Purely based on logic, it seems implausible that there is any subject that could attract a range of notable names in the entertainment industry to gather for a discussion, in which this group includes the likes of Clint Eastwood and Sidney Poitier, to Joan Rivers and Chris Rock, and everyone in between. However, such a subject exists, and it comes in the form of the life and career of Don Rickles, the legendary comedian whose professional work spans from the late 1940s right until the late 2010s, during which he spent over half a century entertaining audiences from every conceivable generation and cultural background. His style of insult comedy and grouchy, irritable stage persona earned him the ironic nickname “Mr Warmth”, appropriately coined by his good friend and colleague Johnny Carson, one of countless devotees of his style of humour. It only seemed inevitable that someone would think it a good idea to gather these wildly diverse fans of the comedian and giving them the opportunity to speak about their personal and professional interactions with him over the years, and it eventually felt to John Landis – interestingly, as he remarks at the beginning of the film, he was a production assistant on Kelly’s Heroes, and was witness to Rickles’ genius from the frontlines, which spurred a lifelong love for the comedian, and ultimately resulted in Mr Warmth: The Don Rickles Project, a delightful and insightful documentary in which a number of luminaries are brought together to recount their experiences with Rickles, and whether speaking as a collaborator or merely a fan, they all show such affection for the famously pernickety comic, whose technique, wit and ingenuity was borderline revolutionary and ultimately changed comedy in a small but significant way, which this film carefully and methodically examines through a range of fascinating conversations and accounts by those who admired him the most.

Few names inspire as much genuine joy and affection as that of Don Rickles, which is fascinating considering he made his career out of playing the part of a grumpy, perpetually annoyed curmudgeon with a constant chip on his shoulder and a tendency to dip into every kind of bigoted rhetoric, ranging from racist to homophobic. Yet, you would struggle to find anyone willing to say anything negative about him, primarily because the reasons he was successful can all be traced back to his ability to create a very specific kind of character, which he successfully played on stage for over fifty years, selling out auditoriums until the very end. Mr Warmth: The Don Rickles Project revolves around one of the myriad performances from his long-running Las Vegas residency, which is coincidentally the city in which he first realised that he was able to make an impression, rather than just being a reliable comedic presence on television. The film uses the opportunity to examine the precise reasons why Rickles has consistently been viewed as a comedic genius, as well as trying to understand the exact qualities that inspired generations of viewers to grow to love his work, despite it being centered on insulting and degrading every population imaginable (although this is a very limited reduction of his comedic genius, but one that the film does use to show how he was able to rise above these criticisms), which only proves his eternal resonance and makes Mr Warmth: The Don Rickles Project such an endearing film. His abrasive on-stage persona was clearly an act, and a far cry from the tender, endearing figure he was off-stage, which is something the film makes sure to underline at every possible opportunity, particularly in how it heavily features interviews with Rickles as the centrepiece of the film.

As a documentary, Mr Warmth: The Don Rickles Project is truly charming and extremely entertaining, and while Landis has not made a good film in quite a while, this shows that he still has that spark of brilliance, particularly in how he chooses to subvert and challenge conventions of traditional non-fiction filmmaking. Not that he necessarily warrants (or even expects) credit for how he approached this film – he was merely driven by the desire to pay tribute to one of his heroes, which he achieves quite handily within the first few minutes, and maintains the same level of admiration to the final beautiful sequence. The structure of Mr Warmth: The Don Rickles Project is very simple – the film revolves around a performance Rickles does in Las Vegas, which is interspersed with various interviews conducted with the comedian himself, as well as a range of famous faces that come from different parts of the industry and even worked in different eras, but are united under their shared adoration for Rickles, working together to understand exactly what it is that made his legacy so timeless. Archival footage from his career only enriches the narrative, particularly that from earlier in his comedic journey. There’s a moment where we witness Rickles’ set at the Friar’s Club roast of Dean Martin, which featured heavyweights such as Milton Berle, Frank Sinatra, Jack Benny, Bob Hope and Sammy Davis Jr., and yet it was Rickles that shone the brightest and left the most substantial legacy in terms of pure entertainment. The decision to approach Mr Warmth: The Don Rickles Project in a way that explores his legacy and showcases his pure comedy was incredible, and a wonderful way to pay tribute to a true icon of the medium, who was essentially given one final victory lap in the form of this film.

However, it should be said that Mr Warmth: The Don Rickles Project is not the fawning, melancholy tribute documentary we would expect. Despite his age, the film was essentially filmed when Rickles was in his prime (although an argument could be made that his longevity and popularity for decades meant that any point in his career could be considered his peak), and he still had a solid decade of performing left in him after this film. This meant that Landis wasn’t scrambling to make a film that pays tribute to an artist he feared we were on the verge of losing, but instead an opportunity to dive into the mind of a genius while he was still present and at the top of his game. There’s an adage that is appropriate here, which is that we should give those we love their flowers while they can still smell them, which is exactly what Landis was attempting to do with this documentary. This is not merely a tribute to Rickles, it’s a wall-to-wall celebration of his work, as well as his vivacity and incredible energy. The first time we see him on stage in this documentary, we are shocked by how excitable and active he is, despite being in his 80th year, which would lead a more rational (and much less funny) comedian to choose to avoid risks. Rickles refuses – he treads throughout the sold-out theatre, insulting anyone who crosses his line of sight, and we are truly enamoured from the first moment. Mr Warmth: The Don Rickles Project is all about showcasing what it is that made Rickles such an icon, and through choosing to balance a triad of newly-recorded stand-up, personal interviews and archival footage, Landis creates a vivid mosaic of his ingenuity, which is as moving as it is steadily hilarious. There are a few tender moments scattered throughout the film – after all, Rickles was essentially allowed to reflect on his life and career, which he does without any hesitation. Balancing the humour and the moments of vulnerability was Landis’ main task, and considering how Mr Warmth: The Don Rickles Project manages to be simultaneously touching and outrageously funny, he was clearly successful.

There has never been any doubt that Rickles was the very definition of a legend, a comedian who shattered boundaries and presented audiences with something so new and exciting, despite having his start many decades ago. Not too many comedians have jokes relating to both the Second World War and social media in their repertoire, nor can many call Johnny Carson their good friend or even say that they stole the show at a presidential inauguration (to the point where his set at the inauguration for Ronald Reagan is by far the most famous and repeated moment from that historic event), but these are only a few small details that underpin Rickles’ extraordinary career, which is carefully outlined throughout this wonderful film. It’s quite easy to tell when one of these showbusiness documentaries is made to capture what remains of an industry legend, and which ones are formed from nothing but the most sincere affection and the desire to explore precisely what it is that made a particular figure so admired. Mr Warmth: The Don Rickles Project is undeniably the latter, a labour of love by someone who adores Rickles and worked hard to preserve his legacy as much as he could. Blisteringly funny, wildly entertaining and genuinely heartfelt, this is a tremendous documentary that takes a simple but poetic approach to exploring the life and career of one of the greatest showmen in the history of entertainment, and someone who truly embodies the spirit of the term “there’s no business like showbusiness”, which is almost entirely defined by Rickles and his long, storied career that is so exquisitely explored throughout this film.