Roy's World: Barry Gifford's Chicago

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Roy's World: Barry Gifford's Chicago

2020

1h 15m

Documentary

Drama

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7 Reviews

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Fewer than 50 Ratings

Barry Gifford is one of America's greatest storytellers. His work includes the novel Wild at Heart, which was adapted by David Lynch into a Palme d'Or-winning film, and dozens of other screenplays, novels and books of poetry and essays. In a series of autobiographical stories spanning more than forty years he has chronicled the adventures of Roy, a boy coming of age largely on the gritty streets of 1950s Chicago. In Roy's World: Barry Gifford's Chicago, excerpts from the Roy stories performed by Willem Dafoe, Matt Dillon, and Lili Taylor are interwoven with Gifford's recollections of his childhood. Fusing vintage footage and photographs of Chicago with animated sequences and an evocative jazz score by Jason Adasiewicz, Roy's World presents an impressionistic portrait of a vanished world.

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Wendy Ide

Screen International

Adding to the grungy, down-at-heel glamour of the visuals is a terrific jazz score, heavy on sleazy brass and vibraphone.

Mar 17, 2020

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Ray Pride

Newcity

A nimble complex of the Chicago childhood of the author who collaborated with David Lynch... a topography of dreams, a dream of topography, a document of impressionistic finery that matches vintage footage to Gifford’s own words of youth.

Rated: 9/10

Aug 16, 2022

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Jim Laczkowski

Director's Club

One of the year's more strikingly original documentaries especially for fans of Gifford and the city of Chicago itself. An impressionistic, dreamlike time capsule that keeps you mesmerized from beginning to end.

Rated: 4/5

Nov 14, 2021

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Jared Mobarak

Jaredmobarak.com

We get a nice overview of [Chicago] through Gifford's eyes and imagination as well as Christopher's research matching artifacts to words.

Rated: 7/10

Oct 15, 2021

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Kelly Vance

East Bay Express

A gratifyingly candid portrait of the artist.

Oct 12, 2020

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Peter Sobczynski

eFilmCritic.com

For fans of Gifford, Roy's World is a no-brainer, but even those who are unfamiliar with his work are likely to find it compelling viewing.

Sep 3, 2020

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Rob Christopher

Director

Willem Dafoe

Narrator

Matt Dillon

Narrator

Lili Taylor

Narrator

Barry Gifford

Screenwriter

Rob Christopher

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Synopsis

Barry Gifford is one of America's greatest storytellers. His work includes the novel Wild at Heart, which was adapted by David Lynch into a Palme d'Or-winning film, and dozens of other screenplays, novels and books of poetry and essays. In a series of autobiographical stories spanning more than forty years he has chronicled the adventures of Roy, a boy coming of age largely on the gritty streets of 1950s Chicago. In Roy's World: Barry Gifford's Chicago, excerpts from the Roy stories performed by Willem Dafoe, Matt Dillon, and Lili Taylor are interwoven with Gifford's recollections of his childhood. Fusing vintage footage and photographs of Chicago with animated sequences and an evocative jazz score by Jason Adasiewicz, Roy's World presents an impressionistic portrait of a vanished world.

Director: Rob Christopher
Producer: Rob Christopher
Screenwriter: Barry Gifford, Rob Christopher
Genre: Documentary, Drama
Original Language: English
Runtime: 1h 15m

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