Was Nicolas Cage a bad influence on Charlie Sheen? Shocking truths from tell-all documentary

Documentaries are experiencing a surge in popularity, with their widespread availability on streaming platforms highlighting the genre's current prominence.

At the moment, two are attracting eyeballs: “Beauty and the Bester” and, unsurprisingly, “aka Charlie Sheen”.

Earlier this month, Sheen turned 60. He celebrated the milestone by dovetailing this tell-all two-part documentary feature with the release of “The Book of Sheen: A Memoir”.

Sheen is Hollywood’s infamous bad boy. His debauched lifestyle, failed marriages and string of rehab stints have been tabloid fodder throughout his career. 

That said, I had a clear idea of what to expect from this offering, so it wasn’t like director Andrew Renzi was opening Pandora’s box. It’s a celebrity feature, straight from the horse’s mouth. 

Sheen addresses rumours and scandals that dogged him throughout his career. 

Although his veteran actor father, Martin Sheen, actor and film-maker brother Emilio Estevez and partying partner in crime Nicholas Cage declined to be part of the documentary, his best friend Tony Todd, childhood friend Sean Penn and older brother Ramón Luis Estévez agreed to be interviewed. 

Interestingly, Denise Richards, who he was married to from 2002 until 2006, and Brooke Mueller, his third wife (2002 to 2006) and also an addict, agreed to participate. 

Richards and Sheen had a very acrimonious breakup, so that was a biggie for sure. But more on that later.

It was only fitting that it opened with the “Two and a Half Men” theme song and co-star Jon Cryer cracking a joke about what it was like to work with Sheen for several years, “When I started, I had hair.”

The first part of the documentary homes in on Sheen’s childhood, growing up in Malibu before it became an enclave for Hollywood’s A-listers. 

Born Carlos Irwin Estévez on September 3, 1965, he revealed that the umbilical cord was wrapped around his neck, and his father was preparing for the worst. 

However, he pulled through, and that seems to have been the case throughout his life as he dodged many close calls from overdosing. 

As one of four siblings - his sister Renée Estevez is a former actress - they grew up emulating their actor father. 

He spoke about making Super 8 films, moulded on the action scenes from his father’s films, as well as the rivalry that existed between Emilio and him, but not in as many words. He also revealed they smoked weed.

Sheen revealed that being on location with their dad for “Apocalypse Now” was a film school for him. It was also where he saw his dad at his worst with his substance abuse struggles. 

Later, Emilio started making a name for himself, and, watching from the sidelines, Sheen, who dropped out of high school, was envious. 

He decided to follow suit, unofficially changing his name to continue the Sheen legacy. He nailed his first audition and landed a role in “Grizzly II: The Predator”, and despite passing on “The Karate Kid” movie due to another commitment, he went on to land a life-changing guest role in “Ferris Bueller's Day Off”.

His chiselled features got him a lot of attention as the new heartthrob on the block.

Thereafter, his career was on an upward trajectory, bagging roles in “Platoon” and “Wall Street”, which had him on the paparazzi’s constant radar. 

Of course, with fame at such an early age, it's fair to say that it went to Sheen's head (literally and figuratively). It fuelled his gravitation to partying hard, and it got worse when he forged a friendship with a young Nicholas Cage, who shared his proclivities. 

His life spiralled out of control. Even after his family staged an intervention, he fell back on old habits. 

The ebb and flow of this destructive cycle continued throughout his second and third marriages. 

Rumours of gender-based violence in his high-profile relationships, including that with Kelly Preston, are mentioned, but these claims remain hearsay.

Cryor encapsulated Sheen’s lucky streak and self-sabotaging ways best. He was candid, balanced and hit the nail on the head with his comments. He pointed out how Sheen kept looking at a gift horse in its mouth. 

This was indicative of Sheen taking over from Michael J Fox in “Spin City” and bagging a Golden Globe for it. When the plug was pulled on the show, Chuck Lorre sought him out for “Two and a Half Men”. 

Despite his appalling behaviour affecting production, the network kept throwing more money at him, making him the highest-paid actor on TV, earning $2 million an episode. 

Sheen also addressed the Heidi Fleiss scandal, which cost him a fortune when the Hollywood madam was arrested and he turned state's witness.

Although he admitted to pill popping and sleeping with men while being on crack, he called the Corey Haim allegation “ bullshit and vile fiction”. 

As for his HIV-positive diagnosis, he said: “Shame is suffocating, but in the same wave, shame can turn into someone’s North Star or their South Star or their Death Star.”

He pointed out that he never put anyone at risk but admitted to forking out a small fortune to keep several women from revealing his status before it came out.

As a father of five, grandfather of three, Sheen, who is eight years sober, is a shadow of the trainwreck he used to be with his manic episodes, testosterone-charged debauchery with binges that lasted for days. 

He appears to share a more cordial relationship with his exes, admitting that his third wife “chased the dragon a little longer than she should have”, while also trying to bond with his children and be a present father. 

The revelations, especially the ice up the butt to stay awake for a scene, will leave jaws dropping. 

The interviews conducted largely support Sheen's narrative, which is about transparency rather than accountability. 

The biography, I suspect, is the true page-turner. I'm eager to learn more about Cage's impact on Sheen. Did Cage lead him astray, or was Sheen simply pleased to have found the "bad boy" company he desired?

Rating: *** solid and enjoyable, though not groundbreaking.