Review: "Waltzing with Brando" (2025)

Marlon Brando is considered by many to be one of the greatest, if not THE greatest, actors of all time. He has wowed audiences with his roles in On the Waterfront, Last Tango in Paris, and as Don Vito Corleone in The Godfather. But what about the man behind the great actor? A new movie tries to answer that question in a fun, enlightening, and even informative way. Waltzing with Brando is based on the real-life events involving an architect Bernard Judge who is hired by Marlon Brando to create the first, perfectly ecological retreat on the very remote island of Tetiaroa. We watch as the uptight Bernard adjusts to the free-spirited Marlon. Bernard grows to really believe in the project as the years pass. The challenges grow, but so does the friendship between Bernard and Marlon. We watch the strains, the ups, the downs, and the constant changes that occur while Judge tries to make Brando’s dream a reality.

Waltzing with Brando is a heartwarming, hilarious, and eye-opening window into a period of Marlon Brando’s life many may not have known about. The story focuses mainly on the dramatic hijinks between Judge and Brando, giving us a reason to appreciate Brando on a whole different level. The retreat is a real place that is still going strong today with the help of the Tetiaroa Society; something I was not even aware existed until this movie. If you are looking for some deep, dark secrets of a famous actor to be revealed, you will be disappointed. The point of this story is to show the human side, and it accomplishes that in every scene. The tone never gets really heavy, even in the most dramatic moments. This felt more like a celebration of humanity and friendship. ​

Bernard Judge is played by Jon Heder. It was a lot of fun seeing him transform from this uptight homebody to an all in, take-a-chance-and-make-it-happen sort of guy. Alaina Huffman plays Judge’s wife, Dana. She also puts in a top-notch, loving, and funny performance. There is a great connection between Huffman and Judge for the few scenes they are together. It is not as strong of a connection as there is with the scene-stealer Billy Zane as Brando. He truly transforms himself into the icon. You soon forget that it isn’t actually Marlon Brando on screen. At times, this feels like an authentic documentary, especially when we see Zane’s version of Brando in real TV interview clips. There are a number of famous moments presented, but they are just thrown in for a passage-of-time reference. Then there are times when it feels like a satirical comedy. The laughs come from the great chemistry between our two leads, which is the true strength of the story.

I loved the balance in tone and the even pacing of the editing. You will not look at your phone once during the 104 minute run time. You will be too busy entranced by not only the performance of the cast, which also included Richard Dreyfuss and Tia Carrera, but also learn about a lesser-known side of one of the best actors of all time. There is even a moment where film and reality collide in regards to the Tetiaroa Society. If nothing else, see it for a role that Billy Zane was born to play. Waltzing with Brando has become one of my favorite movies of the year and after you see it I think it will be for you too.
For more information on the Tetiaroa Society, follow this link: https://www.tetiaroasociety.org/