Ricky Leacock, Al Maysles, Robert Gardner, Robert Drew, Les Blank: the generation that invented cinema verité and gave us a plethora of brilliant documentaries is passing away. In HOW TO SMELL A ROSE, directed by Blank and Gina Leibrecht, one legendary figure visits with another. Les Blank’s warm and moving portrait of Leacock and partner Valerie Lalonde in France includes marvelous clips of Leacock’s movies, including his earliest film, CANARY BANANAS, made at age 14 on his father’s Canary Island plantation. Leacock is as charismatic recalling his cinematic triumphs (shooting Flaherty’s LOUISIANA STORY, filming Leonard Bernstein in Israel), as he is explaining why he quit drinking or quoting Escoffier on the making of a perfect bouillon.
