one-man show and was photographed for the screen during his final two performances of his play in North Hollywood, California.
Reilly had an incredible life and tells us all about it.

The film opens with some people being asked if they know who he is. Several of them say they've heard his name but don't really know him. That is where I was before seeing this movie. I was totally entertained. Charles Nelson Reilly was quite the character and didn’t hesitate making fun of himself. He shared his childhood with us as well as how he got started in show business.
I came to understand at last what a fascinating person and enormous heart lay was inside of this outrageously flamboyant character but I also saw his dignity. The movie shows both the man and the artist, a veteran stage actor whose was wonderful at storytelling and he never slowed down.
This is a unique movie as it is the last performance Charles Nelson Reilly ever did of his one man show. To watch him tell his stories is to see a master storyteller and we see that we never really knew the man. Not only was he an amazing performer but he was also quite a man.
This one-man show that is touching and very, very funny. When Nelson Reilly talks about his family, he is hysterical. This is a wonderful memorial to a talented and loving personality. The film is a breezy tale of one man's life told as an embarrassment of personal riches which Reilly inherited from a loving but strange family.