Even abridged, The Life Of Reilly is spellbinding.
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11/15/07
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Life of Reilly (2007)
100
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Reviews Counted:39
Fresh:39
Rotten:0
Average Rating:7.5/10
Consensus: The Life of Reilly is a humorous and endearing look at the late comedian.
Theatrical Release:Nov 9, 2007 Limited
Synopsis: Beloved late actor Charles Nelson Reilly headlines his one man show SAVE IT FOR THE STAGE: THE LIFE OF REILLY in this filmed performance. The frequent TONIGHT SHOW guest reveals everything from his... [More]
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Reviews for Life of Reilly
This charming, bittersweet 90-minute monologue consists of the actor telling tales of his childhood and early years, when he was an ugly duckling from an uglier family.
11/16/07
...it's a funny and frequently affecting reminiscence...
03/10/09
Director Barry Poltermann's sweet little evocation of a show business career captures Reilly at 'the twilight of an extraordinary life,' in Reilly's words.
03/06/08
Top CriticI love this movie.I don't say those four words often, so I had to put them first. And isolate them ... a postmortem revelation as much as a perfect swansong.
11/17/07
Anyone expecting epicene camp or gossip about Gene Rayburn and Fannie Flagg will not know what hit them.
11/29/07
Unfortunately, I never caught Nelson live, but this film has to be the closest thing to it.
03/10/09
...he's far more candid recalling his grand delusions in a school play than he is when he gets to Broadway and Hollywood.
03/10/09
Top Critic...the man’s sense of stagecraft and storytelling prowess are undeniable.
03/10/09
Helmers Frank Anderson and Barry Poltermann had the bright idea to preserve Reilly’s show on film, and... it is indeed an invaluable record.
03/10/09
It... holds wrenching emotional power in its naked, warts-and-all history of one man’s life...
03/10/09
For a performer who turned banter into an art form, Reilly's stage production, Save It for the Stage, was the ideal vehicle for his autobiography.
11/15/07
The Life of Reilly is a tender tale of semi-triumph.
11/30/07
It doesn't pretend to be a movie, really, but it's an unexpected treat from a man who made a living out of being silly.
03/10/09
It's fortunate that we have this filmed record -- directed by Barry Poltermann and Frank Anderson -- of a memorable solo performance by a true show business original.
12/03/07
For anyone who appreciates what The Life of Reilly was really all about, it is worthwhile.
11/30/07
Warm and hilarious... the bittersweet milestones play like a Spalding Gray monologue loosened up with a few shots of tequila.
11/13/07
Assembled from Reilly's final performance of Save It for the Stage in North Hollywood, Life of Reilly is as charming and disarmingly affecting as the man himself.
11/09/07
The schmaltzy surface-nature of the show, however, is redeemed by Reilly's performance... and by a final story...
03/10/09
Makes a fitting legacy for a showbiz trooper who refused to fade quietly away.
11/09/07
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