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Review

Born in Brooklyn in 1960 to a Haitian father and Puerto Rican mother, Jean Michel Basquiat’s career as an artist was both meteoritic and tragically brief.

From his artistic beginnings as a political provocateur , poet, and graffiti artist in the late 1970s - under the moniker "SAMO." - to his art-world success in New York, to his death by heroin overdose in 1988, Basquiat was an alluring individual.

His life — which included being at the epicenter of the wild 1980s New York art scene and his brilliant collaborations with Andy Warhol - was seen in the biopic Basquiat in 1996, but for something more personal and revelatory, watch this documentary made by his close friend Tamra Davis. Davis takes full advantage of footage she shot of Basquiat in 1985, facinating scenes of him painting, images of his work, and interviews with his contemporaries - Julian Schnabel, Glenn O’Brien, and Fab 5 Freddy.

Through her work, we get to see the man behind the tabloid image. The result is a tender, captivating portrait and homage to a celebrated artist, filmmaker, and misunderstood friend.

 -- Noelle Reilly