Tyson

Tyson ~ This 2008 documentary about prize fighter Mike Tyson is something of a phenomenon. Much of it is culled from over thirty hours of interview footage with the champ, giving a rather disturbing, and possibly unintentional, picture of the undisputed world's heavyweight champion.

The director James Toback might be better known for his films like Bugsy and The Pick-Up Artist. One wonders how he got involved in this documentary. At times this film shows us a side of Mike Tyson rarely seen, not that of a modern gladiator and media star, but one of a mad monster to be both pitied and feared.

Toback films Tyson's bizarre monotone monologues in such a way that they appear to be almost confessional, as if from a patient lying on an analyst's couch. It is a fascinating and disturbing experience all at once. A study in psychosis worth watching.