The makers of this documentary about John Frankenheimer have done a masterful job of illuminating the work, philosophy, personality, and style of the eminent director. In revealing interviews, Frankenheimer shares fascinating thoughts and anecdotes about his life and career. He talks about having been "divinely happy" working in television, where he directed 152 live dramas between 1954 and 1960. Stories Frankenheimer tells about working with Burt Lancaster, star of his films "Birdman of Alcatraz" and "Seven Days in May", reveal a great deal about both men. Frankenheimer discloses some surprising information about President John F. Kennedy's involvement with the groundbreaking psychological thriller "The Manchurian Candidate". Actors who have worked with Frankenheimer over the course of his long career, including Samuel L. Jackson, Kirk Douglas, and Angela Lansbury, provide informative oncamera commentary. Jackson, who starred in HBO's powerful drama about the Attica Prison uprising, "Against the Wall", has high praise for Frankenheimer's outstanding rapport with actors. Film clips from classic Frankenheimer pictures make the viewer yearn to revisit these movies. A look back at the director's oeuvre corroborates actor Clarence Williams III's appraisal of John Frankenheimer as "a perfect Charles Dickens for our time." "--Laura Mirsky"