Introducing, Selma Blair

Like Val Kilmer in "Val," [Selma Blair] puts all vanity aside and lets the world see the suffering, indomitable person she has become.

It's an intense experience, one whose focus is undeniably stirring but which leaves certain aspects of Blair's life and resume somewhat underdeveloped.

It's impossible to watch Introducing, Selma Blair and not feel deeply moved.

The footage is raw and honest but not gratuitous, a combination of Blair's voiceover, her confessional interviews and the camera capturing her in natural moments.

The greatest asset of the film is its ability to simulate the intimacy of disclosure, and Blair's comfort with the camera - her actress-y will to entertain - makes her a uniquely endearing subject.

[It] doesn't entirely know how to bring its intimate portrait to what we typically think of as a satisfying close. But there's even a kind of honesty in that, too.

In one memorable scene, Blair says that she wants the documentary to be as dramatic as she is. It's a testament to her tenacious spirit and willingness to work with director Rachel Fleit that she (mostly) gets her wish.

The movie is an effective empathy machine, placing us in any given moment directly in Blair’s headspace.

From a very human perspective, it allows us to understand who Selma Blair is and learn about the physical and psychological ravages of MS. [Full Review in Spanish]

For the actress who comes out the other side wiser, more grateful, and centered, it's as powerful as documentary filmmaking can get.