Tag Archives: Documentary

5 Broken Cameras-2012

5 Broken Cameras-2012

Director Emad Burnat, Guy Davida

Starring Emad Burnat

Scott’s Review #452

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Reviewed July 22, 2016

Grade: B-

5 Broken Cameras is a 2012 documentary spoken in the Arabic language, which received critical acclaim upon release and heaps of award nominations.

A documentary about a Palestinian farmer, Emad Burnat who recounts Israeli soldiers overtaking his land for several years, it became a Best Documentary Oscar nominee.

Non-political in his life, Emad is threatened as the Israelis build a wall through his land, which he refuses to part with.

As important as the subject matter is, it never really captured my attention and I found it to drag a bit, which pains me to say because I was hoping to be really into it, given the topic.

This could simply be my opinion since it is a critically acclaimed piece.

I would have voted in the far superior Invisible War, from the same year, for Oscar glory.

Oscar Nominations: Best Documentary-Feature

Searching for Sugar Man-2012

Searching for Sugar Man-2012

Director Malik Bendjelloul

Starring Sixto Rodriguez

Scott’s Review #451

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Reviewed July 17, 2016

Grade: B

Searching for Sugar Man (2012) is a heartwarming documentary that tells the true story of a forgotten rising Detroit rock singer (Sixto Rodriguez) from the early 1970s, rediscovered by South African DJs where he is a surprising legend in present times.

The documentary’s main talking point is how an icon can be idolized in one country while living in utter poverty in another.

Thought to be the next great thing in the 1970s, his two released albums bombed and he subsequently faded into oblivion, until tracked down by the South African DJs, curious about his current whereabouts.

Searching for Sugar Man (2012) is an inspiring documentary for any musician or fan of music since Rodriguez is a true artist. He is not in it for the money or obsessed with attention or fame, he finally receives some recognition for his talent.

He is a free spirit, reminiscent of Bob Dylan, a poet, whose story is a courageous one.

Thankfully, this inspiring documentary has brought some notice to Rodriguez.

Oscar Nominations: 1 win-Best Documentary-Feature (won)

Marina Abramovic: The Artist Is Present-2012

Marina Abramovic: The Artist Is Present-2012

Director Matthew Akers, Jeff Dupre

Starring Marina Abramovic

Scott’s Review #436

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Reviewed July 1, 2016

Grade: B+

The wonderful thing about documentary features is that they can introduce the viewer to a world of knowledge or provide an experience that you may not ordinarily be exposed to.

This is the case for me with Marina Abramovic: The Artist Is Present (2012).

Knowing nothing about this inspiring artist prior, I had no idea who she was going into this documentary and had no exposure to performance art.

The film does a great job of telling Marina’s career history, extreme discipline, and the honesty of her work. The documentary is also a biography as it gives a history lesson of who she is and the various obstacles she has hurdled in her life.

Marina is portrayed as an extreme artist and it was a wonderful experience learning about her.

Seeing a video of The Museum of Modern Art in nearby New York City was a treat since I have been to the museum before.

Independent Spirit Award Nominations: Best Documentary Feature

Pina-2011

Pina-2011

Director Wim Wenders

Starring Pina Bausch

Scott’s Review #426

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Reviewed June 21, 2016

Grade: C-

Pina (2011), a documentary, is a dedication to famed German choreographer Pina Bausch.

Unfortunately, the documentary and the way it is made is a major disappointment.

I respect that Pina is a tribute to a talented artist, but as a documentary itself, it is a complete bore. I learned nothing about the art of dance or Pina Bausch herself.

The entire one hour and forty-five minutes (quite lengthy by documentary standards) consists of a troupe of dancers performing a series of numbers with little or no explanation of what they are doing or what the dances mean.

Mixed in with the dances are brief snippets of commentary from the dancers expressing how sorry they are that Pina Bausch has died.

Nice tribute, but any viewer attempting to learn about the art form or artist is left clueless.

Oscar Nominations: Best Documentary-Feature

Janis: Little Girl Blue-2015

Janis: Little Girl Blue- 2015

Director-Amy Berg

Starring-Janis Joplin

Scott’s Review #420

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Reviewed- June 19, 2016

Grade: B+

As a fan of Janis Joplin’s classic 1960’s-early 1970’s brand of classic, bluesy, rock n roll, viewing a documentary of the star’s life and times was a great experience.

The film sheds a bit of light on the mysterious rocker- gone way too soon and with undoubtedly much more to say. Janis was one of the most authentic, real performers of her time. A big voice in a man’s world. Impressive still, is that she wrote all of her songs herself.

The documentary is well put together as it traverses Janis’s early days as an insecure teenager living in rural Texas. Never a beauty, Janis was insecure-as most teenagers are. She was always a pistol and prided herself at being different and outspoken, oftentimes ruffling feathers in her conservative town, especially given the period.

Janis preferred hanging out with males and being “one of the guys”.

An aspect I found interesting about this documentary is the exploration of Janis’s home life- well before she found success as a singer.

Taunted in school for being different because she was a painter, and a thinker, she lived in a largely racist town and had a conflict with others who were not as progressive as she. Janis’s sister and brother are heavily featured throughout the documentary and explain interesting tidbits about Janis’s home life and conflict with her parents.

Sadly, they forged a pleasant relationship, but never really mended fences before Janis’s untimely death.

Her relationships with other rockers of the time are explored and more than one festival performance is shared- giving a glimpse of what type of performer she was- improvised, heart on the line, intense, and brutally honest.

A lost soul with enormous talent and raw capabilities, Janis Joplin is missed, but thankfully we still have her incredible music to carry on with. Janis: Little Girl Blue is a great documentary that gives a cherished overview of the life and times of a tremendous artist.

Bully-2011

Bully-2011

Director Lee Hirsch

Scott’s Review #419

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Reviewed June 19, 2016

Grade: B+

Bully is an informative and topical 2011 documentary on the bullying problem that has plagued the United States in recent years and has thankfully received more attention as a result.

Shockingly, bullying has resulted in several suicides, which the documentary addresses.

The documentary mainly deals with a handful of bullied students and tells their individual stories. Unfortunately, too often teachers and school administrators either do not take the issue seriously or attempt to squander the matter to avoid more attention, according to the documentary.

Bullying is a nationwide problem in the United States.

I only wish the producers had chosen to focus some attention on the actual bullies for accountability, but surprisingly they did not.

This point was almost completely glossed over and only the victims were featured.

It would have been interesting to hear the perspective from the bully’s standpoint. Do they have issues at home causing them to bully? Are they bullied by others?

Regardless of this flaw, Bully (2011) is a well-made documentary that should be seen by anyone with kids, especially all teachers and school administrators.

The Look of Silence-2015

The Look of Silence-2015

Director-Joshua Oppenheimer

Starring-Adi Rukun

Scott’s Review #396

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Reviewed April 18, 2016

Grade: B+

An extremely grim and depressing 2015 documentary, The Look of Silence is a companion piece to 2013’s The Act of Killing.

Both focus on the brutal Indonesian genocide of 1965-1966, in which an estimated one million people were exterminated.

The documentary tells of the effects on one of the families who survived, who now must co-exist in the same village as the killers, who remain unpunished because of government corruption. They are still in power.

The documentary is cleverly put together as the central figure watches what appears to be outtakes of the related The Act of Killing on television, and the story is manipulated so that some of the killers do not realize they are being filmed for the purposes in which they are.

The main point of view of the film comes from a middle-aged Indonesian man, peacefully living with his wife and daughter, as well as tending to his very elderly parents, the father a torture victim and quite frail, who appears to suffer from dementia.

The father is rail-thin and the mother cares for him as much as she can. Their life is very tough. For protection,  throughout the documentary, the middle-aged man is unidentified.

Through conversation with his mother, we learn that his brother (their son) was one of the  “communists” or leftists, who were led to nearby Snake River, tortured, and eventually murdered and thrown into the river. The mother reveals that by some miracle, the middle-aged man was conceived shortly after his brother was killed, thereby saving the parents from suicide because of their grief.

The middle-aged man, under the guise of fitting patients with eyeglasses, goes from murderer to murderer (all still alive, very old, and living in the town) and politely quizzes them on their involvement in the Indonesian Massacre.

It is unknown whether the middle-aged man is, in fact, a Doctor, or if it is merely a ruse. Interspersed throughout, the interview clips of the murderers on television proudly describing their feats, are shown.

The Look of Silence is a true downer, but also shockingly realistic, sad, painful, and eye-opening.

Unlike many documentaries, we are not shown repeated clips of the events of the 1960’s- the story stays in the here and now.

The audience uses their imagination to create what they think happened- this is powerful stuff. In the videos of the killers, they describe in brutal detail how they killed their victims and it is quite sickening to watch.

Two men proudly reminisce of the chopping off of a woman’s breast, comparing the ruined flesh to an open coconut,  or slicing off a man’s penis. Others tell of drinking the blood of the victims.

Painful to realize is that this is not some horror film, but a real-life event.

Quite dumbfounding to me was that little or no remorse was shown when the middle-aged man questioned the killers in the present time. Some shrugged their involvement off, some got hostile, some denied any involvement. Some, now quite feeble, were accompanied by younger family members unaware of their father’s or grandfather’s past doings. Some appeared quite upset.

The documentary is not filled with spliced together archives or flashy lights or graphics. It is slow-paced and plodding and some I fear may find it too slow.

The title, The Look of Silence is rather perplexing and makes little sense to the subject of the documentary so I am not sure why it has the title that it does. But that is merely an aside.

As much as citizens of the United States complain and stress about the political state of affairs or financial matters, we have it quite good, and viewing this painful documentary is a reminder of that.

The Look of Silence displays the evil and the ugliness of human beings in the very recent past who show no remorse. In a world filled with ISIS, the documentary is a scary reminder that something like this can easily happen again.

This is a sad and morbid reality and this film will stick with you for some time.

Oscar Nominations: Best Documentary-Feature

Independent Spirit Award Nominations: Best Documentary Feature (won)

Cartel Land-2015

Cartel Land-2015

Director-Matthew Heineman

Scott’s Review #395

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Reviewed April 17, 2016

Grade: B

Cartel Land is a 2015 documentary film about the Mexican drug war, specifically focusing on vigilante groups in both Mexico and the United States.

These groups attempt to combat and thwart drug cartels by using their illegal efforts. Brutal and ugly, the documentary paints a dark picture of the very real drug trafficking problem and the hopelessness of the situation.

Interestingly, the hot button issue of illegal immigration is not explored as the issues are considered separate from each other.

The great thing about documentaries, in general, is their truthfulness and ability to open one’s eyes to a situation in the world in which one may not be aware of or have limited knowledge.

Most people know there is a drug problem in the United States, but Cartel Land successfully educates the viewer on the complexity of the issue.

Various perspectives are explored throughout the documentary: the Arizona Border Recon, led by militant figure, Tim “Nailer” Foley, and the Autodefansas, led by Dr. Jose Mireles, are the vigilante groups in the U.S. and Mexico, respectively.

A third perspective, in that of one of the cartel members, the particular gentleman featured, cooks and transports the crystal meth across the Mexican border.

Additionally, some individuals feel that the police and government are the ones responsible for solving the issues and the matter should be left in their hands.

The documentary does not side with one particular opinion over the other, but rather, paints a controversial picture of the reality of the situation and presents both sides objectively. However, the majority of the screen time does go to the Autodefansas story.

One of the most thought-provoking parts of the documentary, and what initially had me engaged in it, comes at the very beginning of the story.

Told from the perspective of one of the cartel members who is interviewed with the backdrop of a nighttime scene, where he cooks the meth he will then deliver, is poignant. Since the transports drugs, he is perceived as a monster.

He admits he causes people’s deaths, destruction, violence, etc. He then explains that the cartel members come from poverty- what else are they going to do to make this much money? Or make a living at all? It is an opportunity- who would give that up?

This made me think of how complex a problem drug smuggling is and it also laid the groundwork for the viewer to realize that the cartel members may not be the only ones who are bad or crooked. What is the definition of right and wrong? On whose terms?

Dr. Mireles and another member of the Autodefansas, named “Papa Smurf” are the primary members featured. They started Autodefansas as a way of combating the corrupt Mexican police and government that allows the drug cartel to exist, presumably for profit.

Their group of vigilantes brandishes militant guns to “protect their town” and the inhabitants. An assassination attempt occurs when someone tries to crash Mireles’s plane- he goes into hiding. But we also learn that Mireles is a womanizer, a cheat, and cannot be trusted. Is he making deals for profit on his own? Papa Smurf is in cahoots with the police. Is cash being exchanged?

The Arizona vigilante story is interesting to hear from Foley’s perspective. I observed the group to be uneducated, poor, angry and filled with racist hatred. This is scary to think that some Americans feel the way they do and it made me sympathize with them the least and the drug cartel a bit more.

One vigilante compared different races as being like two pit bulls in a cage- separated things are fine, but released from those cages the animals will kill each other. He had no concept of two races being able to live happily amongst each other.

Parts of Cartel Land are quite gruesome and descriptive. In one scene we see a teary mother from the town of Michoacán, who the Autodefansas protect, describe how an entire family of innocent farmworkers, including a newborn, were murdered by being hurled against rocks until they died.

They were the victims of a revenge scheme enacted against their boss. One pities her and we see the funeral for the newborn take place amid screams of despair from surviving family members. We also see decapitated heads and murdered individuals. It is chilling to think that this goes on in today’s world.

The cinematography is splendid and countless scenes of the Mexican and Arizona landscape are prominently featured. Miles and miles of spacious, mountainous areas are shown, and the use of night vision cameras allow for a feeling of being right there with the patrol groups.

The main takeaway from Cartel Land is the subject of corruption. Throughout each story the lines are blurry. Who is corrupt? Who should we sympathize with? Who are the good guys? Who are the bad guys? The facts are shaded in gray and we know that there are no good groups and bad groups.

This documentary teaches the audience that there is a major problem with the drug cartel across Mexico and the United States that has existed for years and will continue to exist for years to come.

A lesson learned.

Oscar Nominations: Best Documentary-Feature

A Decade Under The Influence-2003

A Decade Under the Influence-2003

Director Ted Demme, Richard LaGravenese

Starring Francis Ford Coppola, William Friedkin

Scott’s Review #392

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Reviewed April 5, 2016

Grade: B+

Produced by the cable network Independent Film Channel (IFC), A Decade Under The Influence explores the decade of 1970s film, a decade that was arguably the most creative and liberating to filmmakers and audiences alike.

A period in film defined by the directors securing creative freedom instead of the studios, where artists instead of corporations finally ruled the roost. A Decade Under The Influence gives us an overview of the era.

Despite some conspicuous omissions, I enjoyed this informative piece a great deal.

The documentary is divided into numerous segments including sections on women in film, the transition into a different period in Hollywood, and the subsequent close of the decade.

The interviews are plentiful including a who’s who of stars: Martin Scorsese, Ellen Burstyn, Clint Eastwood, Robert Altman, Julie Christie, Francis Ford Coppola, and numerous other influential directors, actors, and filmmakers.

Each individual describes his or her perspective on 1970s cinema, and personal anecdotes of experiences or challenges are shared.

Ellen Burstyn, for example, describes how the success of The Exorcist afforded her a plethora of other film offers, but all of the roles were of prostitutes, dutiful wives, or women in peril.

She needed roles more stimulating than those so she chose to star in Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore, which was a much better-written role. What I found a bit sad is how there are still limited, layered roles for women in Hollywood to this day unless one goes the independent film route, which this documentary touts as a savior.

Francis Ford Coppola relays how The Godfather was never expected to be a success, but rather, how he was chosen to direct the film merely because he worked for cheap and was Italian-American.

How ironic that the film became such a monumental success and influential to film making as a whole for generations to come.

The documentary, at times, seems like an overview of the decade, with many clips of classic 1970s cinema interspersed with the talking points.

Despite being three hours in length, I still felt that there was so much more than the documentary could have explored. Not surprisingly, the stars granting interviews were granted heavy screen time for their films.

The documentary was fine, but could have delved much deeper- I could see a multiple-disc set totally of ten or more hours dedicated to the decade.

One conspicuous omission was Robert Altman’s Nashville, arguably, the best film of the decade. While it was briefly mentioned, and a still frame of a scene from it did appear, I felt that it warranted more dissection and discussion.

This was more surprising given that Altman was interviewed for the documentary.

Another miss was Halloween or any mention of John Carpenter films. Halloween influenced many horror films to come and The Exorcist received heaps of coverage, undoubtedly because star Burstyn and director William Friedkin appear at length throughout the production.

Additionally, in the horror genre, Black Christmas (a highly influential horror film) was not mentioned at all.

A celebration of my favorite decade of cinema, A Decade Under the Influence is a documentary that is a basic must-see for fans of 1970s cinema, or film students perhaps immersing themselves into the world of great film for the first time.

Amy-2015

Amy-2015

Director-Asif Kapadia

Starring-Amy Winehouse

Scott’s Review #376

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Reviewed February 8, 2016

Grade: B

Amy is an informative documentary that tells the story of immensely talented, yet troubled, pop singer, Amy Winehouse.

Her childhood, rise to fame, and ultimate downfall as a result of drug, alcohol, and weight battles, are all chronicled in her documentary.

Despite the information, however, I never got the sense that I knew the singer well and at the conclusion, she still seemed mysterious.

Possessing a unique jazz/soul-infused sound and a wonderful British accent to boot, Winehouse burst onto the pop scene like gangbusters in 2003 as a talented artist with many layers of genres in her music.

A diamond in the rough you might say, and a breath of fresh air in modern music.

The fact that she wrote her songs only added to the level of talent oozing from her.

The documentary wisely tells of her upbringing and her abandoned father, who later resurfaced in her life. Her mother, while decent, could not control Amy, who was full of life and energy.

The main crux of the film, however, is to show her difficulty with fame- a sad, tried and true story of celebrities near and dear, artist types, who do not do well with the attention and adoration thrown their way and Amy Winehouse is no different.

As her popularity grew, all she wanted was to be left alone, and, unfortunately, her life became very public, including her tumultuous relationship with her boyfriend who wound up in prison.

Sadly, Winehouse did not have the best support system and it has alluded to that, perhaps, her father was an opportunist. A tortured, pure artist that sadly wasted away due to outside circumstances.

Throughout most of the film, she seemed lost or overwhelmed with the success that came her way. In a cruel irony, her biggest hit “Rehab” became fodder for late-night television comics to poke fun at her.

The documentary itself, while informative, is also quite basic and I felt like I was given more of an overview of Winehouse’s life than a personal introspective. I did not feel like I received a true sense of her inner thoughts and dreams. Yes, she did not want to be famous and it bothered her, but I wanted to see more of the real Amy Winehouse.

Amy is an adequate documentary about the life and times of Amy Winehouse and I finished the piece knowing more about her, but not nearly as much about her as I wished I had learned. A decent effort, but more would have been nice.

Oscar Nominations: Best Documentary-Feature (won)

Getting Go-The Go Doc Project-2013

Getting Go- The Go Doc Project-2013

Director Cory Krueckeberg

Starring Tanner Cohen, Matthew Camp

Scott’s Review #250

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Reviewed June 23, 2015

Grade: C

Getting Go- The Go Doc Project (2013) is a small-budget documentary that focuses on a shy, awkwardly gay college student named Doc, who is completing his thesis project by filming a documentary surrounding an online crush he has developed, via porn, on a New York City exotic dancer named Go.

When Doc finally contacts Go and inevitably meets him, the filming of Go’s life begins. From this point a relationship forms, but at what price and what will the turnabout be?

The film is okay but is surprisingly dull as it develops and begins to quickly drag towards the predictable conclusion.

The underlying themes of this documentary are loneliness and obsession from two differing perspectives. Doc, the boring, lonely college student is enamored by the gorgeous, buff, seemingly independent Go.

As the two get to know each other, more is revealed about Go, his life past and present, his hopes, dreams, and fears. Doc is also psychologically explored and the two form an unlikely bond.

The film succeeds in teaching the audience that there is more to a dancer than his body and more to a nerd than his brain. Both are complex individuals.

The first half of the feature is fairly interesting. The initial courage that Doc musters up to contact and ultimately meet Go is admirable and I enjoyed seeing what transpired next.

Will Go be receptive to Doc or callously treat him as another enamored gay man?

When Go agrees to be filmed and his life story is slowly revealed, I feel sympathy for him and am intrigued to learn more about him.

What was his family life like? Was he abused or victimized as a child, I wondered?

Getting Go- The Go Doc Project loosely explores matters like this, though no supporting characters are introduced. Go and Doc and their budding relationship are the only focus.

The film then plods for the final forty-five minutes with an uninteresting love story that is fairly lacking in the suspense department. Are we to believe the pair will live happily ever after? Not a chance.

Unfortunately, the acting is not great either, especially on the part of Go, played by Matthew Camp. Tanner Cohen is a bit better and the more interesting character of the two, with more depth. He is not comfortable with himself, his body, or even with being gay.

However, at this age (early twenties) one wonders if the character would even be comfortable with girls had he been made to be straight.

The main problem with the film is that the two are mismatched. Even though they develop a fondness for each other, the audience is aware that this will not last.

Props to the filmmakers for trying something a bit different. In the end, Getting Go- The Go Doc Project (2013) starts well, meanders, and ultimately stalls, but tries hard to present a different type of story and that is not so bad.

The Missing Picture-2013

The Missing Picture-2013

Director-Rithy Panh

Starring-Randal Douc

Scott’s Review #157

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Reviewed August 21, 2014

Grade: C+

One question continued to go through my mind while viewing The Missing Picture- is it a documentary or a foreign film? To me, it is a documentary, but strangely the film was nominated for the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar.

I hate to say this, but after 15 minutes or so I found the film quite dull.

I respect the creative, expressionist clay figures and enjoyed the black and white real-life clips of the horrific events from 1970’s Cambodia. But I found the narration as dull as dishwater.

I watched 45 minutes of the 1 hour and 35 minutes run time and deduced that I had gotten the point of the film. It does not take away from the importance of the subject matter at hand, but the presentation could have been a bit more exciting.

This is a common occurrence in the documentary genre.

Oscar Nominations: Best Foreign Language Film

A Hard Day’s Night-1964

A Hard Day’s Night-1964

Director Richard Lester

Starring The Beatles

Scott’s Review #154

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Reviewed August 18, 2014 

Grade: C

Why this rock documentary, day in the lifestyle film is considered among the Top 100 films of all time completely escapes me. I’m a huge fan of the Beatles but found the film a disappointment.

The segments consisting of musical numbers performed by the band are excellent and, humming along, I enjoyed the black and white filming of the “documentary” as well, but the film is not a documentary in the traditional sense and is very difficult to categorize.

Is it a rock opera?  Is it a comedy? Is it a documentary? Is it a musical? It is somewhat of a hybrid as the viewer journeys through a typical day in the life of a Beatle.

But all else seems fluff to the point of silliness. Countless scenes of the band running through the streets with adoring fans screaming and chasing after them become irritating. There is little plot to the film.

The Beatles were a huge band. We get it.

Paul, George, Ringo, and John do a capable job in the film, considering they are non-actors, but I’d much rather have been exposed to a straightforward documentary focusing on the background of some of the songs or the band members themselves instead of a lightweight tale of a day in the life of The Beatles with silly attempts at humor thrown in.

A Hard Day’s Night reportedly influenced the 1960s television comedy starring The Monkees.

Oscar Nominations: Best Story and Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen, Best Scoring of Music-Adaptation or Treatment

After Tiller-2013

After Tiller-2013

Director-Martha Shane, Lana Wilson

Scott’s Review #153

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Reviewed August 13, 2014 

Grade: A

After Tiller is a brilliant and thought-provoking documentary about the controversy of abortion. The issue presented is not whether abortions should be performed, but rather should be performed late-term (beyond 20 weeks).

The Doctor Tiller mentioned in the title was the Doctor who opened the handful of clinics that perform late-term abortions and who was murdered outside of his church by fanatics before the documentary was made.

The 4 remaining protégé’s of his are Doctors who now openly perform these controversial procedures and who are presented as, not monsters as some would think of them, but as sympathetic, kind professionals who put the pregnant mothers’ needs first.

As I assumed before seeing the documentary, the Doctors are not strictly performing the abortions for mothers seeking a way to get rid of a “problem”, but rather, in most cases, the baby will lead a life of pain, misery, and health problems and typically the parents do not learn of the problem until late in the pregnancy which adds dimensions and levels to the issue at hand.

The viewer is left wondering, what would I do?

Most of the parents struggle with the decision to terminate the pregnancies.

These Doctors (and their families) constantly receive death threats from pro-life groups who do not comprehend the issue and the Doctors are harassed by people who do not want their abortion clinics anywhere near them and as a viewer, this is painful to watch.

Any viewer who is pro-life or pro-choice ought to watch this for a better understanding of the complexities of late-term abortions.

After Tiller is riveting but has shamefully been seldom seen by audiences.

Independent Spirit Award Nominations: Best Documentary Feature

Room 237-2012

Room 237-2012

Director Rodney Ascher

Starring Bill Blakemore, Geoffrey Cocks

Scott’s Review #150

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Reviewed August 6, 2014

Grade: C-

My viewing of the documentary Room 237 (2012) resulted in mixed emotions.

On the one hand, it is an interesting glimpse into the world of the classic, horror masterpiece The Shining (1980), with many clips and film facts presented.

It also features other works by Director Stanley Kubrick and compares them to each other, which is interesting to fans like me.

I love the passion of the fans of this film and admire how they know every intricate detail of The Shining.

But at the heart of this documentary lies conspiracy theories from the fans and theorists, regarding The Shining, that are downright wacky and become redundant after about fifteen minutes.

What makes these people credible? Only their voices are heard and the audience does not see their faces. Who are they? What walks of life are they? Most of these conspiracy theories are much ado about nothing.

Somehow a camera angle or a photo of a surfer or an expression on the face of Jack Nicholson turns into a mythological meaning. There is also some gibberish about moon landings and the holocaust that did not interest me.

I bought very little of it if any.

I would have been quite content with a documentary solely focused on the making of The Shining, interviews with the cast and behind-the-scenes facts, or even bloopers. It would have been more realistic, interesting, and plausible.

As a tribute to the excellence of The Shining, this documentary succeeds; in all else, it fails.

How To Survive a Plague-2012

How To Survive a Plague-2012

Director David France

Starring Bill Bahlman, David Barr

Scott’s Review #141

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Reviewed July 29, 2014

Grade: A

A wonderful thing about documentaries is that they can be a learning experience and a teaching tool.

How to Survive a Plague (2012) is one such type of documentary. It is an authentic, real, gritty piece of work and that’s what makes it so powerful.

The AIDS epidemic in the 1980s was a monumental and devastating time in social history and this documentary chronicles a group of advocates tirelessly fighting to convince the Government (at that time less than sympathetic towards victims of the disease) to approve and administer drugs to combat AIDS.

This organization was named ACT UP and it brought the gay community together as well as sympathetic members of the straight community. Good people fighting against the establishment for change.

Nearly all the footage from the film is from the period in question and the activism is both heartbreaking and inspiring to witness.

The Pope, Ronald Reagan, and George H.W. Bush are not portrayed in a positive light, but rather as uncaring and unwilling to help those dying from the disease.

A moving and inspirational film that teaches one never to give up or back down from what you stand for.

How to Survive a Plague (2012) was deservedly nominated for the 2013 Best Documentary Oscar.

Oscar Nominations: Best Documentary-Feature

Independent Spirit Award Nominations: Best Documentary Feature

Undefeated-2011

Undefeated-2011

Director Daniel Lindsay, T.J. Martin

Starring Montrail “Money” Brown

Scott’s Review #134

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Reviewed July 25, 2014

Grade: B

Undefeated (2011) is an emotional documentary, a true story of a high school football coach brought into a struggling, poor, suburban Memphis area high school and leading the team to a championship title.

The story of the coach taking various students under his wing, father figure style, and helping them succeed in, not only football but scholastics as well is inspiring and heartwarming.

The coach’s passion shines through to the viewer in this story.

As wonderful a story as it is, I felt slightly let down by it as, yet again, the slant on the story is of an affluent white family swooping into a poor black neighborhood and saving the black kids with their mighty influence.

Why can’t we see a film that is the reverse?

In the twenty-first century, this is becoming slightly offensive and one-sided. It is The Blind Side (2009) with real people!

With that rant made, the documentary is pretty awe-inspiring and the coach is portrayed as a fantastic, truly caring human being. I laughed, cried, and rooted for the struggling football team to victory.

The portion on what has since happened to the football players is interesting to see.

Undefeated won the Best Documentary Oscar in 2012.

Oscar Nominations: 1 win-Best Documentary-Feature (won)

The Central Park Five- 2012

The Central Park Five-2012

Director Ken Burns, Sarah Burns

Starring Antron McCray

Scott’s Review #124

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Reviewed July 21, 2014

Grade: B+

The Central Park Five (2012) is a fascinating documentary surrounding the infamous 1989 events of the Central Park jogger, who was raped, beaten, and left for dead one night.

I remember the case well but was too young to know the details and circumstances involved.

Suppose one is to believe the documentary presented. In that case, one is to be outraged and disgusted by police, detectives, and attorneys who railroaded and influenced the youths found guilty because they assumed they were guilty. Youths who were later found to be innocent after years of wasting away in prison.

It saddens me how the media turned the case into a witch hunt and sensationalized the story. What is sadder is this still happens today.

I like documentaries that present both sides, but according to the film, no attorneys, detectives, or police would comment, so I will accept this as truth.

After the youths were exonerated, no apology was ever issued.

It is a sad day when detectives can pressure and threaten someone into a confession. In modern times, DNA evidence has come to the falsely accused rescue.

As with anything, there are two sides to every story, but one can’t help but wonder if the police did no wrongdoing then why not comment on the events?

The Central Park Five (2012) is a shockingly truthful, informative documentary.

Independent Spirit Award Nominations: Best Documentary Feature

The Gatekeepers-2012

The Gatekeepers-2012

Director Dror Moreh

Starring Ami Ayalon

Scott’s Review #103

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Reviewed July 10, 2014

Grade: B-

I truly wanted to love The Gatekeepers, an Oscar-nominated documentary from 2012, but only mildly enjoyed it.

I find the nominating process and the award determination for documentaries baffling. In recent years it is beginning to mirror the Foreign Language film selection process.

The one documentary of the five that is brilliant (How to Survive a Plague) did not win and the documentary that did win (Searching for Sugar Man) was good, but not great.

The Gatekeepers explores an important, informative topic-the Israeli Secret Service. The documentary consisted of interviews with five former Secret Service members and was a tell-all of past situations and how the members handled the matters.

The documentary also uses real footage and computer animation to explain how the Secret Service becomes involved in military activity.

Important stuff, but it comes across as a bit dry and relatively dull.

After thirty minutes I found myself looking at the clock and somewhat tuning out.

I respect the documentary for its subject matter, but it could have used a bit of spice to keep things moving along.

Oscar Nominations: Best Documentary-Feature

The Waiting Room-2012

The Waiting Room-2012

Director Peter Nicks

Starring Cynthia Y. Johnson, Eric Morgan

Scott’s Review #59

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Reviewed June 23, 2014

Grade: B+

The Waiting Room (2012) is an interesting documentary that takes the viewer on a day in the life shift in a very busy public hospital in a poor section of Oakland, California.

Most of the patients are uninsured, low-paid, or unemployed workers, who are sick and in need of medications and treatment and in some cases are quite ill.

The documentary balances the perspectives of both the patients and the weary hospital staff, who strive to prioritize cases and treat everyone, which is not easy due to overcrowding and underfunding.

I found the documentary quite fascinating and felt like I was an actual observer during a chaotic, yet everyday experience in the busy and stressful Emergency Room.

The situations that arise are heartbreaking and the staff does their very best to accommodate each patient, but many times tragedy ensues or tempers flare due to frustration.

It speaks volumes of the shameless world of United States insurance company profits and selfishness at the cost of human lives and patient suffering.

Sadly, The Waiting Room (2012) was overlooked by the Oscar Academy but did receive an Independent Spirit nomination.

Independent Spirit Award Nominations: 1 win-Best Documentary Feature, Truer Than Fiction Award (won)

20 Feet from Stardom-2013

20 Feet from Stardom-2013

Director-Morgan Neville

Starring-Bruce Springsteen, Sting

Scott’s Review #17

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Reviewed June 17, 2014

Grade: B

Must-see for any lover of popular/rock music as so many songs have background singers that nobody realizes let alone knows their names.

It is said that many of them didn’t do much “past their day”, but Hollywood is littered with thousands of broken dreams. Nice that some of them still perform to this day.

A reality check in the documentary that was brought up many times is that you need to be egotistical and narcissistic to be in the spotlight. Makes you look at many of the big stars a bit differently.

Sometimes they are not so nice when the cameras are not rolling and have tremendous egos.

No names were revealed-this is an interesting documentary to watch.

Oscar Nominations: Best Documentary-Feature (won)

Independent Spirit Award Nominations: Best Documentary Feature (won)