Today I watched a movie in the morning…not normal for me. Because I’m home sick, also not normal for me. Now I'm writing a blog post, which you can see from my blog history, is also not normal for me. I'm so glad I'm not attached to normal!
I’ve been sick for days and tired of all the normal stuff so I looked up artist movies on Amazon. I came across Val, which I’d seen the trailer for a while back and thought about, but had forgotten about. I've been a fan of Val Kilmers ever since I watched The Doors when I was 16, which was a life altering event for me. Actually, watching that movie made me fall in love with Jim Morrison, the Doors, and Val Kilmer:) So I watched the documentary, and it was so much more than I expected. I laughed, I cried, I was touched, and I was inspired. That’s why I love artist movies. I love to look into the life of other artists, see how they work, what they make, and think about would we be friends? This film did not disappoint and I, even more than before:) would definitely want to be friends with Val.
I was struck at how in the beginning he’s doing art journaling, only one of my favorite things! Doing all the things I do; tearing, pasting, drawing, painting, writing, adding layer after layer. And the whole movie was like that, layer after layer, a collage giving a view into the life of this amazing artist. His career and life is a work of art that he’s still creating. Because he’s an artist and will always need to create. I can relate to that.
Also, it’s messy at his place, in his studio. Thank you. I can definitely relate to that.
Then he’s piling on the big fat jewelry. Again, yes! How can I already love him even more! The movie had just started.
As the movie goes through his “charmed life” as he called it, you see how serious his dedication to his craft is. You see he has integrity and a strong viewpoint and personality. Let’s not forget, he’s so very handsome, beautiful really, so hell yes to that! You see his life build as well as his career. The loss of his brother and eventually father and mother. But also his marriage and the birth of his children. His relationship with his children is beautiful and genuine, not just when they are little either. In the past and present, you can tell his love and awe for them is tremendous. The tenderness in their interactions is touching. His approach to life is unique and his own, as is his journey. Seeing the large volume of footage from the past mixed with the present throughout the film really works to create a broad perspective. As we age we don’t see the happenings from the past the same as when we’re living them. That introspection is wisdom. And the wisdom and openness Val brings to the film is admirable.
Even though he’s lost his natural voice, a difficult reality for an actor to endure, he has still figured out a way to inspire others. Movie sets and home movies from all over the world are the settings for this life long project. This film gives the viewers a backstage peek into the life of movie stars. I find that fascinating. And what I learned is that they are people just like us! They act silly and get irritated. They have hardships and celebrate Easter. They love and they lose, just like the rest of us. And when Val’s throat cancer took his natural voice he got creative. He found a unique and artful avenue to tell the story of his journey. That demonstrates extraordinary perseverance and grit.
This film is an inspirational documentary of a brilliant artist. He is truly a man that is aging gracefully, with humility, strength, and style. Thank you Val for your light. You’ve reminded me that my voice is unique and I should make the most of this life and my art. The passion and tenacity it takes to be an artist is a gift. How blessed us artists are to possess that gift and be able to share our own unique vision with the world.
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