The best Ewan McGregor’s documentary movies
Ewan Gordon McGregor was born 31 March 1971 in Crieff, Scotland. At 16, he left Crieff and Morrison Academy to join the Perth Repertory Theatre. His parents encouraged him to leave school and pursue his acting goals rather than be unhappy. McGregor studied drama for a year at Kirkcaldly in Fife, then enrolled at London's Guildhall School of Music and Drama for a three-year course. He studied alongside Daniel Craig and Alistair McGowan among others, and left right before graduating after snagging the role of Private Mick Hopper in Dennis Potter's 1993 six-part Channel 4 series "Lipstick on Your Collar" (1993).
His first notable role was that of Alex Law in Shallow Grave (1994), directed by Danny Boyle, written by John Hodge and produced by Andrew MacDonald. This was followed by The Pillow Book (1996) and Trainspotting (1996), the latter of which brought him to the public's attention.
He is now one of the most critically acclaimed actors of his generation, and portrays Obi-wan Kenobi in the first three Star Wars episodes. McGregor has two daughters (Clara Mathilde and Esther Rose) with French production designer Eve Mavrakis, whom he met while working on the TV show "Kavanagh QC" (1995) and later married. McGregor filed for divorce in 2018.
McGregor has a production company with friends Jonny Lee Miller, Sean Pertwee, Jude Law and Sadie Frost. Called Natural Nylon, they aim to make innovative films that do not conform to Hollywood standards.
Gimme Danger
7.2/10
No other band in rock'n'roll history has rivaled The Stooges' combination of heavy primal throb, spiked psychedelia, blues-a-billy grind, complete with succinct angst-ridden lyrics, and a snarling, preening leopard of a frontman who somehow embodies Nijinsky, Bruce Lee, Harpo Marx, and Arthur Rimbaud all rolled into one. There is no precedent for The Stooges, while those inspired by them are now legion. The film will present the context of their emergence musically, culturally, politically, historically, and relate their adventures and misadventures while charting their inspirations and the reasons behind their initial commercial challenges, as well as their long-lasting legacy.
Fastest
7.7/10
What does it take to be the fastest? From award-winning filmmaker Mark Neale, comes Fastest, a spectacular maximum-speed, full-length documentary delving deep into the world of MotoGP™. This thrilling documentary, narrated by Ewan McGregor, highlights the thrills, spills and incredible commitment and courage the sport demands of it stars. With unprecedented behind-the-scenes access and never before seen angles, interviews and insight, this truly cinematic experience charts the exhilarating highs, crushing lows, career-threatening crashes and spectacular comebacks, including Rossi’s 41 days turn around to race following a leg shattering crash.
The Story of Star Wars
6.5/10
The Skywalker family is at the heart of the Star Wars saga. Now hear the inside story of Luke and Anakin Skywalker from the characters who witnessed it all: the famous droid duo C-3PO and R2-D2. Episodes IV,V and VI are explored in "The Story of Luke Skywalker," which follows the young man escaping from his daily chores on Tatooine to his becoming a hero in the Rebal Alliance. In "The Story of Anakin Skywalker," you'll go behind the mask of the greatest Star Wars villain and discover how Darth Vader started life as a young Podracing Champ on Tatooine and later became a headstrong young Jedi seduced by the Dark Side of the Force. With clips from the Star Wars films, C-3PO and R2-D2 take you on an hour-long journey through the saga and prepare you for the explosive final chapter: Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith.
Faster
7.7/10
Faster is an electrifying tribute to the white-knuckle world of MotoGP™ — the fastest sport on two wheels — where the world’s top riders go wheel to wheel at over 200mph and crash at over 100mph. Narrated by Ewan McGregor, Faster chases two seasons’ worth of the world championship, featuring revealing interviews with riders, mechanics, doctors, commentators and fans. If you want high octane, adrenaline fuelled thrills, Faster will take you on a nerve shredding journey through the most exciting sport on the planet!
The Beginning: Making 'Episode I'
7.7/10
The entire process of making Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999) is shown here in this documentary. From pre-production through post-production, we get to see visual effects meetings, John Williams' music sessions, and even the storm that wiped out the pod-racers & props.
And the Winner Isn't
7.2/10
A satirical documentary charting Geoffrey Moore and his daughter Ambra’s journey through Hollywood, as the pair track down celebrities and industry insiders in their bid to find out what it takes to become an Academy Award winner.
The Night Club of Your Dreams: The Making of 'Moulin Rouge'
6.9/10
This made-for-tv documentary treats romance fans to a behind-the-scenes look at the making of Moulin Rouge!, Baz Luhrmann's musical tale of love between a poet and a courtesan in fin-de-siecle Paris. Includes interviews with director Luhrmann, stars Ewan McGregor and Nicole Kidman and the rest of the the cast and crew of the film, who all share their experiences from working on the project, as well as discuss the special efforts that went into bringing it to completion
Muse of Fire
7.3/10
Funny, passionate, exciting, and smart: ‘Muse Of Fire’ will change the way you feel about Shakespeare forever. This unique feature documentary follows two actors, Giles Terera and Dan Poole, as they travel the world to find out everything they can about tackling the greatest writer of them all. Together they have directed and produced an inspiring film that aims to demystify and illuminate Shakespeare’s work for everyone: from actors, directors and students of all disciplines, right through to the? man on the street? Denmark with Jude Law, Baz Luhrmann in Hollywood, Prison in Berlin, and on the street with Mark Rylance. Think Shakespeare is boring? Think again!
From Puppets to Pixels: Digital Characters in 'Episode II'
7.1/10
For Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones (2002), there were to be many more visual effects than in Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999). This documentary shows many VFX meetings between George Lucas and ILM. Many of these meetings focus around the creation of a completely digital Yoda, used for the first time in the Star Wars films.
The Doctor, The Tornado & The Kentucky Kid
7.7/10
THE DOCTOR, THE TORNADO & THE KENTUCKY KID is the electrifying follow-up to Mark Neale’s 2004 MotoGP smash hit FASTER. Narrated by Ewan McGregor, the movie tells the story of the biggest motorcycle race in American history, the 2005 Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix at Laguna Seca, California. It’s a tale of extraordinary characters chasing a dream in the face of real danger, under unimaginable pressure, with no margin for error. For lovers of maximum adrenaline action, this is the pure, unadulterated, 100% genuine article.
Humpback Whales
7.1/10
Humpback Whales takes audiences to Alaska, Hawaii and the Kingdom of Tonga for a close-up look at how these whales communicate, sing, feed, play and take care of their young. Humpbacks were nearly driven to extinction 50 years ago, but today are making a steady recovery. Join a team of researchers as they explore what makes humpbacks the most acrobatic of all whales, why only the males sing, and why these intelligent 50-foot, 48-ton animals migrate more than 6,000 miles round-trip every year.
Within a Minute: The Making of Episode III
7.6/10
This documentary offers a glimpse into all the people, departments, and work that went into creating the film, specifically, the fight between Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi. Featured on the 2-Disc DVD for Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith.
Gina Carano in Training
First Soderbergh talks about seeing her fighting MMA on television and saying to himself, "Someone needs to fashion a movie around this girl." We then get to see the military training that Carano went through to make her a believable spy. The best parts of this feature are seeing how realistic the fight choreography got. In many instances they are really hitting each other, and Michael Fassbender particularly didn't use a stunt double. Some of the stuff they actually did seems pretty crazy. (Summary by Aaron Peck, Hi-Def Digest)
Charge
7/10
CHARGE is proof that maniacs on motorcycles can be a force for global good. The movie follows several teams to the world's first zero-emissions grand prix on the Isle of Man – the most demanding and deadly circuit on the planet – in 2009 and on their return in 2010, 2011, and 2012. For the visionaries, it's history. For the petrol-heads it's blasphemy. What's racing without the sound and fury of internal combustion engines? CHARGE is about the future. It's about change. It's about the dream of a clean, green world. It's about the dream of winning.
Legacy: A Personal History of Barry Sheene
Documentary on the life & times of 1976 & 1977 500cc World Motorbike Racing Champion Barry Sheene featuring family home movies shot by his father and never seen before, as well as other archive and newly shot interviews with Barry's friends & family. Written by Mark Tinkler
Wild Way of the Vikings
Ewan McGregor narrates a unique nature special looking at the wildlife of the North Atlantic through the eyes of the Vikings. Combining historical re-enactment with jaw-dropping Natural History sequences, Wild Way of the Vikings features vast herds of reindeer, huge gannet colonies, cute Arctic foxes, seal-hunting orca, mystical ravens and giant walruses.
Bomber Boys
7.2/10
Brothers Colin and Ewan McGregor follow up their documentary The Battle of Britain with a film exploring Bomber Command, a rarely told story from the Second World War. The film focuses primarily on the men who fought and died in the skies above occupied Europe, with numerous examples of individual heroism and extraordinary collective spirit, and Colin learns to fly the key aircraft of the campaign: the Lancaster bomber. But this is also the story of a controversy that has lasted almost 70 years. The program covers six years of wartime operations, and traces the obstacles and challenges that were overcome as the RAF developed and deployed the awesome fighting force that was Bomber Command.
Faster & Faster
7.8/10
Faster & Faster brilliantly captures the events which made the 2003 and 2004 MotoGP seasons so extraordinary: the tire-smoking arrival of the 215mph Ducati missiles; the shocking death of rising star Daijiro Kato; the drama of Sete Gibernau's wild battles with Valentino Rossi; and the Italian's switch from the all-conquering Honda to the underdog Yamaha – a move which was to seal the Rossi legend. This is the story of an epic time in MotoGP, in the words and actions of the world's greatest motorcycle racers.
The Battle of Britain
8.1/10
Seventy years on, brothers Colin and Ewan McGregor take viewers through the key moments of the Battle of Britain, when 'the few' of the RAF faced the might of the Nazi Luftwaffe. As they fly historic planes, meet the veterans, explore the tactics and technology, Colin and Ewan discover the importance of the Battle and the surviving legacy of the 1940's campaign for the modern RAF.
RAF at 100 with Ewan and Colin McGregor
7.6/10
To celebrate the centenary of the Royal Air Force, Ewan and Colin McGregor take to the skies in some of the world's most iconic planes. These are the planes that were involved in aerial combat at every stage of the RAF's story, from the biplanes used in the early days of dogfighting in World War I to the beautiful Spitfire of the Battle of Britain, the plucky Lysander and on to mighty Vulcan nuclear bomber, as well as the Chinook helicopter and supersonic Typhoon that are still in service today. It is a story of amazing machines and epic battles, but above all it is the story of the men and women whose courage and ingenuity have been at the heart of the RAF for 100 years. On their journey Ewan and Colin meet an amazing cast of characters.
