Robert John Davi truly does it his way in the new documentary, DAVI’S WAY. With the goal to create an unforgettable concert tribute honoring Francis Albert Sinatra’s 100th birthday a la Sinatra’s 1974 “The Main Event” in Madison Square Garden which was produced by Jerry Weintraub and aired to television audiences the world over on ABC, with DAVI’S WAY, Davi takes us on this journey to bring his celebratory vision to life.
Most know Robert Davi for his long career in film and television as portraying the tough guy, no matter which side of the law that toughness may fall. Whether it’s the opera-singing bad guy in “The Goonies” or James Bond’s latest nemesis in “License to Kill” or the unforgettable Special Agent Johnson in “Die Hard” or any one of the hundreds of turns in films like “The Irishman”, “The Iceman”, “Expendables 3″, “Predator 2″, the “Maniac Cop” franchise, “The Fall Guy”, “Hart to Hart”, “Profiler”, “Wiseguy”, and of course, his first acting role in “Contract On Cherry Street” which just happened to pit him against Frank Sinatra, you can always count on Davi to deliver the goods and make an indelible impression.
But did you also know that Davi sings? And that he sings Sinatra? If you don’t, you don’t know what you’re missing. Playing to sell-out, standing room only crowds the world over, Davi sings Sinatra and sings him gloriously. A singer since his youth, opera trained, Davi’s debut album, “Davi Sings Sinatra – On the Road to Romance” was number 6 on Billboard’s Jazz Charts. But it’s not just the voice that mesmerizes. It’s also Davi’s style and style was what made Sinatra himself such a captivating figure during his life and continuing to this day.
Wanting to recreate Sinatra’s 1974 event, Davi’s vision includes a similar format as that in “The Main event” – boxing ring, ring announcer, ring girls, and top recording artists like Justin Timberlake, Adele, Lorde, and Jay-Z joining him for duets on some of Ol’ Blue Eyes’ standards. But an undertaking like this requires a capable team, to plan, coordinate and logistically pull off a large scale event, all while following specific mandates of Davi. This is what keeps the juices flowing in DAVI’S WAY.
Surprisingly, Davi bares all in candid exchanges with producers, potential venue hosts, fellow artists, a few friends, a nebbish of an assistant, and more. He doesn’t hold back his true feelings. He lets the camera see and hear all. He is demanding and commanding, precise in his demands and desires, and a perfectionist when it comes to himself. For just the most casual al fresco meetings, filters must be placed on cameras, shooting angles must be specific to Davi’s instructions. His inexperienced assistant Stevie Guttman is chastised more than once for wearing a hat while Davi is wearing a hat or dressing in a style similar to what Davi is wearing that day. Guttman is even so bold as to tell Davi he wants introductions and connections so he can further his own acting and writing career. Similarly, Davi’s daughter, an aspiring singer, cries to her father at dinner that he won’t connect her with “the right people” to further her career. His response? He had to work for it and had no help or connections. So must she. His rules are simple, but very explicit, and very clear. He oversees all and you feel his frustration and struggles with those less qualified, inept, attempting to manipulate, or not in agreement with his wants or priorities. He doesn’t tolerate mediocrity.
While we are privy to what some may call a “diva demand” personality, we also get a very deep understanding of who Robert Davi is and what drives him – singing. There is no doubt that singing is as vital to his very existence as is breathing. And his love and admiration for Sinatra knows no bounds as he repeatedly draws comparisons between the two of them. Within every conversation Davi has throughout the documentary, his passion for singing, for Sinatra, for his Italian heritage and family, and for excellence, rings loud and clear. He believes in hard work and does not shy away from it, as we see when he learns mere weeks before “The Event” that the producer whom he believed was handling all of the behind the scenes logistics and talent bookings while Davi focused on his music and musical set, was not. The mere thought of having to take the reins with dates and venues means taking time away from the music and the look on Davi’s face is a telling mix of heartbreak and anger.
Directed by documentarian Tom Donahue, DAVI’S WAY is technically polished with some beautiful cinematography and thanks to editor Jasmin Way moves briskly over the course of a year with the planning of “The Event” serving as the backdrop for the story that is really being told; that of Robert Davi, the singer. The journey is revelatory for those who don’t know or who are unfamiliar with the real Robert Davi. Many will be as surprised to see parallels between Davi’s tv/film performances and aspects of his own persona, as they are to learn of his true passion and see and hear him sing. A dichotomous juxtaposition within a single man, all of which comes together under an umbrella of undeniable style and charm.
As with anything, DAVI’S WAY is about the journey, not the end result. But never fear, as the end result here is hearing Robert John Davi sing, and THAT is worth any journey.
Directed by Tom Donahue
by debbie elias, 08/15/2018
