BILLY WILDER SPEAKS (2006)

These edited conversations from the late ‘80s between German director Volker Schlondorff and the eponymous expatriate Hollywood megger come off as a missed opportunity largely because Schlondorff, who comes off as a delightful fellow, concentrates on general filmmaking principles rather than details. A fault shared by much of Schlondorff’s own work. Fortunately, the Extra Material, which runs 100 minutes, contains precisely the specificity from Billy Wilder’s storied life & career that’s too often missing from the main title and it’s wonderful stuff.