Dancing as Brando

Last Tango in Paris showed Marlon as a bad dance partner but Waltzing with Brando says he made some good moves. Based on a memoir by Bernard Judge, the story covers a period when Brando hired the architect to help design an eco-lodge in Tahiti.  More than story, however, Waltzing focuses on star Billy Zane’s remarkable ability to pass as the film legend. Brando’s soft tones and mumbles forced people to listen plus made an easy mark for impersonators to hit, so Zane rounds out his presentation with a combination of appearance and emotion. Prosthetics and hair work prevent Zane from resembling the slick bad guy he played in Titanic, instead easily passing as Brando of the early Seventies before fat and jowls set in. Including filming of The Godfather and Last Tango in Paris allows Zane to step in with his imitation of classic scenes from those films, a challenge he pulls of well. His moments as the private Brando involve less range since Judge’s memories portray a jovial practical joker who pretty much always got what he wanted without stooping to yelling and screaming. A dreamer whose fickle behavior made projects more difficult, Brando nonetheless remains a positive figure ahead of his time with a vision that ultimately became eco-tourism. Adapting Judge’s book, director Bill Freeman has Napoleon Dynamite actor Jon Heder talking directly into the camera, explaining complicated matters with humor rather than edginess. Bouncy music keeps the tone light, plus a push for Brando’s link to conservation and preservation at Tahiti’s Teti’aroa Society prevents the film from serving as an unbiased multi-faceted portrait. Still, beautiful scenery and an impressive performance make Waltzing with Brando easy to watch.