The trouble with most screen biographies on writers or artists is that understanding their personal histories rarely illuminates their work in any significant way. But for gay poet and author Paul Monette, who died after a decade-long battle with the AIDS virus in 1995, his life and work were inextricably tied, one informing and sustaining the other. Monte Bramer's sensitive, moving documentary, Paul Monette: The Brink Of Summer's End, was shot over the course of three and a half years, and as a video portrait of courage in the face of a cruelly ravaging disease, it's on a par with 1993's Silverlake Life: The View From Here. The film begins with a conventional, albeit engaging, assemblage of photographs, home movies, and talking heads that recall Monette's difficult upbringing in New England, where he hid his sexuality from himself and his family. After his early poems were rejected by publishers, Monette made the crucial decision to tap into his own experiences for inspiration. His first novel, 1978's Taking Care Of Mrs. Carroll, was his colorful way of coming out to his parents. But he didn't hit his stride as a writer until later, when the loss of his first longtime companion inspired his 1988 book Borrowed Time: An AIDS Memoir. Monette would survive two other lovers and win the National Book Award for his 1992 autobiography, Becoming A Man: Half A Life's Story. Bramer's remarkable footage shows Monette still committed to gay activism and a joyous personal life, even as his body deteriorates from the virus and the massive daily intake of pills needed to fight it. More than simply portraiture, Paul Monette: The Brink Of Summer's End is a sad and inspiring document of a life fully embraced.