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Robert Downey Jr., Harvey Keitel, Brooke Shields, Mike Tyson, Woody Allen ... see more see more... , Jim Brown , Barry Levinson , Norman Mailer , James Toback , Roger Ebert , Neve Campbell , Brett Ratner , Bijou Phillips , Robert Towne , Bridget Hall , Damon Dash , John Calley , Oliver 'Power' Grant , Woody Harrelson

Filmmaker Nicholas Jarecki offers a celluloid portrait of a cinematic mastermind at work in this documentary shot over an eight month period and following director James Toback through each phase of p... read more read more...roduction of his 2004 thriller When Will I be Loved. From pre-production to final cut, Jarecki follows the existential-minded director through the entire process of making a movie as Toback opens up to the camera to discuss a variety of deeply personal matters and explore just how they have manifested themselves in such films as Love and Money, The Big Bang, and Black and White. Candid interviews with such well-known Toback collaborators as Woody Allen, Robert Towne, Harvey Keitel, Roger Ebert, Brett Ratner, show just how much impact the well-respected filmmaker has had in Hollywood despite his stubborn refusal to fit into the commercialized mold so frequently associated with the showbiz mecca. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

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47% liked it

1,271 ratings

Critics

69% liked it

16 critics

Unrated, 1 hr. 23 min.

Directed by: Nicholas Jarecki

Release Date: June 16, 2006

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DVD Release Date: September 18, 2007

Stats: 32 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (32)

  • Stinger839
    August 20, 2010
    Stinger839
    Fun doc for fans of and those employed in the film biz. Some very interesting and candid interviews with various highly quotable artists. Starts off as a too-glamorized portrait of Toback, but then evolves into interesting as we watch how the man works and witness that distributi... read moreng an indie personal flick is always hell, especially, and even, for this man. It was enjoyable but not a breakthrough composition in terms of the film, sort of just standard fare biopic montage of interviews and old photos with the main thread of the piece being the documentarian's footage of Toback's then newest adventure in film-making.

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Critic Reviews

Frank Scheck
July 11, 2006
Frank Scheck, Hollywood Reporter

Quite entertaining.

Gene Seymour
June 16, 2006
Gene Seymour, Newsday

Jarecki's tour of Toback's world may glean more than probe. But as these kinds of trips go, even looking at the scenery yields fascinating sights and stirs worthwhile curiosity. Full Review

Elizabeth Weitzman
June 16, 2006
Elizabeth Weitzman, New York Daily News

As is often the case with Toback's films, even as you're shaking your head at his shameless self-indulgence, you can't help but keep on watching. Full Review

Jeannette Catsoulis
June 15, 2006
Jeannette Catsoulis, New York Times

The Outsider, Nicholas Jarecki's starstruck documentary about the writer and director James Toback, is a tragically missed opportunity to illuminate one of the more unusual cinematic talents working t...

John Anderson
June 15, 2006
John Anderson, Variety

Jarecki certainly thinks his subject deserves such an accolade, and he's made a great-looking film to make his case, one that is edited gracefully and briskly -- and leaves the heady aftertaste of bir... Full Review

Rob Nelson
June 13, 2006
Rob Nelson, Village Voice

Among the great docs about moviemaking. Full Review

David Edelstein
June 12, 2006
David Edelstein, New York Magazine

[A] delicious cult-of-personality documentary... Full Review

Mick LaSalle
April 7, 2006
Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle

Toback is not a household name, but he tends to be a favorite among people who have seen his pictures, which are unlike anyone else's. Full Review

Eric Lurio
June 17, 2006
Eric Lurio, Greenwich Village Gazette

Unless you're a fan, don't bother.

Maitland McDonagh
June 16, 2006
Maitland McDonagh, TV Guide's Movie Guide

Toback quickly reveals himself as an insufferable, opinionated blowhard who pontificates shamelessly about the art of the cinema while indulging his own obsessions on film. Full Review

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The Outsider Trivia

  • Robert DeNiro and Joe Pesci have been in two mob films where DeNiro has been an "outsider" or "associate" while Pesci had been a "made man". One of these films was Goodfellas. What was the other film in which this instance appeared?  Answer »
  • in the film THE FAST AND THE FURIOUS TOKYO DRIFT DK son calls SEAN a GAIJIN.but was does it mean?  Answer »
  • Why do Ponyboy and Johnny run away in the Outsider?  Answer »
  • what's the name of the outsider who get's to know simba's daughter in the lion king 2??  Answer »
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