Mike Wallace Is Here

Mike Wallace had a strong, expressive voice, even later in life when his wrinkled face appeared on the evening news. His voice resounded with authority and intelligence, not to mention a note of irreverence. It was his main asset, the tool he used to ask questions—an unrelenting series, one bolder than the next. During a career spanning decades, Wallace questioned an entire cast of prominent figures, including Kirk Douglas, Salvador Dali, Oriana Fallaci, Ayatollah Khomeini, Donald Trump, and Vladimir Putin. Avi Belkin’s documentary includes fragments of his most important interviews. With dynamic editing and the frequent use of a split screen, the result is an impressive portfolio of Wallace’s work. The film focuses on the protagonist’s professional life, but it also shows flashes of who he was in private—and he was a much more sensitive person than his television persona suggested.