German film auteur Werner Herzog gives us a glimpse of his own imaginative process in this deeply personal homage to his titular friend and collaborator, a charismatic antiquarian and archaeological scholar (author of In Patagonia). The two closely shared a vision of the world, a yearning for wonder, and this self-analyzing film is as much about the writer/director as it is his titular subject; not so much a biography as an examination of the things that fascinated both men.

This is cerebral, thoughtful stuff, made for adults, and the multiplex crowd will be scratching their heads. (85 min)