By John Corrado

Documentary filmmaker Alexandre O. Philippe’s previous subjects have included Star Wars fans (The People vs. George Lucas), the shower scene in Psycho (78/52), the movie Alien (Memory: The Origins of Alien), and the late director William Friedkin (Leap of Faith: William Friedkin on The Exorcist).

Through these works, he has shown a gift for offering serious deep dives into different niche aspects of genre cinema and geek culture, merging documentary with cinematic essay. Philippe’s latest subject is none other than Captain James T. Kirk himself, William Shatner, with the iconic Star Trek actor opening up to the camera in William Shatner: You Can Call Me Bill.

This isn’t a traditional biographical documentary, but rather a chance to hear Shatner wax philosophical about a variety of subjects, from loneliness to the nature of his fame, and the fragility of our planet. The documentary, which opens with him talking about the death of his childhood dog, finds the 90-year-old Shatner in a reflective mood. He reminisces about growing up in Montreal and going to the local movie theatre, but also talks about death and the interconnectedness of life.

Shatner, who is filmed sitting in a studio with a green screen out of focus in the background, has the tone of a wise sage. He is dryly funny when discussing his distinctive acting style, and reflecting on his iconic roles including Captain Kirk and Denny Crane, but also appears emotionally vulnerable throughout. At times it feels like we are listening to a sermon, as Shatner reflects on his profound realizations following his trip to space, and his funeral plans for when he is gone.

Philippe assembles the film around this interview, while also editing in clips from his different projects over the years, and working in elements of Shatner’s spoken word concert performance at the Kennedy Centre; this unique collaboration with Ben Folds and the National Symphony Orchestra birthed the song “So Fragile, So Blue,” about his experience seeing the Earth from above.

The film offers an engaging portrait of Shatner that joins documentaries about fellow Star Trek cast members George Takai (To Be Takai) and Leonard Nimoy (For the Love of Spock). Philippe gives Shatner the space to reflect on his own life and career, and lets us come away with something much deeper in terms of our appreciation for him and his place in the world.

Film Rating: ★★★ (out of 4)

William Shatner: You Can Call Me Bill opens exclusively in theatres in limited release on March 22nd. It’s being distributed in Canada by Vortex Media.