Going back to my childhood days, which I like to revisit often, there were certain movies that made a lasting impression. There was the unpopular (and controversial) sequel to “The Wizard of Oz,” for example, and then the film adaptation of a musical all about singing plants from outer space. I rented them with the help of my mother and rewatched them over and over and over again. Not longer after, there was another. It was produced by a director who took the cinema world by storm in the late ‘70s and early ‘80s. At the heart of this movie was a handsome, charismatic and humorous method actor. His name is Val Kilmer.
Over the years, I have come to love and appreciate Kilmer’s style and dedication to his roles, namely in the 1980s and ‘90s. It started, for me, with “Willow” and continued on with films such as “Tombstone,” “Batman Forever” and “The Saint.” He continued on throughout the 2000s, but, for some reason, I did not keep up the way that I did before. By the time the 2010s had arrived, Val was working on a one-man show, disguised as Mark Twain, so that he could fund a bigger project about the same character. Alas, tragedy struck soon after and he is still waiting for the right opportunity…
What I have often said about the film genre of documentaries is that they can usually be divided into two, distinct categories: those with an open-ended purpose where everything is gathered as it comes, and those with a pre-determined purpose, where everything is already set and is simply presented to the viewers. However, in the case of “Val,” we have something of a hybrid. You see, Kilmer’s affinity for filming himself and those around him was already set to be cut and spliced together, so to speak, but then there are the scenes taking place now as a cancer-recovering Val travels around the country (and abroad) with friends and family while somebody else is filming him. Perhaps the most special and important detail is the decision for narration. We SEE whom it is, early on, but we do NOT know who that is until the very end of the film and it is a grand revelation.
The old footage tends to go in a biographical order. It begins with Kilmer’s childhood, a time when he and his two brothers often made movies together at their family’s home in California. It was charming to watch, as almost none of us have ever seen any of this before. It immediately reminded me of another documentary from some 20 years ago, entitled “American Movie.” The key difference is that Mark Borchardt’s dream has yet to ever, truly be realized and Val Kilmer’s is still unfolding.
As you watch present-day Val relive some of his fond memories of college at Juilliard, you will then see his past life unfold and learn all about his difficult beginnings. 
As Kilmer summed it up, they were difficult times, but promoted much growth. Slowly but surely, Val found his way to the top, not only stealing scenes, routinely, as a formidable supporting actor, but also as a daring lead. Along the way, he was married and had several children, he went through some challenging film productions and a painful divorce and he interacted with lots of very interesting people and places all over the world. What a life Val Kilmer has had!
With all that said, it is comforting to know that Val has not lost his sense of optimism. He is still pushing forward, despite all of his difficulties as of late. He believes that it is not just himself that lives this life, but all of us, together, with the help of God. He believes deeply in that he will one day be healed and I found that to be inspiring, but that is not all…
“Val” came along at a time when I was personally dealing with some hard times. The hard times are not over, yet, either. Sooner or later, we all have times of self-reflection, and those moneys can be scary and depressing. As I watched Val Kilmer traverse through the present and the past and look forward to the future, I found myself thinking about my own past and present an future. It is not over until it is over, so we all might as well make the most of it. I think that Mr. Kilmer would nod his head if he heard me say that right now.
You do not have to be a fan of the titular character to enjoy this documentary, but it probably makes the experience more fun. It also makes it harder to watch, at times, too. Hearing Val struggle to speak is not easy, but we can easily see that he is struggling and so it is okay. 
He is not seeking our sympathy. In fact, he wants us to empathize, instead. There was a moment when I was able to connect with an emotion on y end as he was experiencing it on his end. This is the mark of a great film. “Val” might be lacking in some details that I was curious to hear more about, but aside from that, it was just about as good as anyone could hope for. Take my word for it and then see it for yourself. You will not be disappointed.
Director: Ting Poo
Starring: Val Kilmer and Jack Kilmer
Production: Amazon Studios
Distributor: A24
Release: July 23rd, 2021
Online: August 6th, 2021
