After a humiliating rejection on THE LOVE GURU/’08, Mike Myers tried to lift himself out of one major funk with this decent, if weirdly over-produced hagiographic documentary (less vanity project than vanity offering) about groovy celeb manager Shep Gordon. With hangdog physicality and laid-back attitude, Shep (everyone calls him Shep) landed a gaggle of hard rock/R&B clients (Joplin, Alice Cooper, Jimi Hendrix, Teddy Pendergrass) without really trying, then, after sex, drugs & rock & roll, parleyed his success into celebrity chefs, actors, even the Dalai Lama (not strictly a client). Myers doesn’t trust his material, loading on aural/visual cues for every clause in every sentence. It’s witty fun . . .for a while. But soon, you notice a hollow tone developing as Shep (everyone calls him Shep) works his client list as substitute family. A man of too many friends, he’s searching for the unbreakable family bond that makes you return to the dining-room table even after saying something unforgivable, especially after saying something unforgivable. Myers, like everyone we see here, loves Shep (everyone calls him Shep), but is just visiting before heading off, refreshed and probably wealthier. Hosts of ‘exes’ are left unaccounted for in the interviews, but no doubt there’s plenty of hired help (also unseen) to clean up the physical & psychological messes Myers hasn’t interest in considering. In a blinkered way, it's delightful, with entertaining show-biz stories; but stuffed with an overwhelming sense of One-Percenter Entitlement. Hope you got over your funk, Mike.
DOUBLE-BILL: This would almost certainly pair up nicely with HIS WAY: A Portrait of Hollywood Legend Jerry Weintraub/’11 about the late wheeler-dealer/producer (not yet seen here).
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