Those looking for an introduction to Spalding Gray should steer clear of Steven Soderbergh's new documentary. Culled from Gray's monologues and television interviews, it provides little insight into the actor/writer/playwright/monologuist's life that Gray does not provide himself. And for the novice, it's a lot of work just to date Gray's clothes, haircut, and ever-shifting accent to determine when the man is talking, let alone figure out who his fans were, what films he appeared in, or even that he killed himself by jumping into the East River off the Staten Island Ferry. These details may be irrelevant to a film that so clearly aims to be self-contained, but their omission can feel limiting. Soderbergh shows the highlights of Gray's monologues — which, without context, can fall flat. That said, even a person who never heard of Gray can appreciate And Everything Is Going Fine — as a feat of editing.
