Watching last night’s Louis Theroux “Talking to
Anorexia”, and also the recent trilogy “Dark States”, I’ve been struck by Louis’
transition into serious documentary-maker and more rounded human being. His emotional connection and sympathy for the
people in his documentaries seems to be more visible. His discomfort and helplessness at their
situation is closer to the surface. The
camera close-ups of his facial expressions reveals a depth we may not have seen
quite so much when he was younger, because naturally, the life experiences were
different. One suspects that because he is a family man now, he might be feeling
more paternal, and perhaps wondering how he’d feel if it were his daughter or
son.
When Louis first started out, it was as a
spectator of weirdness in all its forms, whether it be people who believed in
aliens, or swingers, or survivalists. He immersed himself in the worlds of the
participants of the films, in order to better understand where they were coming
from. It wasn’t too long before he
started spending time with certain British celebrities who could be described
as “eccentric” to say the least. I’ve
covered Savile in another post and so won’t go over it again here, but the
films with The Jangly Beast and Max Clifford will of course be seen in a
different light now that some of their crimes are public knowledge. The Max Clifford episode was one I didn’t really
enjoy at the time, because of the pointless game-playing that Clifford indulged
in. The films always worked best when
there was more warmth between Louis and his subjects.
My father introduced me to the work of Louis
Theroux around 2000 or 2001 (even if he did pronounce his name at the time as “Louis
Ferrouey” – sorry Dad!). The episode with
the swingers in America was the first piece of work I saw. That night I had a dream that I was stuck in
a room with writhing naked bodies of older, not particularly attractive, people
– thanks for that Louis! I was single at
the time and still living at home.
I would watch the Anna Nicole Smith reality
show around that time, the irony escaping me that as I was thinking how sad it
was that she was going around with slurred speech hooked on tranquilisers and
goodness knows what else, I was also hooked on sleeping pills and the odd
Xanax. I can only guess what Louis would
have made of that, had I been a well-known subject of his. But anyway, I overcame that, and went on to
marry and have 2 children. A few years
later, I separated from my husband, and we both formed new relationships with
new partners, whom we are still with.
Throughout it all, Louis and his documentaries were there, and he
himself was going through his own life changes.
Relationship break-ups and becoming a parent
cannot fail to change a person, and hopefully make them grow up, adding more
layers to the personality. Whilst I may
not have been a child when I first watched Louis Theroux’s work, I certainly
had a lot of growing up to do. As is the
case with most people, the same is probably true of Louis. As the years went by, Louis was tackling more
serious subjects, and becoming somewhat of a national treasure.
Louis seems a lot more comfortable with the
spotlight now, even appearing relatively recently with his wife on a celebrity
edition of “Pointless”. It’s something I
cannot imagine the Louis of, say, 2001, doing, as well-known as he was even
then. By the way did I mention that his
wife Nancy Strang used to follow me on Twitter on my old “Miss Lanor” account?
I cringe at the crap posts she would have seen from me, but never mind. Anyway, Louis was always uncomfortable with
being the celebrity himself, only engaging with the press if and when he really
had to. Now, however, he seems to accept
that he is well-known and may as well enjoy it.
Whilst he still does not appear to court celebrity, he probably figures
he may as well enjoy some of its trappings – he’s bloody well earned it after
all, and done his time.
One piece of work he did which was on a subject
affecting me, was the one on dementia and Alzheimer’s. I watched it before my mother was diagnosed,
and then after, when it was repeated. Of
course it had much more significance after.
When Louis was left to look after a lady with dementia for the day,
whilst her husband went out for a while, he was rather good at it – the distraction
techniques he used, and his usual thing of not patronising his subjects, meant that
pretty much anyone should be happy to leave their loved one in his care for a
day!
Louis and his documentaries have been pretty
much a constant in our lives for over 15 years.
He’s changed, and so have we. In
a way, everything has changed for me.
And then, in a way, when my children’s father has them and I’m in my
father’s house watching Louis with him, it’s almost a confirmation that some
things don’t – the good things. My
father introduced me to Louis, and now my boyfriend/partner also watches Louis
with me. I would not have imagined 15
years ago what my life would be like now – I wasn’t sure I’d still be here to
be honest, or even if I wanted to be, at times.
But I’m certainly glad I stuck around, and I’m glad Louis is still
making documentaries, with each passing year getting even better, as he matures. If he keeps going the way he is, I can see
him being on our screens for many years to come, and being regarded, as indeed
he already is, as one of the greatest documentary makers of our time.
