Best (George Best: All By Himself) review
Best (George Best: All By Himself) review by Luke Ryan Baldock, February 2017.
Best review
The most convenient part of making a documentary about George Best is his name, which lends itself to a title that states both who the documentary is about and comments on his skills. The most unfortunate part of making a documentary about George Best is the fact he was such an icon that little of his life has yet to be covered. Even a sport novice such as myself knows quite a bit about George Best, so what does Best: George Best All By Himself have to offer? The answer is not much, but that’s not to say it’s a bad documentary.
Aside from an opening in which George Best’s ex-wife Angie details an anecdote where she sees her husband walking drunkenly down the road in the pouring rain, the narrative is refreshingly linear. Taking us from George’s childhood in Northern Ireland to his arrival in Manchester. The majority of information is relayed by those that knew or had met George, through a series of anecdotes. It adds a personal touch, while also feeling rather distant, due to the time since the events. A surprising amount of photographs and footage (not all from football matches) helps to justify this in the visual medium.
Best review
As the film progresses we see George age, as well as hear about his battles with alcoholism. As the film continues, the anecdotes always remain interesting, but there’s nothing of any further interest. What becomes most fascinating is how celebrity and alcoholism was looked upon back then, but this is never explored. Instead it will be down to the individual to compare it to the culture of rehabilitation and media frenzy that we see with stars today.
Best also lacks any strong emotional pull. Like the reporting of the day the whole affair is done very matter-of-factly. Those recounting stories have obviously had some time to view their interactions with George Best in the greater context of his life, so there are subtle reflections that add bittersweet moments. The number of talking heads does seem to be quite low however, and this equates to a film that never opens the doors to unknown places.
Best review
Overall Best is a respectful and well constructed documentary that just doesn’t have enough content. We find out Best was an incredibly talented footballer who struggled with alcohol, and even a sport-ignoramus such as myself knew that. It’s also telling that after watching the documentary I found much more interesting tales of Best and the world around him during my own research.
Best (George Best: All By Himself) review by Luke Ryan Baldock, February 2017.
