ReviewFilm review: S Is for Stanley – Kubrick’s personal driver sheds light on the filmmaker’s life in touching documentary
Alex Infascelli’s low-budget documentary looks at the iconic American director through the eyes of his long-time driver, Emilio D’Alessandro, who reminisces about his 30-year friendship with Kubrick
3/5 stars
So much has been written about Stanley Kubrick over the past couple of decades, you would think that there was nothing left to discover about him. But S Is for Stanley, a low-budget documentary by Italian filmmaker Alex Infascelli, provides an unusual peek into 30 years of the filmmaker’s life.
The film consists of Infascelli interviewing Emilio D’Alessandro, the Italian who worked as Kubrick’s driver from the late-1960s to the ’90s. Talking in his garage, D’Alessandro reminisces about his deep friendship with his boss, and the many driving jobs he undertook for him. Kubrick fans will find his stories of interest, and others will find his nostalgic remembrances touching.
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D’Alessandro is an excellent raconteur with a straightforward charm of his own. An Italian immigrant to London, and a former racing driver, he took up work as a cab driver to support his family.
Kubrick noticed him when he managed to transport a phallic prop for the director’s A Clockwork Orange across London in record time. Kubrick offered D’Alessandro the job of personal driver, and the two men became close friends.
