Irish filmmaker Paul Duane again proves his extraordinary eye for fascinating characters in the third instalment of his ‘Geezer Trilogy’; a triumvirate of documentaries about extraordinary and infamous men, including filmmaker Peter Lennon and scandalised virtuoso John Healy. Here, he faces his most dangerous challenge: the unpredictable madness of ex-con and musician Jerry McGill.
Endlessly shocking, the documentary shows the rarely-seen softer side of the infamous muso, as a frail-looking McGill breaks down in tears speaking of the lung cancer ravaging his body. But as the documentary continues, it becomes clear that neither his hedonistic ways nor his love of performing have waned in old age. As the septuagenarian ex-con steals everything in sight, brandishes fire-arms, shoots up speed on camera and violently attacks his wife as she’s driving a car with both himself and Duane inside, the feeling of appreciation for the brilliant gonzo energy of the documentary is overshadowed with a genuine fear that the director – never mind McGill – mightn’t survive the film.
Very Extremely Dangerous takes an interesting turn as Duane questions his role and responsibility as a filmmaker. When McGill plays up to the cameras with increasingly dangerous stunts, he asks when you point a camera at a man who will do anything for notoriety, how responsible are you when he goes too far?
Duane isn’t seen on-screen, but his presence, narration and interaction with McGill play a huge role in the film, both contextualising and humanising the character.
An intriguing if bleak tale about a car-crash of a life – and the ethics of watching it burn.