I AM CHRIS FARLEY

US, 2015, 95 minutes, Colour.

Directed by Brent Hodge, Derik Murray.

Part of a series of television portraits under the title I Am… The films were mainly about film stars but included other celebrities. Sometimes it ranged more widely with a portrait of Martin Luther King Jr and Usain Bolt.

Chris Farley was dead at the age of 33. Short but big in size, his aim was to be an entertainer, and followed the route through Saturday Night Live (with creator Lorne Michaels one of the talking heads here). He teamed with David Spade as an odd couple with comedy routines and into films with Tommy Boy and Black Sheep. He also paired with Adam Sandler and appeared in some of his films in cameo roles. Both David Spade and Adam Sandler are interviewed.

There is some background to his family, especially with his brothers participating in this film, one doing stand-up routines, the others giving interviews, quite an amount of insight into the family and the growing up, the influence of their father. They are a Catholic family, Farley attending Catholic schools and some testimonies from a priest friend with whom he played football. Some of the commentators note that in private, he was concerned with visiting the poor, putting into practice some of his Catholic background.

However, interest in the film maybe were limited to an American audience, especially those who saw him on television, carrying on in interviews with David Letterman, his movies. He is probably not very well known outside the United States, especially as he died in 1997, sadly addicted to alcohol and drugs and spending many times in rehab..

The other difficulty for non-American audiences is whether they respond to his comic style. He is definitely a look-at-me presence, always performing, always carrying on, ditzy, tending to act the stupid role. And, while this might be an American style (and some comparisons are made with Jerry Lewis, Lou Costello), the broad comedy might not appeal to those outside the United States. Too much.