Category Archives: Documentary
Documentary
Flash Movie Review: Grey Gardens
According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary codependency is “a psychological condition or a relationship in which a person is controlled or manipulated by another who is affected with a pathological condition.” A perfect example would be the mother and daughter of this documentary. Their story was made into a Broadway play and a movie on HBO, but I wanted to see the real Edith Bouvier Beale and her daughter, Edith “Little Edie” Bouvier Beale. What made this film fascinating was the fact that these two women were the aunt and cousin of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis; living in squalor, in their East Hampton mansion. The house had fallen into disrepair with cats everywhere and raccoons living in the attic. I honestly do not know where to begin in trying to describe Big Edie and Little Edie, except to say they truly were codependents. With so many reality television shows airing these days, some of you may think you are just watching an episode of Hoarders or Animal Planet. However, here were two high society individuals who had been used to having pretty much everything available to them. Added to that, their relative was one of the most famous women in the world. If it was not for that fact, would these two women even have been subjects to be filmed? I believe they would have, because their story really was a startling revelation on one family’s dysfunctions. I am sad to say this but watching this movie felt like I was a witness to a train wreck–it was terribly sad but I could not take my eyes off of it.
3 1/3 stars — DVD
Flash Movie Review: My Kid Could Paint That
Though I lack Abstract art knowledge, preferring the Impressionist period, I found this documentary quite interesting to watch. I have looked at some abstract art pieces and found myself puzzled by them. What made these things suddenly become art? The focus of this film was 4 year old Maria Olmstead and the sensation she caused when her art work began selling for thousands of dollars. Imagine the surprise of the gallery patrons who were not aware of the artist’s young age. During the filming of this intriguing documentary by Amir Bar-Lev, the television show 60 Minutes did an investigative piece on Maria and her family. Questioning the authenticity of her artwork, could it really be called art if the artist could not explain the how and why of its creation? I appreciated the way Mr. Bar-Lev tried to stay neutral with his filming, letting the viewers come to their own conclusions. For me, I felt I was watching a mystery as the events were being presented in this DVD. Instead of adding any additional information, I will let you decide for yourself on whether Maria really was a prodigy. Now you will have to excuse me, I have to go look for my Etch A Sketch.
3 1/4 stars — DVD
Flash Movie Review: Standing in the Shadows of Motown
This documentary hit all the right notes with me. You have to understand, music has always been a part of my family’s lives. From my brothers holding me up to dance to their records when I was two years old, to my niece being put to bed with the sounds of a symphony, to my nephew playing in a band; everyone in the family was a music lover. That is why I was thrilled watching this wonderful film about the Funk Brothers. They were the group of musicians Berry Gordy assembled to play backup to what would become some of the biggest artists from his Hitsville U.S.A./Motown recording studio. Here is an interesting fact for you: These musicians were on more #1 singles than Elvis, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones and The Beach Boys combined. How cool is that? With the aid of archival footage, interviews and celebrity guests such as Chaka Khan, Gerald Levert, Joan Osborne and Meshell Ndegeocello interpreting some of those classic hits with the remaining Funk Brothers; this music film would be the perfect choice for any music lover. After watching this incredible documentary, I was filled with wonderful memories of where I was when I heard some of these great songs.
3 1/2 stars — DVD
Flash Movie Review: Chimpanzee
There is something special about chimpanzees, where people can quickly place human characteristics on these fascinating creatures. I have a special spot for the animals because my very first stuffed animal was of a chimpanzee. Zippy was his name and he had been handed down to me from my brothers. This documentary did not disappoint on the visuals, from beautiful landscapes to incredible close ups of the chimps, every scene was a treat. Where the movie did not do itself justice was who they had narrate the story, Tim Allen (Home Improvement-TV, Wild Hogs). Along with his annoying inflections, I also had to place blame on the script he was given to read. I understand the idea of making this film for the entire family by adding a dramatic story line; however, it started to feel as if I was on one of the rides in the Animal Kingdom theme park at Walt Disney World. A 2nd clan of chimpanzees were portrayed as the bad guys; lead by Scar the alpha male. Tim’s grunts and excited reading was ridiculous to me. Instead of observing chimpanzees in their natural habitat, we were given a sanitized tale of little Oscar’s plight within the group. At the end of the movie statistics were presented on what the chimpanzee poplulation used to be and what it was currently, with no explanation on the reasons why. This film was made to entertain the whole family and on some levels it accomplished the task. However, I only wished they could have let the chimpanzees be themselves and avoid being turned into drama queens.
2 2/3 stars
Flash Movie Review: Jiro Dreams of Sushi
After a friend became grossly ill from eating sushi some years ago, I stopped eating or thinking about the food. How surprised I was after viewing this documentary, I was not only hungry, but I had a new appreciation for this delicacy. It was amazing to see master sushi chef Jiro Ono talk about his life’s work on attempting to make the perfect piece of sushi. Now you may be thinking what the big deal was about this one individual, surely there were many chefs who wanted to create the best piece of sushi. The difference was 85 year old Jiro was the first sushi chef ever to obtain a 3 star rating from the Michelin guide. Mr Ono’s 10 seat restaurant was underground by a Toyko subway station; where reservations had to be made months in advance. I was intrigued by the single focus he had his entire life, to devote himself to creating sushi. With two sons in the business, Jiro tried to instill his strict work ethic into his sons, though he had no plans on retiring. The filming of this movie was simple with an easy flow to it. We were witnesses to every aspect of Jiro’s daily life; from fish market to preparation, all the way to how he serves his guests. I was fascinated by the entire process. Though it is unlikely I will start consuming sushi, I certainly will wonder how much thought went into those pieces the next time my friends order it. Japanese with English subtitles.
3 1/3 stars
Flash Movie Review: Prodigal Sons
Returning to her Helena, Montana high school reunion, transgendered Kimberly Reed had no idea that this would be the easiest part of her trip. Kimberly in high school was Paul McKerrow, star quarterback of the football team. Maybe filmmaker Ms. Reed thought she was going to do a documentary about her class reunion; however, the bigger part of the film revolved around her attempts to reconcile with her adopted older brother, Marc. I was fascinated with the family dynamics as Kimberly and her siblings tried to interact under new definitions of themselves. But with each one coming home to their mother’s house, old rivalries and patterns crept up, making for high drama throughout this movie. I felt Kimberly did an excellent job of directing this movie, while starring in some hard, emotional scenes. One startling scene in particular was Marc discovering the name of his birth mother. Ultimately this well done film showed another example of sibling rivalry, but in a different light. No matter how far one buries issues inside of themselves, they always seem to find a way out.
2 3/4 stars — DVD
Flash Movie Review: Up the Yangtze
What some people have said was the greatest feat since the building of the Great Wall of China, was the creation of the Three Gorges Dam. To become the biggest hydroelectric dam in history, this massive undertaking was the centerpiece for this fascinating documentary. Instead of rattling off statistics and facts to the viewer; I was fascinated with the juxtaposition of scenes between poor, soon to be displaced, families with the wealthy tourists on the cruise ships, traveling the Yangtze River. To me, it felt like old China meeting New China; it was surreal to watch this documentary. This project was going to displace over 2 million people from their homes; that is right, over two million. One family in particular was shown as their way of life was changing, from farming the land to being placed in temporary housing and having to buy their own food and water. Their daughter was followed as she helped to support her family by applying for a position on one of the cruise ships. This conflict of old and new, ancient versus modern, made this touching documentary a beautiful way to capture a part of history in the making.
3 1/3 stars — DVD
Flash Movie Review: Undefeated
The fact that I do not follow team sports activities, preferring individual sports, and becoming so involved with this movie, should be a testament to the powerful story it told. After seeing the trailer and it winning the Oscar for best documentary, I decided to see it. The story was about volunteer football coach Bill Courtney and his Manassas Tiger high school football team from North Memphis. Having fallen on hard times when the major employer closed their factory, the crime and poverty rates had soared in the city. The football team, which should have been a source of pride, was on a long losing streak as the team had to deal with students dropping out or getting in trouble with the law. This film gave the audience an intimate glimpse into Mr Courtney’s life, as he devoted his time and energy to making something good happen for the players. Talk about reality, why don’t television networks make a reality show like this story? It was absolutely inspirational to see the transformation in the students, the coach, his family and the student’s parents as the football players started to work together as a team. For those of you, who saw the movie The Blind Side, think of this film as a grittier, real version of it. I do not know if I would even call this a documentary. It was so well done in telling the story about this incredible individual Bill Courtney, I would have walked out of the theater thinking Hollywood finally got it right.
3 1/2 stars
Flash Movie Review: God Grew Tired of Us
The reality shows aired on television are certainly not reality to me. This movie was a sobering dose of reality, with such a spirit of life; all I can say is that I was in awe. You may not be familiar with the lost boys of Sudan, who walked thousands of miles in search of a safe haven, due to the civil war raging in their country. Their plight was horrific as they had to avoid the northern aggressors during the day and lions at night. For some of them, the only life they had ever known was living in refugee camps. This documentary showed the journey of a few boys out of a group who were able to migrate to the United States. Imagine for a moment what it must have felt like to leave not only your family and friends, but your country. I’m stressed just when I have had to move to a new house, talk about getting a reality check. How does one explain a light switch to someone who has no knowledge of electricity? I loved the scene where the friends were introduced to a grocery store and offered a frosted, sprinkled doughnut. Looking at it, they were not sure if it was food. The phrase “food for thought” came to mind here. What I really appreciated from watching this illuminating movie was the way the director not only showed their life in America, but also showed a little bit of our lives through these boys’ eyes.
3 1/2 stars — DVD
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