American: Bill Hicks is a fascinating watch

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Bill Hicks, an American comedian of cult proportions, always maintained that British audiences loved him best — his attacks on the bellicose contradictions of his home country chimed in with their own equally liberal prejudices. This is his story as set out by Matt Harlock and Paul Thomas, aided by those who knew him best. Hicks, who died 15 years ago of cancer at the early age of 32, said things daring enough to have his entire segment of the Letterman Show censored a few months before his death.

Previously, he had experimented with drugs and with alcohol — audiences would supply him with drinks from the auditorium to see what would happen when he became paralytic. He kicked both habits, though he proclaimed that the drugs were more beneficial than the alcohol in giving him the courage to say what he really thought. All the time his provincial parents supported him while never quite knowing what all the fuss was about.

The film is an honest celebration of an inventive and daring comedian, whose influence was profound. Even if he rarely makes us laugh out loud as he castigates Americans with splenetic force, the footage of him in action is fascinating and the tributes of his friends touchingly fond.

American: The Bill Hicks Story
Cert: 15