Nice Girls Don’t Stay for Breakfast by Bruce Weber
Ivan Magrin-Chagnolleau
But who is Robert Mitchum really?
Bruce Weber’s new film, Nice Girls Don’t Stay for Breakfast, paints a highly unconventional portrait—in small, subtle strokes—of American actor Robert Mitchum, a figure who held a unique place in Hollywood. Bruce Weber, the director behind the magnificent documentary *Let’s Get Lost* about Chet Baker, spent several months filming Robert Mitchum. He also interviewed several figures who knew him well (Johnny Depp, Clint Eastwood, etc.). He has also compiled incredible archival footage, much of it previously unseen. Why this film took over 20 years to be released remains a mystery, but thankfully it was made and we can finally see it!
This is a document of great value. It is structured in a highly unconventional way, somewhat like an impressionist portrait in painting. It juxtaposes archival footage, film clips, interviews, and images of Robert Mitchum that Bruce Weber shot himself. This juxtaposition seems to follow no logic other than that of the moment. We move back and forth through time, shifting from a film clip to a song recording session, from one place to another, from one era to another. All of this forms a whirlwind that sweeps us away. And in the midst of one of these whirlwinds, we are struck by the emotion of one sequence, by the charm of another, by a fleeting glance captured by the camera, or by a moment of truth where Robert Mitchum reveals something deeply personal in front of Bruce Weber’s camera.
A must-see film. To discover or rediscover this immense actor. To delve into the heart of the public and private life of a man who held a unique place in American cinema. An actor full of contradictions (who isn’t?) and yet so endearing in his vulnerability. A film that leaves no one indifferent!
Director: Bruce Weber