Few actors’ names are more synonymous with the Golden Age of Hollywood than Katharine Hepburn. Her looks, charm, and verve contributed to many, now classic films we return to time and time again. But who was Katharine Hepburn? A new documentary, “Call Me Kate,” currently streaming on Netflix, looks into the life of the screen and theater legend, and attempts, at least partially, to answer that question.
Directed by Lorna Tucker, the documentary offers previously undisclosed footage and recordings of Hepburn, seeking to cover ground not explored in other biographical efforts, and to delve deeper into Hepburn’s interior life. Tucker directs an exceptionally beautiful and aesthetically pleasing film. The cinematic atmosphere she creates parallels the story of Hepburn’s life, and the transitions between fictionalized scenes and the reality of Hepburn’s career and life are flawless.
Tucker clearly admires her subject, and treats her with utter respect. But on some level this is also the main flaw of the documentary, making it almost partisan.
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