By John Corrado

★★★½ (out of 4)

Listen to Me Marlon opens at TIFF Bell Lightbox this weekend, tickets and showtimes can be found right here.

Assembled from old audio recordings of the late actor talking candidly about his life, playing over archival footage and film clips, Listen to Me Marlon gives us a rare and illuminating glimpse inside the mind of Marlon Brando.

Playing like a stream of consciousness of memories and internal thoughts, the film was inspired by the digital scan that the actor had commissioned of his own head.  We hear him talk openly about his performances and acting techniques, including his own thoughts on that famous scene in On The Waterfront, the film for which he won his first Oscar, and also listen to the self hypnosis tapes that he recorded in attempts to calm his complex mind.

Director Stevan Riley does an impressive job of editing this all together into a seamless narrative, from Marlon Brando’s meteoric rise to stardom throughout the 1950s, to his groundbreaking work in Last Tango in Paris and major comeback roles in The Godfather and Apocalypse Now in the 1970s, and the personal tragedies that marked his later years.  Providing a captivating and often meditative experience, that allows us to see one of the greatest actors of all time in a whole new light, Listen to Me Marlon is a must see for both acting students and film buffs.