Albert Maysles is one of the most iconic documentary filmmakers of all time. Having directed legendary documentaries like Grey Gardens (and its 2006 sequel The Beales of Grey Gardens), Gimme Shelter, and Salesman, Maysles worked as a directing team with his brother, David, until David’s death in 1987. Albert carried on the legacy, and has been actively making documentary films since. Sadly, Albert passed away just a few months ago, but with Iris, Maysles’ last major film, the legendary filmmaker truly goes out on top.

Similar to Grey Gardens, Iris is a character study on an eccentric woman who has refused to let age slow her down. The title subject, Iris Apfel, has become a bit of a style icon; she’s known for her carefree attitude and flamboyant attire. Maysles’ approach is relatively low-key; there isn’t any particular all-encompassing story to the film. It’s just a few days in the life of a real character. Still, the film is entertaining, upbeat and enjoyable; like spending a day with your lovably crazy grandmother. Over the course of the film’s eighty-minute running time, Iris has run-ins with apparent heavy-hitters in the fashion world, as well as none other than hip-hop icon Kanye West, who miraculously expresses genuine interest and gratitude towards the elderly woman. Mostly, though, Maysles just follows Iris through various clothing and fabric stores and documents her interactions with store owners and designers. On paper, it sounds quite dull, but the execution is surprisingly engaging.

Iris’ husband, Carl, is equally as entertaining as his wife. The couple lives in a lavish home filled with toys, trinkets, and various obscurities. Their relationship is adorable and charming, and Maysles captures everything from their love for one another to their typical couple tiffs—the most amusing of which is an argument over whether or not they have run out of yogurt. By the end of the film, plenty of viewers will undoubtedly want the wacky couple—who have no children—to adopt them as their own.

There’s something to be said about capturing someone’s true nature on camera. With documentaries, especially, it seems to be a daunting task to get the absolute truth out of a person, as it is human nature to play up to the camera. And while Iris and Carl certainly seem like a vivacious and animated couple, their personalities never feel disingenuous or phony. They truly are a wild, lively, and undeniably lovable duo, and Maysles’ ability to capture them in sincere fashion is nothing short of brilliant. Right up until his death, even in his late eighties, Maysles was still an unbelievable documentarian.

Iris’ occasionally self-deprecating attitude and apparent disdain for traditional views of beauty and self-importance provide plenty of humorous anecdotes and, as a result, make the film immensely quotable. It is absolutely fascinating listening to Iris discuss how “pretty” is overrated, and her lack of traditional attractiveness is what caused her to develop such a strong personality, which in turn has made her an immaculate success. At its core, that’s really what Iris is all about. It’s about being happy with being who you are, and never apologizing to those who can’t appreciate your true character.

Iris is a well-made, engaging, and lighthearted tale that lacks any sort of cynicism. The consistently upbeat and hopeful tone of the film is sure to have audiences leaving the theater will smiles on their faces. It’s always nice to see legendary directors go out with a bang instead of a fizzle, and Albert Maysles certainly does just that with Iris. Make sure you see this movie. Even if you couldn’t possibly care less about fashion, socialites, or style, make sure you see this movie.

True crime documentary films have the power to set the record straight, to observe facts and events with a clear eye. Films like Paradise Lost and The Thin Blue Line set men free from life or death sentences for crimes they did not commit. During last night’s mini-series finale of The Jinx: The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst, something else happened. Andrew Jarecki’s entertaining pulp profile of the millionaire real estate family and the suspicion surrounding three murders ended with the filmmakers uncovering the smoking gun. Durst had been determined not guilty in a previous case and was a prime suspect in two others, but without proof that could fully link him. If you didn’t watch The Jinx finale (or any of it), it is a prime example of the power of film and its real-world effect. You can also see the wonderful New York Times rendering of events, news that broke shortly before we saw it all play out on HBO. And here are other news items from the week that you may have missed:

RIP Richard Glatzer, Co-director of Still Alice

Remembering a film artist that has passed on wasn’t intended to be a staple in this weekly feature, but that is unfortunately how things have played out recently. Richard Glatzer, who battled ALS while continuing his career as a writer and film director, is a true hero. His last film, Still Alice, is a beautiful portrayal of how disease can affect an entire family, but also a stirring tribute to those who don’t let their ailments deter them from life. The film will always be a touching tribute to Glatzer’s career. For a tribute on the man, please read the Hollywood Report.

It Follows Big Hit in Limited Release

While only grossing an estimated $163,000 in its opening weekend, the indie horror flick had the top per screen average of the weekend at $40,750. This puts It Follows as the second highest per screen opening average of the year, behind A Most Violent Year, and 9th overall in the past 12 months. The film has garnered rave reviews on the festival circuit, and we called its inventive monster one the scariest ever. It Follows will be spreading to more theaters in the coming weeks before it infects Video On-Demand on March 27.

Kevin Smith Announces Clerks III, Possible Other Films

A few years back, while we were all hotly anticipated Red State, Kevin Smith announced that he was going to retire from filmmaking to focus on podcasting and film distribution. Well, the prolific indie filmmaker has apparently had a change of heart. From The Dissolve, Smith has announced that he’ll be revisiting the series that put him on the map, as Clerks III will begin shooting in May. Currently, Smith has a few other projects in the works, including Yoga Hosers (a sorta spiritual sequel to Tusk), and potentially a sequel to his early film Mallrats.

Martin Scorsese (Maybe) Directing Mike Tyson Biopic

In other director attaching news, Jamie Foxx teased that the legendary director will be helming his long anticipated Mike Tyson biopic during an interview on Uproxx. Scorsese, of course, made the greatest profile of a boxer of all time, so this would be an interesting return to the ring. Raging Bull defined how combat sports are put on film and Scorsese could be the perfect fit for the dynamic and ferocious personality of Mike Tyson. At this point, there is no confirmation, but we can dream a little, can’t we?

SXSW Opens Its 2015 Fest

Austin’s SXSW film festival has grown into one of the biggest destinations for indie and genre films, with films like Tiny Furniture, Bridesmaids, The Cabin in the Woods and Chef making their world premieres in recent years. Couldn’t make it to Austin this year? Well, we have you covered with reviews from the festival all week. You can check out the full lineup here.

Trailer of the Week: Iris

Last week I mentioned the late filmmaker Albert Maysles’s upcoming film Iris, and now the first trailer for the doc has dropped. The portrait of legendary fashion icon Iris Apfel looks to fit alongside a number of recent fantastic documentary profiles of aging artists such as Bill Cunningham New York, Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work, Elaine Stritch: Shoot Me and Jiro Dreams of Sushi. Check out the trailer below!