“Martha”: Stewart proved to be a difficult person to profile

WHAT IS IT ABOUT? Prolific documentarian RJ Cutler, whose past subjects have included all of the Anna Wintour to Dick Cheneyturns its camera on another figure of great cultural significance in “Martha.”

The Great Neck native chronicles the life and times of Martha Stewart, beginning with her childhood in Nutley, New Jersey, through her years as a stockbroker, caterer, writer, and finally a prominent lifestyle enthusiast.

Built around interviews with Stewart, who remains tight-lipped and guarded when it comes to discussing certain difficult moments, the film gives equal weight to the highs of her success and the lows that come with it, especially her five months in to federal prison after being found guilty of lying in an insider trading case, among other charges.

MY SAY An exciting person does not necessarily create an exciting documentary plot.

No one could question the cultural influence Stewart had over the decades he spent promoting the idea that the good and the good life should be available to all, not just the wealthy few.

But it makes a person tough for the profile. First, she strictly controls her image. She was repeatedly seen deflecting questions or trying to change the subject, both in interviews with Cutler and in the tapes he uses.

She delves into some of the traumas she’s endured, but only to a point, and we’re often left wondering if we’re seeing the real Martha or a carefully curated version for the camera.

At times, it seems like she’s doing the documentary mostly to settle scores with people — including James Comey (yes, that James Comey), who harassed her when he was US Attorney in Manhattan.

Then there’s the fact that the scenes that showcase her beautifully composed food pastes and home decor items, housewares and other products don’t quite lend themselves to convincing cinematography.

Cutler pushes a little. He cites testimony from people who criticize her alleged temperament, and there is one somber moment caught on camera just before her sentencing in 2004, in which she is seen berating a staff member about the size of the knife she uses to cut an orange.

The prison plot is the strongest piece of pure cinema in the picture, filmed as a montage of different days during the stay, told through Stewart’s diary of her experience and given visual life through sketches.

But otherwise, the story of “Martha” is told through a collection of stills, random bits of old footage, and off-camera testimony from people who know the subject. Cutler rarely elevates the film beyond this realm.

If you’re interested in the story, you’ll get something out of the movie, but you won’t walk away with a greater understanding.

Cutler calls Stewart the first “influencer,” the forefather of an entire online generation today. And while that’s certainly true, or at least an argument that can be made, the film offers little to explain why it really matters.

AMOUNT Martha Stewart is a very difficult subject, and the director will never get it right.