Timothy Leary was always considered a controversial figure, even by many within the 1960s/'70s counterculture. The "Jet-Set Rebel Turned FBI Informant" role that Leary and Joanna Harcourt-Smith acted out arouses all kinds of suspicions, not least among Harcourt-Smith herself.
Coming after, and as a direct result of, the director's excellent mini-series Wormwood, I was expecting Errol Morris to dig deep and come up with some juicy revelations. Something that would place Leary's hi-jinks and subsequent betrayal in a whole new light, in the same way that Wormwood did in its exposé of the CIA's role in the death of Frank Olson. Harcourt-Smith even explicitly asks for Morris to do so in the film.
But no, we get little more than a narcissistic socialite's quasi-naive retelling of her infatuation with her acid guru. If you need yet another reason to dislike Baby Boomers, then this is the documentary for you. Any allegations concerning Leary and various members of his entourage get a brief mention at best, without being held up to investigative scrutiny. Morris seems more interested in Leary's yellow Porsche.
Morris should have got some other talking heads to counterbalance Harcourt-Smith's one-sided narrative, which at times is rather dubious to say the least. The only addition we get is some archive footage and cliché psychedelic graphics. This is Morris at his laziest.
There is still a definitive warts-'n'-all story to be told about Leary, because this ain't it.
My Psychedelic Love Story
2020
Action / Documentary / History
My Psychedelic Love Story
2020
Action / Documentary / History
Keywords: lsdpsychedelics
Plot summary
An examination of the notorious high priest of LSD Timothy Leary through the eyes of his famed lover Joanna Harcourt-Smith. Academy Award® winning director Errol Morris recounts the wild adventures of two seemingly innocent people on the run in this international saga of mystery and lust. But was Leary's "perfect love" a CIA plant who helped take him down? Or was she simply a rich, beautiful young woman out for the adventure of a lifetime with the man Richard Nixon called "Public Enemy #1"?
Uploaded by: FREEMAN
Director
Top cast
Tech specs
720p.WEB 1080p.WEBMovie Reviews
Uncharacteristically shallow puff-piece by Morris
He was a pop star not og writer
Tho one woman's perspective , her woman's retelling of these events feel credible. This is why I give this documentary a 7 . While the content is interesting and it's not necessarily information, but it is her version of events . considering Timothy Larry became the face of lsd he was more of a popstar not an original writer. What kept me watching is her version of events and her believability-it's her experience. Is also frustrating to further see how his behavior negated much of the would be research and use of lsd , setting us back a lifetime for its uses and research. Just my 2 cents
A tale of a very privileged person who knows no bounds
I was hoping for a little more Timothy Leary to be honest but was treated to the unrelenting self-obsession of this woman. To be fair, I think this filled in some of the blanks (in my mind) about Leary (This confirmed my memory - that he wasted his potential - he was simply a hedonist). You don't need this account to come to this conclusion, but her account is sometimes gripping - her wealth, access to famous people, etc. Always must be in on the action, must not be bored! One wishes for some humility, some wisdom - if just for the sake of the children/grandchildren she left behind. One also wishes there were some attempt to fact check. I don't believe a Freedom of information request was made - just a lame statement to the effect that the CIA was unable to verify any documents (something no agency would do, I don't believe).