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Reviews
In & of Itself (2020)
Utterly Mind Bendingly Emotional
One of the most profound film experiences I've ever had. Derel DelGaudio's In & of Itself is a illusionary thought space that causes the viewer to literally question their own identity.
The show unfolds through a series of stories, card tricks, and audience interactions and truly break the 4th wall to yield a stunningly emotional experience.
Much of the film is impossible to express in words, its something you simply have to experience for yourself.
Sherman's March (1985)
has not aged well...
Considered by many to be a cult classic biopic. The film take a humorous look the at dating in the American South. Yet, it's uncertain whether the film will stand the test of time. Upon re-watching the film has some fairly misogynistic undercurrents. McElwee habitually films his dating exploits and tracks down old flames pointing his camera like a loaded gun, demanding to know why they don't love him?
It's a trend that continues into his later films like Photographic Memory. In which he plants hidden cameras in his son's room in order to monitor his behavior. While many see this as unabashed candor and pure cinematic honesty it could be just as easily be construed as a complete lack of social boundaries on the behalf of the filmmaker.
The Social Dilemma (2020)
One of the most important films of our times...
This film explores the cultural changes in society created by social media, as told by experts in the field and often the actual creators of the platforms themselves.
Both eye opening and unsettling, the film details the growing monetization of the human attention span. Remarkably unfiltered, the film is an absolute must watch for anyone who finds themselves at a loss with the direction the world is going.
There are some dramatizations in the film which should have been left on the cutting room floor, as they detract from the essence of the interviews. But other than that, a great film.
I'm Thinking of Ending Things (2020)
Disjointed and Unfulfilling
This film is an abject attempt to play with the expectations of the audience. However, Kaufman reveals his limitations as a director by failing to deliver any sort of resolution to his viewers. The film does an excellent job of stringing the audience along for a miserable 2 hours, with virtually no pay off. Kaufman clearly relied on his reputation to carry the abstract defunct narrative rather than taking a decisive directing role.
If you have not seen the film. Please save yourself the effort. There is very little to be gained from it except to serve as a roadmap for other filmmakers on film strategies to avoid.
The Way We Talk (2015)
not worth watching
An extremely amateur production. Much of the film is difficult to watch due to the poor video quality and filmmaking. The score and editing have a very lethargic quality and make the film feel longer than it's actual runtime.
Unfortunately, the film falls short of taking a serious examination of the world of stuttering. As the film progresses, it slowly takes a decisively myopic viewpoint, and the narrator shifts focus to place himself at the center of the film.
What could have been an insightful film, ultimately comes off as a petty bid for self-aggrandizement.
Is the Man Who Is Tall Happy?: An Animated Conversation with Noam Chomsky (2013)
Possibly one of the most insightful documentairies ever made
The film itself is something of a contraction of terms. It is a documentary and it is also animated, which makes it something of an cinematic oxymoron. Yet, the end result is something far more honest than a typical documentary.
Most documentaries are filmed and edited, giving only the aspects of the story the filmmaker wishes to the audience to see. By making an animated documentary there is no way someone could misinterpret this film as reality. It causes the viewer to question the very nature of the film they are watching as well as question the nature of reality itself which is in fact the essence of the film.
The film features unconventionally creative visuals accompanied by the radically intellectual thoughts of Noam Chomsky. It gives an intimate and illuminating look into Noam's mind, painting a portrait of a mind that is both complex and compelling.
The sheer uniqueness of this film makes it worth watching. It is a must for anyone studying the art of documentary film. Ultimately, the film stops short of nothing less than brilliant.