Lost In La Mancha (2002) is the documentary film about Terry Gilliams failed attempt to make The Man Who Killed Don Quixote. Obviously the filmmakers didn't start out the process knowing that this film would so disastrously fall apart and one would think that this turn of events would have catapulted an average making of documentary into a great one, but I don't think that ever happened.
The film starts as an introspective of Terry Gilliam and tries to convince you of how unconventional he is as a director, but I don't think that comes across. In fact it portrays Gilliam as a normal creative guy and in no way was it his demands or expectations that doomed the film. It was injuries, flash floods, low budget and just the difficulties of filmmaking in general, and they all proved to be too much.
Even though this film takes a turn toward the disastrous for all those involved in the making of Don Quixote the documentary itself never reaches a level where it reveals some sort of greater truth or realization. It is just a making of documentary who's movie never gets made. We don't learn anything about the loss of important art or commerce in filmmaking.
If anything Lost In La Mancha gave me a greater respect for Terry Gilliam and his work (and his string of bad luck in his productions even since). But the good news is it looks like we are eventually going to get a Terry Gilliam directed Don Quixote film as it is in pre-production.
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