David Bowie: The Last Five Years (2017) User Reviews

Ignore the Bad Reviews

[arfdawg-1 · 9/10 · 18 May 2019]

Usually fake reviews give movies a 10. This time there are a bunch of haters giving this a 1.

Not sure why, unless they are just fake. This is a top notch, rather sentimental, documentary that explores Bowie as he was dying.

It also shows his transition into a rather decent person.

For those who wanted more Bowie -- how much more? He was in EVERY scene!!!!

And remember, haters, this is not a biography of the guy. It's a doumentary on the last 5 years of this life. It's poignant and relevant ands really well done. I generally get bored out of my mind 20 minutes into one of these kind of films. This one captured my attention throughout.

The final years

[Prismark10 · 8/10 · 10 May 2019]

The more famous he became, the more ordinary David Bowie wanted to be. When he resided in Switzerland he was known as plain David Jones.

I heard since 2012 that Bowie's health was not so good. It had been some years since he was regularly seen in public.

So fans and critics were surprised when Bowie released The Next Day album in 2013.

In January 2016 the rock world was shocked when his death was announced just a few days after the release of the Blackstar album.

This documentary more than just looks at the last five years of his life. Bowie had health problems when he toured in 2004 and in the years after he seemed to have withdrawn from the public limelight.

We hear from collaborators on his final albums, some of them recreate the sounds from those albums. You can sense the surprise and joy they had been asked to record with Bowie. We also hear from directors who made the videos to accompany the songs from these final years and there was the collaboration he did for a stage musical. Some of them knew he was ill and that his time was short.

The most striking thing about this documentary was to hear from Bowie that his biggest regret was to lose some of his best years to drug addiction. A lot of performers whether they are actors or musicians claim that they regret taking drugs and I am never sure they are ever sincere. Bowie seemed to be here.

In ways this was a low key documentary but it was fascinating. Director Francis Whately seemingly did not have much to go on because Bowie was away from the limelight for so much of the last decade of his life.

Mouse fart

[begob · 7/10 · 10 January 2017]

Last five years of the great star's life, but really a review of his career with studio versions of his songs played over obscure live footage.

Most interesting thing I took from it is the Major Tom element. At one point Bowie says it was his internal dialogue made manifest, then there's an image of a skeleton orbiting in space, then a skeleton discovered inside a spacesuit, then an adaptation of Heroes for Lazarus, then screw heads for eyes over a bandage in a death bed. You had to be there.

Overall: engaging, gets more interesting in the end.

Absolutely Brilliant

[lnking-23180 · 10/10 · 8 January 2017]

Being born in 1960 I had the privilege of listening to David Bowie and watching his TV and movie performances for most of my life. This documentary really shows his ability and love of his craft right to the unfortunate end. I hope many people can take from this who suffer in any way what true strength and heart can do. I hope even though he's gone that the current and coming generations will appreciate his pure talent was and I believe this film shows just that. Bravo Tony Visconti, Carlos Alamar and others who knew him for your support and help through his career and your presence in this documentary. Having those only who actually knew him and not others who can only comment on his talent was a relief. Of all the documentaries I've watched through the years about someone famous this is the only one I give 10/10.

Needs more Bowie in it, but you can't leave everything behind

[mgdraw · 10/10 · 11 January 2018]

Conceptually, it works as intended: Bowie, from the perspective of those who worked with him and loved him. And there is more joy than sadness here. No fluff, no glorification, just a true to life account of a creative genius' last 5 years, true to himself until the very end. You will never get a full picture from Bowie. It's up to you to figure out the puzzle, and it's beautiful.

Not the last five years

[holchie · 7/10 · 23 November 2022]

This is an interesting documentary about Bowie, however it is not what I had hoped for. Mostly it is interviews with people he worked with giving snippets of Bowie's personality, music and actions from way back. I don't understand where the "Last Five Years," comes into play. They show clips from as far back as they could find them. Also, it is rather disjointed with going from one phase of his career to the other, back and forth, back and forth, trying to perhaps contrast his styles, I suppose. If you are a huge Bowie fan, you will love it. If you liked his music simply for the music's sake, it will bore you.

Brilliant

[dmjost-483-807165 · 10/10 · 24 July 2018]

This captures a great artist writing the final verses of his song.

He shows us who is was is who he is.

Proof of sick wisdom.

David Bowie: The Last Five Years

[lynnhylton · 10/10 · 25 February 2019]

It doesn't disappoint. The documentary does give new insight into David Jones, the person. A small, and possibly final piece to the unfinished puzzle of an extraordinarily talented, charismatic, highly influential and complex artist. It's not a celebration of his life or the story of his career. They've been done elsewhere. It leaves the viewer sadly and keenly aware that s/he will never have had enough of David Bowie.

Not the best ever

[nrunn30 · 8/10 · 30 December 2018]

But all in all it was a good little documentary. The first few minutes made me cry as well as the last few with Tony Viscounti. When he isolates David voice and you hear his breath...I lost it. I was born in the 70's so I didn't get to experience David in his early years so this was nice. He is and will remain my #1.

weak and bad documentary

[mdmalice · 1/10 · 25 May 2017]

first we don't have to do a documentary about bowie in his last five years his 70,s and 80,s years were excited they should do a documentary about that should be cool how he started his career the wild of drugs,alcohol of 70's the england movement of 60,s and 70,s could be interesting for me but this film is boring sorry sorry telling the truth.

please more material

[albualicex · 1/10 · 25 June 2017]

Being a big fan I could not wait to watch this special. But it was anything but special. From the moment it starts it is a man talking about life and achievements with photos of his flashing in the background. If you have ever watched TV or picked up a magazine then you already know everything this show has to offer.

disappoint

[ouny · 1/10 · 6 June 2017]

first we don't have to do a documentary about bowie in his last five years his 70,s and 80,s years were excited they should do a documentary about that should be cool how he started his career the wild of drugs.but this film is boring sorry sorry telling the truth. could be better with a better direction but ............

boring and painful to watch

[albualicexz · 1/10 · 25 June 2017]

This film, routine, special, whatever you want to call it, was just awful though. I mean even in the middle of it stops for twenty seconds just running the clock out and that wasn't the first time took the long, long pauses. even looked like was tired, struggling and not really into it. The material was lame except for maybe one joke. dog routine was not funny. The one about score was boring and the one was just painful.

boring and sick

[aneloko · 1/10 · 25 June 2017]

This film, routine, special, whatever you want to call it, was just awful though. I mean even in the middle of it stops for twenty seconds just running the clock out and that wasn't the first time took the long, long pauses. even looked like was tired, struggling and not really into it. The material was lame except for maybe one joke. dog routine was not funny. The one about score was boring and the one was just painful. look