THE STORY – André, a brilliant idiot, is dying because he didn’t get a colonoscopy. His sobering diagnosis, complete irreverence, and insatiable curiosity, send him on an unexpected journey learning how to die happily and ridiculously without losing his sense of humor. When André receives dreadful news that a disease is destroying his body and his days on Earth can be counted in weeks and months, he decides to make a movie about it. An admittedly strange choice for the average person, André is no average person. Creative, funny, and inappropriate, he approaches the story of what it feels like to know he will die with the same passion and excitement his loved ones know him for and expect.
THE CAST – André Ricciardi
THE TEAM – Tony Benna (Director/Writer)
THE RUNNING TIME – 88 Minutes
Audience members will very quickly come to understand about André Ricciardi: he seems as if he’s never fit into a neatly organized category at any point during his life. From the moment we meet him via self-taped video, he charms you. Ricciardi, the central subject of Tony Benna’s “André is an Idiot,” is a rugged individual to try and pin down. And yet, the longer we are treated to some of his incredulous ideas and stories from the past, a clearer picture comes into place. He may be a genuinely unique person in so many ways. But at the end of the day, he’s still shown to be absolutely human. And what exactly does that mean? There’s no one true answer. The fact of the matter lies in the fundamental truth about the human experience: it’s so varied that no two stories are alike. So don’t let the logline of this documentary allow you to think of this as a story you can chart the beats of. Picking up in the aftermath of André’s cancer diagnosis, stories like this inherently matter. Audiences might walk in wondering who this person is, and that’s the point. Something like this can happen to anybody. Nevertheless, how does Benna’s documentary separate itself from being just an extended warning about the dangers of ignoring a routine colonoscopy? To be clear, that would be a noble and valuable effort in its own right. But Benna does so by channeling everything through the fascinating and creative lens with which André views the world.
Because of the subject at its center, this documentary extends itself beyond being a purely tragic and somber tale. In a surprising and genuinely welcome twist, it’s quite often hilarious. From the moment André appears on screen in this documentary, it’s clear that he is a character. Basically, every anecdote provided about his life or his thought process is absolutely ludicrous. He is a man full of tales and thoughts that would likely make him the highlight of any party. But “André is an Idiot” is also not just a documentary about how zany of an individual André is. With each passing minute, André serves as a reminder that there’s no correct way of facing life. By that same token, there’s certainly no guideline when it comes to facing the possibility of death. Described as somebody who always had a curiosity, the framing device of this film forms a clear picture. André sits in front of a camera and tells his audience, “It’s fascinating that I’m dying… I want to learn from it.” Importantly, this is now a documentary that many can also learn from. What likely began as a fascinating experiment and personal project reckoning with a future being cut short can now also serve as an important reminder of the fragility of life.
As somebody who often distracts myself in any way I can to avoid thoughts that are too existential, I found “André is an Idiot” to be an encouraging reminder of sorts. Despite its tragic circumstances and reason for existing, André is a man who seems unphased by what he’s facing. The levity and almost serenity with which he faces his circumstances is incredibly brave. It’s also a way to impart a simple truth: everybody must face the path they walk in their own way. And to be clear, that’s not to say that every person is an island. The film very pointedly goes out of its way to show that’s not the case. Though sparingly used, some of the film’s most touching moments are simple experiences between André and his support system. If life is as short as it seems, this film is a vital reminder to cherish the people around us both deeply and unapologetically.
At one point in the film, André reveals that he collects old photo albums whenever he comes across them. It may initially seem like just another quirky aspect of André’s life. But as he begins detailing his thought process behind such a habit, it becomes a fascinating reflection of the film itself. As humans, we often have a tendency to show off what we consider our greatest strengths and accomplishments. This is occurring more frequently in an age where social media has become ingrained in the very foundation of our lives. To look at one person’s social media is to know what they have curated and want us to know. Due to the very nature of editing a film, of course, “André is an Idiot” feeds into this slightly. But the ideas present within Benna’s documentary go completely against the grain of this type of living, and it’s all the better for it. André goes out of his way to show that our weaknesses, both as individuals and as mortal beings, make us who we are. It’s not something to put off or turn away from, but something to embrace.
If this film is anything, it’s a profoundly curious look at why we often shy away from what we feel are weaknesses. It also brushes up against this same penchant for uneasiness in the face of death with a lot of heart and honesty. Through André’s charm, we can perhaps come to terms with our own ways of understanding that life is short and how to make the most of it. There is obviously a lot of pain to be found in this film. It’s a tragic and saddening set of circumstances that led to its existence in the first place. Despite that, “André is an Idiot” is a film that feels designed to uplift. It plays in a way that reminds its audience that all we can do at a certain point in life is take what we have learned and impress that onto anybody within range. Through archival photograph montages, deeply charming stop-motion animation, and André documenting his experiences firsthand, all this is handled with an unflinching desire to show the truth about what it means to face the end. It will invariably bring forth a complex range of emotions. But alongside a rock-solid support system like André is shown to have, the unknown can at least be faced with a heart that’s full. In a conversation André has with a particularly eccentric individual, the concept of not truly dying until we are forgotten entirely is brought up. With “André is an Idiot,” it feels safe to say that both André Ricciardi and his holding up a mirror to confront both his own mortality and ours will be remembered for quite some time.
