Rating: 
Summary: Klaus Kinski is the Anti-Christ and should be our president
Review: I feel as though my life would have been incomplete had I never seen this movie. Klaus's lunacy fueled by Werner's meth amphetamine dependancy are a recipe for unprecedented hilarity and hijinx. I could not stop laughing from the first frame to the inspired rolling of the credits (which in and of themselves should have been nominated for an oscar for art direction.) As a matter of fact, I have not been able to stop laughing since I saw this film (and I last saw this film 8 years ago.) Bully!!! to Werner who has created an unparalled portait of a lunatic and his love for romantic literature.
Rating: 
Summary: Character assassination
Review: I first recommend that a viewer rent Aguirre, der Zorn Gottes and Fitzcarraldo before viewing this documentary. To undestand the importance of this collaboration it is necessary to first see the films that it produced.Herzog revisits the locations near Macchu Pichu where artistic passions blossomed into homicidal rage in the crucible of the Peruvian rainforest. Herzog is fascinated by notions of human madness, obsession, and conciousness. This theme is the focus of most of his films. In Fitzcarraldo, the madness leads to incredible triumph and success, in Aguirre it leads to revolt, death, and utter chaos. What is most important to note is that in both instances is that the madness of the dominant individual, whether Fitz or Aguirre, is an intoxicating charisma that conforms a following to the individual's will. This is Kinski's obsession even when the cameras aren't rolling, and it is this passion that attracts Herzog's interest, an interest perhaps tied to his childhood in post-Third Reich Germany. Perhaps Herzog underestimated Kinski's persuasive rage that nearly turned Herzog's jungle endeavors into Pizzarro's folly.
Rating:
Summary: How not to Manage Conflict
Review: I first recommend that a viewer rent Aguirre, der Zorn Gottes and Fitzcarraldo before viewing this documentary. To undestand the importance of this collaboration it is necessary to first see the films that it produced. Herzog revisits the locations near Macchu Pichu where artistic passions blossomed into homicidal rage in the crucible of the Peruvian rainforest. Herzog is fascinated by notions of human madness, obsession, and conciousness. This theme is the focus of most of his films. In Fitzcarraldo, the madness leads to incredible triumph and success, in Aguirre it leads to revolt, death, and utter chaos. What is most important to note is that in both instances is that the madness of the dominant individual, whether Fitz or Aguirre, is an intoxicating charisma that conforms a following to the individual's will. This is Kinski's obsession even when the cameras aren't rolling, and it is this passion that attracts Herzog's interest, an interest perhaps tied to his childhood in post-Third Reich Germany. Perhaps Herzog underestimated Kinski's persuasive rage that nearly turned Herzog's jungle endeavors into Pizzarro's folly.
Rating:
Summary: Sad and Wonderful
Review: I loved this documentry, the ending was very sad to me. Showing Klaus playing gently with a butterfly, I forgot all the strife in the rest of it, as Werner Hertzog said he(Kinski)also possessed incredible human warmth and kindness.
Rating:
Summary: The Genius in Madness
Review: I rejoiced when "Fitzcarraldo" and "Aguirre" were released on DVD. "My Best Friend" completes this remarkable story. From the moment I first saw the work of Herzog and Kinski on the screen, I was absolutlely mesmerized. Their madness and genius were kindling for some of the finest films made. Years ago, my wife and I were outside of a small hotel in Paris. Certainly not the Ritz, but on the street was a white convertible Rolls Royce with Rome plates. Beside it, I was stunned and transfixed to see Klaus Kinski. We did not approach him because we respected his privacy. Still, from a distance we felt the energy and passion. His charisma and presence were undeniable, even on a quiet Parisian street. Klaus Kinski died alone in Marin County, California, part of the San Francisco Bay Area, not very far from my home. I presume I should say, "Rest in peace, Klaus". But that cliche would represent the antithesis of his life's work.
Rating:
Summary: The story about a fascinating man and a complicated relation
Review: In this movie, Werner Herzog tells us about his experience in working with Klaus Kinski. Together they have made some fantastic movies, but Kinski was an incredibly difficult person to work with. He often got mad and shouted for hours if he got annoyed by anything. He could get so mad Herzog almost wanted to kill him at one point. But he is also described as a very warm person. Herzog describes this complicated love/hate relationship in this movie and some actors, actresses and film team members tell us about their experience in working with Kinski. It is a very interesting movie if you like Kinski, Herzog or if you have seen any of their movies. This is one of the best documentaries I've seen.
Rating:
Summary: a madman and his guardian angel
Review: it's amazing how some people can control other'smadness'. inthis documentary, which I actually watched last night on IFC, you can see how materfully Herzog filters Kinski's madness into some of the most amazing cinematic performances. as much hatred as they had towards each other you can clearly see the deep-rooted friendship that laid between them. this is an amazing friendship story and made me value some of my friends a bit more ... if you're a fan of Herzog or Kinski this should already be on your shelf by now.
Rating: 
Summary: A documentary of scraps, already tasted.
Review: Now, i'm as big a Herzog and Kinski lover as you are likely to find, so i expected much from this documentary. Not that i wanted the Kinski myth to be broken down, or have some great revelations about him as a human being, actor, madman, i just wanted a little more than Herzog delivers. While i like that it doesnt try to define Kinski and accepts the fact that he was undefinable, many things to many people, i found this look back to be a little lacking, a tad flat in presentation. A documentary about a force of nature like Kinski should at least electrify or fascinate like the subject did in his life. Instead, the movie is just a retread of what we have already heard a hundred times before- insane, gentle, genius, self absorbed, dangerous, caring. Maybe Kinski was such a puzzle of a man, it became impossible to nail down a mood for the film. The film doesnt have any luster or kick and ends up a welcome companion peice to the grand Kinski myth, just, not a particularly thrilling one.
Rating:
Summary: clash of civilizations
Review: The first 10 minutes of My Best Fiend do far more than setting the tone for this mesmerizing film. Kinski on stage as "Jesus, but not the church-version Jesus", followed by what must be the most hilarious open house in film history: Herzog visits the apartment he lived in as a child where he occupied just one room with his entire family plus, eventually, Kinski. The present owners -- a textbook-bourgeois couple that has converted every room into a "Martha Stewart Experience" -- looks on in growing horror as they get a sense of what was going on between those walls a while ago. Herzog, waving his arms in the air, reconstructs vividly the walls that have long been torn down, and by doing so visualizes a clash of civilizations of the most subtle kind. If you have never seen any Herzog-Kinski movie, see Fiend now. You'll see an actor who was not an actor but an impersonator. And you'll be hooked--promise.
Rating: 
Summary: Conflict is good
Review: The title's play on words pretty much sums up the sentiment of the film. Herzog's depiction of his relationship with Kinski is painfully honest, but it is not hard to see the affection mingled with the frustration. Kinski was a mad man and nearly impossible to work with. And yet Herzog chose to work with him again and again, and with great results. This film is a tribute to their contentious and productive relationship. There are some really funny stories here, including one where Herzog actually threatened to kill Kinski. Some may have heard of this spat, but it is still interesting to hear Herzog's dead-pan account. Very honest, very informative, very entertaining documentary about a very complex relationship. It goes beyond friendship. It just had to be, whether either of them wanted it or not.
| 
