Fosse / Verdon (2019)

Fosse certainly was a shit, especially to his wife who - this timely screenplay reveals - was a perfect partner for him - they simply should have always worked together. Though it's well rounded - she was no angel either (is quite manipulative, especially towards Fosse's new girlfriend) and neither are good parents, having both had difficult childhoods themselves.

It's based on Sam Wasson's biography, written and created by Thomas Kail (no previous writing credits, also directed five of the eight episodes - a Tony award winning theatre director) and Steven Levenson (Masters of Sex and not much else on TV, but also a playwright).

Brilliant editing and sound editing connects scenes and time periods through tap dancing, door bells, phones, in most interesting style, reminiscent (I think - it's been a while) of the way the director's own All That Jazz was made.

Sam Rockwell and Michelle Williams continue their incredible careers.  With West Wing's Nat Corddry (as Neil Simon) and Norbert Leo Butz (Chayefsky), Aya Cash (Joan Simon), Blake Baumgartner and Juliet Brett (Joan Fosse), Margaret Qualley, Kelli Barrett, Evan Handler.

Great scene at the end of four when his entire cast, wife and friend Paddy Cheyefsky sing him towards suicide - but he's saved at the last minute by the plaintive tune of his daughter. By comparison, the ending is a little flat (anti-climactic).

Later Williams delivers a great rendition of the Sweet Charity number 'Where Am I Going? (Cy Coleman music, Dorothy Fields lyrics) as a tribute to Neil Simon's wife Joan. The same episode features more great editing - the scene with Verdon remembering her is done like The Pawnbroker - longer and longer flashbacks - nice to see stuff like this again.

Tim Ives shot it. The editors were Tim Streeto, Erica Freed Marker, Jonah Moran and Kate Sanford. Daniel Timmons and Tony Volante were the supervising sound editors. A guide to the musical references can be found here. Made for FX, which seems to be the home of quality these days.

I'm glad I've seen All That Jazz and Lenny because I bet they're quite a depressing watch now. And I will never forgive Fosse for making Star 80. Also didn't know about Neil Simon's sad loss of his first wife Joan (in July 1973), who encouraged him into writing plays - his film Chapter Two is based on his fast courtship and marriage to Marsha Mason six months after the death.