Prince Charles Cinema, London Film Festival, 7th October 2023

You are watching William Shatner performing ‘Forget / Fuck You’ by CeeLo Green on a US talk show.

You think ‘that’s really not the way that anyone should try and sing that song’ but also ‘ I don’t want to hear anyone but The Artist Formerly Known As Kirk sing that song because it’s so perfect, expletives and all’. After viewing Alexandre O Phillippe’s part documentary, part dream sequence, part lecture, you wish that you’d try and look at the world more like Bill.

His particular unique character is perhaps best illustrated in his recent trip to just inside space. Where Jeff Bezos and his bozos are going ‘whee I’m floating!’ Shatner is not wasting a second of his precious time. He is looking out of the window, gazing in wonder at the curvature of the earth, the land masses, the cloud formations, the fragile beauty and the deep black nothingness that surrounds him.

Like the space adventurer he played as I ate my fish fingers n chips in front of the telly in the early 80s , he was curious and astounded by what he saw. He pours that into a song that bookends the film ‘So Fragile, So Blue’ with an orchestra at Kennedy Centre in Washington DC. Not quite spoken word, not rapping, more a rhythmic beat poet reacting to the pulse in his head.

Split into sections looking at different aspects of his life & career, there are a kaleidescope of cheesy ads, musical guest spots, infamous TV appearances like The Twilight Zone’s airborne gremlin tale ‘Nightmare At 20,000 Feet’ as well as Kirk, TJ Hooker, Denny Crane from ‘Boston Legal’ and self depreciating cameos as himself.

He gives us his take on acting, directors and comedy – his pitch perfect introduction at a George Lucas tribute that he mistakes for a Star Trek convention shows the man has chops. On life, death and how to live life, fully, free and with wonder and curiosity. His love of animals, nature, his fears for the future of the planet and loneliness. The camera holds him talking and talking in close up and you can’t help be drawn into his world.

We could all debate on whether he’s a great actor – his heroes are Larry Olivier & Marlon Brando, two artists at either end of the spectrum. He points out that when Laurence Olivier received a lifetime achievement Oscar , the great man completely forgot what he had planned to say and started throwing out bits of Shakespeare and random phrases that sounded wonderful but made no sense. Listening to Bill is sometimes like that but you have to admire his passion and joi de vivre. We don’t see his irascibility or negative side but his pomposity and inflated ego are always on show although he’ll be quick to poke fun at himself.

Reflecting on his death he wishes to be turned to mulch to feed a giant redwood, to become part of the ecosystem, essence of their communication and to live and thrive maybe once humans have ceased to screw up the world. Becoming one with nature and part of the universe as he goes boldly on.