Robin Williams: Come Inside My Mind

Relatively complex and shot with sensitivity, this documentary concerns one of the most admirable US comedians. Come Inside My Mind showcases a vast amount of known and unknown comedy acts by Robin Williams, and attempts to portray his eccentric nature on stage, as well as his introvert behaviour and numerous personal hardships – and this, literally across his entire life, from the cradle to the grave. Marina Zenovich is quite selective in the choice of the material she uses; apart from the talking by friends, colleagues and family members, the documentary is mostly centred around sketches with Williams’ live performances, his film work being more or less moved to the sidelines. Surprisingly, the documentary doesn’t even focus on things like – amongst others – Williams’ Oscar award. But that’s not so essential, and the director’s primary focus is, as conveyed by the title, the actor’s mind. And even though we can only start to guess what was going on inside the brain of this charming, quick-witted and fast-talking chap, I will say with confidence that, with this documentary, we managed to come inside Williams’ mind at least a little bit. [KVIFF 2018] (05/07/2018)

Robin Williams did not have a simple personality at all. From various posthumous documentaries that I’ve seen over the time I think he was one of the most difficult celebrities that this author tried to introduce me to. It’s a pity they only begin to talk about movies after almost an hour. While the first hour is important enough, to understand a stand-up comedy you have to live in the time when it takes place, so I spent the first hour just watching and waiting, when the director finally shows us the movie side of Robin. Once that began, I finally got to listen to the stories of Billy Crystal or Steve Martin, who used to work with Robin and loved remembering him. I remembered the times I’ve seen films like Jumanji, Mrs. Doubtfire, Good Will Hunting, What Dream May Come (especially this one), Bicentennial Man or Insomnia for the first time and Robin captivated me every time with his funny, nice, honest and often naturally serious approach that I’ve never forgotten. And probably never will. I felt really sad after watching this, I really liked Robin. Luckily, his movies will live forever. (20/07/2018)

Comedic genius Williams could not have gotten a better film portrait. It is surprisingly comprehensive, coherent and devoted to his work and private activities throughout his life. Excellent editing work, done quite obviously with love and respect, accompanied by Williams's colleagues, friends and family members, who were well-chosen. Sometimes the film stands still for too long and wastes time unnecessarily by showing more and more photographs with Robin's sympathetic face, but on the other hand, the recordings of his comedy performances and films are practically sure to keep your attention (and sometimes these are incredibly unique shots). In the end, the director of course couldn't help but feel a little sad, but she still conceived the conclusion very sensitively and without going all out. It rarely happens that I laugh out loud so often during a documentary. We will always miss this great actor. (04/07/2018)