Lucy and Desi - the new documentary

If you love Lucy and even like Desi, the new documentary on Amazon Prime, LUCY AND DESI is for you.  Way better than a certain "fictional" version recently released.  Directed by Amy Poehler, it’s a fascinating portrait chock-full of home movies, never-before-seen footage and photos, and interviews with the likes of Carol Burnett, Bette Midler, and yes, even Charo.  

And here’s the best part: It’s narrated by Nicole Kidman!  No, just kidding.  It’s narrated by Lucy and Desi.  They had made quite a few audio recordings and cassettes.  Many of the tapes were on reel-to-reel so kudos to whoever restored them because if not properly treated they would turn to dust.   Hearing them talk about themselves and each other in their own voices was wonderful.  Filling in the holes was their daughter Lucie.  

The film really celebrates both Lucy and Desi and what made them both so great.  And yet it’s not a puff piece.  Greatness came with a price. They deal with Lucy’s controlling nature, Desi’s drinking and womanizing and why their marriage was hardly a fairy tale despite having a really nice pool.  What I found amusing is the issues that "fictional" account made such a big deal of — CBS not wanting to hire Desi, CBS not wanting them to do a pregnancy storyline, Lucy’s bout the House on Un-American Activities Committee — were all touched upon but very briefly.  Probably because those were all aspects of their lives WE KNEW ABOUT.  This documentary sought to tell us things we didn’t.  And for the most part it succeeded.   There were still some minor factual errors, but overall after you’ve seen this film you will have a pretty good sense of who they both were and the impact they both had.  

LUCY AND DESI is streaming on Amazon Prime.  Ironically, so is the "fictional" movie.   If you’re going to watch only one of the two, I recommend the one with Charo in it. 


from By Ken Levine