Episode 648 - "Framing John DeLorean" (2019)

Hi everyone!

Just me today, as I continue taking a deep dive into documentaries, a semi-revival of our Documentary Thursdays segment from last year. This week, I’ll be tackling “Framing John DeLorean”, a film that promises a lot more than it delivers, much like the car of the same name. You’ll find out what I mean in a little bit, but for two other recommendations, definitely check out “Meeting Gorbachev” (Episode #641), last week’s documentary feature, and “Casting JonBenét”, a 2017 Netflix documentary that actually delivers what this film promises.

Before the review, we’ll be showing more love for our friends at the Ocho Duro Parlay Hour. Every week, the whole crew sit down and go over a bunch of topics, from sports to comics to television and movies. Huge shoutout to the ODPH crew for all their support during Reign of Terror 2019. You can find them on Twitter and Instagram @ODParlayHour and on Facebook @ochoduroparlayhour. Lots of great content on a variety of topics!

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Here we go!

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Today’s movie is “Framing John DeLorean”, the Sundance Selects documentary directed by Don Argott and Sheena M. Joyce and written for the screen by Dan Greeney and Alexandra Orton. The documentary tracks the rise and fall of pathological businessman John DeLorean, with a combination of actual footage and contemporary interviews, along with a series of re-enactments by well-known celebrities who give their thoughts in-between filming scenes.

No spoilers.

I’m starting today’s interview with how a majority of people will learn about this documentary – the marketing campaign. The trailer bills “Framing John DeLorean” as a revolutionary new kind of documentary, one that will change the way we look at documentaries forever, some new blend of documentary, re-enactment, actual footage, and commentary. Of course, this kind of experience definitely intrigues me, a new take on a standard film process. A similar promise was made and delivered in the 2017 documentary film “Casting JonBenét”, which examined the case of JonBenét Ramsey through the eyes of families auditioning for parts in a dramatization of the infamous events. If you want to see a film that actually pushes the boundaries, then check out that film, because “Framing John DeLorean” definitely does not deliver on its promise.

Of course, it’s only as I sat down to write this review that I began to appreciate the wry irony of such a marketing campaign for this particular story. When it comes to the career of John DeLorean, perception always outweighs reality, from his invention of the American muscle car in the Pontiac GTO at General Motors, through his failed attempt to sustain a fledgling car company through a series of mistakes. I went into this film much like the buyers of the DMC, sold a new kind of documentary that would stand out amongst the competition, and ending up with a mildly unique documentary about a slightly extraordinary figure.

I’m not sure whether to be angry or disappointed or impressed, and maybe that is the best way to approach the documentary. “Framing John DeLorean” is structured pretty much like any other documentary that relies upon dramatizations to recreate pivotal moments. John DeLorean is played by Alec Baldwin, supermodel wife Cristina Ferrare by Morena Baccarin, former business partner Bill Collins by Josh Charles, and other roles by Dean Winters, Michael Rispoli, Jason Jones, and others. The only slightly revolutionary move here is some behind-the-scenes interviews with Baldwin and Baccarin, which would normally be played in the special features portion of a DVD, but instead are inserted throughout the film. Aside from one story about DeLorean calling Baldwin to have him consider playing DeLorean in a movie, there’s really not much insight brought into DeLorean’s story. I think it also lessened the impact of the dramatizations themselves, having to switch between actors as themselves and actors as their roles, perhaps another wry, unintentional similarity to DeLorean’s private and public personas.

“Framing John DeLorean” might not be revolutionary, but the documentary itself is well-made. Dramatizations aside, the standard documentary portions have a great selection of media assets, including still frames, varying qualities of video from his decades-long career, and audio recordings, especially surrounding the famous attempt by the FBI to frame him for a cocaine deal. Well-chosen assets help tell the rise of John DeLorean, but the interviews with his kids, Zach DeLorean and Kathryn DeLorean, shows the real contempt for the effects of DeLorean’s actions, from the destruction of his family, to the massive disruptions to the economy of Northern Ireland after the closure of the DeLorean plant due to financial maleficence. In fact, by the end of the documentary, I had kind of wished Zach had narrated his father’s story the whole way.

Two asides. First, the story of the DeLorean Motor Company is frighteningly similar to the troubles in the rise of Tesla, which also only survived after an injection of cash from the government to continue operations, and shows another executive learning the hard way that starting a company takes a lot more than money or investors. You can see some of those similarities in 2011’s “Revenge of the Electric Car” that tracked the recent rise of the modern electric car at Tesla, Nissan, Chevy, and independent converters. Second, they most definitely have a segment about featuring the DeLorean in the “Back to the Future” franchise and speculate about the potential for the DeLorean car itself if it had survived to see the film. I certainly wanted one as a kid, knowing nothing about the disappointment in the cars by actual owners.

“Framing John DeLorean” is a documentary that promises a lot more than it delivers, quite similar to the DeLorean Motor Company. However, instead of a failed product, Argott and Joyce deliver a well-made, mostly standard documentary complete with re-enactments, and perhaps too-intrusive commentaries from the actors involved. Documentary fans, or folks interested in learning more about John DeLorean, should absolutely see this film. Just be ready to have a few reservations when you’re done.

Rotten Tomatoes: 91% (CERTIFIED FRESH)

Metacritic: 67

One Movie Punch: 7.8/10

“Framing John DeLorean” (2019) is not rated and is currently playing on Hulu.