Intentionally or not, Liza Minnelli has been a presence in the public eye since her birth. The daughter of screen legends Judy Garland and director Vincente Minnelli, Liza’s arrival on March 12, 1946, made headlines, and since then, she’s been singing and acting her way into our lives and hearts.
Therefore, it’s not all that surprising that someone, in this case filmmaker Bruce David Klein, would eventually make a documentary about her. “Liza: A Truly Terrific Absolutely True Story” (Kino Lorber/Zeitgeist), now available on Blu-ray disc, is that doc, which opens, fittingly, with a quote attributed to Oscar Wilde: “Be yourself, everyone else is already taken.”
Klein’s labor of love, “Liza: A Truly Terrific Absolutely True Story,” is a portrait of a woman who overcame expectations to become one of the all-time greatest performers, earning the distinction of being an EGOT. The loss of her mother in June 1969, when Liza was 23 years old, became a catalyst. Friends and mentors helped her develop her talent, and those people are featured prominently in the doc.
Beginning with her quirky godmother Kay Thompson, author of the series of children’s books about “Eloise” (who is said to be patterned in part after Liza), with whom Liza had a deep bond. So much so that Liza took care of Kay in the last years of her life.
Other important mentor relationships that are explored include those with Charles Aznavour (who taught Liza to “act a song” and much more), Bob Fosse (who directed her Oscar-winning performance in “Cabaret”), Fred Ebb (of whom Liza says that he “invented her”), and of course, fashion icon Halston (who was introduced to her by Thompson).
Additionally, the doc delves into two prominent aspects of Minnelli’s life: her romantic relationships and marriages, and her stints in recovery. Among her paramours, she was linked with Mikhail Baryshnikov, Martin Scorsese, Desi Arnaz Jr., and Peter Sellers (among others). Liza’s four failed marriages were to Peter Allen (1967-1974), Jack Haley Jr. (1974-1979), Mark Gero (1979-1992), of whom it’s said that he provided the stability that she required), and the most disastrous of all David Gest (2002-2007).
Director Klein makes splendid use of vintage footage from throughout Liza’s lengthy career. Additionally, his choices of interview subjects, including Michael Feinstein, Mia Farrow, Ben Vereen (with whom she was also romantically linked), Joel Grey, George Hamilton, Jim Caruso, Chita Rivera, Kevin Winkler, John Kander, Darren Criss, Liza’s half-sister Lorna Luft, and Liza herself, go a long way in fleshing out this “truly terrific absolutely true story.”
The Blu-ray includes a wealth of bonus features such as Klein’s audio commentary, the theatrical trailer, interview outtakes with Feinstein, Vereen, and Luft, as well as a Q&A with Klein moderated by Jim Caruso.
Rating: B
