AFI Docs 2021: Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain
afi docs 2021The world was shocked in 2016 when Anthony Bourdain committed suicide while filming in France. The legendary chef and travel host had brought millions alongside him on his various travels across the globe, highlighting not just the incredible food but also the humanity he found along the way. Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain captures the life and complexity of Anthony Bourdain with an honest look both at his success and struggles in a way that recontextualises how audiences will view fame and happiness.
The thing that shocked so many when it came to Bourdain's death was the life he lived, at least to the general public. Not only did Bourdain radiate happiness and a larger-than-life personality but he got to do what many can only dream about. Bourdain traveled the world and focused on the beauty of humanity and its creations in an inspiring sense. It seemed like the best possible life one could live, so to hear that he took his own life was as confusing as it was tragic. Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain does a genuinely incredible job at bringing the audience into the mindset and perspective of Bourdain, genuinely allowing the audience to understand the life he lived behind the screen.
From Bourdain's addictive personality to the complex emotions he held towards his fame, the nuance found within Bourdain's mind and soul painting a deeply personal yet also incredibly universal message. The film really does break down what the purpose of life is and, in all its authentic mess, finds a unique yet poignant message on happiness and what truly brings that to an individual. Bourdain had what everyone thinks they could want but still suffered; this is an authentic perspective rarely ever seen or explored yet absolutely feels rich and worthwhile.
This is accomplished largely due to the direction given to the film by Morgan Neville who, after recent projects like Won't You Be My Neighbor? and They'll Love Me When I'm Dead, is quickly becoming one of the top documentary filmmakers working today. Bringing together a vast wealth of archival footage and new interviews with those close to Bourdain, the film is able to teleport audiences into Bourdain's life alongside him, never feeling tedious or boring in the way some biographies do. In the film's love for Bourdain, it never overly glorifies the figure either. Not only does the film show the past mistakes he has made but it is quick to allow judgment towards his later actions, specifically from those close to him. This is a bold choice, as so many other documentaries would hide these to paint a cleaner and more perfect final picture of this figure, but this film is clearly more worried about finding the authentic truth no matter how painful that can be.
This is the final piece of the puzzle. From the start of the movie, Bourdain's death weighs over the feature like a dark cloud. When the topic finally is reached, the film allows the subjects being interviewed to grieve and face their emotions in authentic ways. From crying to taking a sip of alcohol to defacing public art paying tribute to him, the film – similar to Bourdain's work itself – captures the authentic humanity for the beauty and mess that it is. It is poignant and relatable in a way that will floor audiences and leave them genuinely moved in a poignant and meaningful way.
When it comes to recent biographies, it is hard not to look at Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain as one of the best. Both incredibly personal and beautifully universal, this is a raw and authentic look at life and the complexity of happiness which achieves more than nearly any other film in recent memory has. The film has the power to make audiences recontextualise how they view life itself and stands not just as a defining memory towards Bourdain but also something much much larger.
