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#cats_the_mewvie (2020)
An interesting profile on cats' presence online
This is a pretty simple documentary, using mostly sit down interviews and uploaded video. But by simple I'm not knocking it... simple in this case works well, as it's sort of an essay on the history and current state of cats in pop culture through the eye of the internet. It's an upbeat, bright film, with nice people and lots of really cute cats. It's a good documentary for when you want something happy, laidback and fun.
The user reviews here really surprised me though. All but two or three called the cast of cats great, and the cast of humans awful, terrible manipulators totally "taking advantage of the system." A few people singled out Bubs' owner as the only altruistic character in the film-but if we're going to be hyper judgmental and God-like in our criticism, he also displayed some hypocrisy, virtue signaling and industry gatekeeping himself.
My point, however, is that no one profiled in this film was a monster, or an abuser of cats, or a truly evil, corporate-style machine. They all love their cats and none of them are seem to be trying to "farm" entertainment (which is something that does go on). You could argue that a couple cat Instagrammers weren't quite as "noble" as the rest-maybe the morbidly obese cat and the cat made to dress up in drag-but good grief people, of all the horrible forces at play on IG in search of profit, we're hardly looking at the worst offenders.
If someone is able to make some money on IG by making content people like with their cat, great! As the movie clearly stated, that's not easy to do. So much envy and so many holier-than-thou comments... It's as if no one rated this documentary for it merits as a film, but rated the cats at 10 and the humans at 1, averaging these two irrelevant facts (related to the movie's rating) at a 5-which is the score most reviewers gave out. If I was the director or someone who worked on the film I'd be upset by that. And if I was a cat owner, I'd be embarrassed to see the trite and worn out stereotypes about cat owners being so strongly reinforced across the board.
Anyway, it was a fun movie. If you're on the fence I'd say give it a watch. These reviews don't even represent the movie itself for the most part. I'm not even the biggest cat fan, and I liked it...so if you kitties, give it a watch.
Social Animals (2018)
Tightly woven documentary. Insightful and worth watching.
This is a well executed look into a few Instagram user's past (and still evolving) relationship with Instagram. It provides insight into many of the trends, motivations and pitfalls associated with what is actually a very complex topic-people's social lives, self-edited and put on display for the world to see in near real-time.
It would've been much easier for the director to have made a cynical, Dateline-styled expose that piggybacks off all the easy, negative stereotypes and horror stories that people love to see tried in the (absurdly hypocritical) "court of public opinion." But instead, this documentary works hard at trying to tell full stories, with both the good and the bad.
If you're a parent you'll come away from this better educated than you started out, and in a far more realistic way than if this were a cheap hit piece. I think the same can be said for the generation of kids they're profiling. It seems to build a legitimate consensus of ideas and opinions. What it did leave out are users above the age of 21 and the business side of Instagram (both as a company and its advertisers). The idea of Instagram users becoming "sponsored" or trying to make money off their fame is covered, but not from the point of view of businesses (which would be another film anyway).
What's really interesting to me are the low scores for this film. (As of early May 2019.) I suspect the blonde (Kaylyn) who *seems* to be living a beautiful, happy-go-lucky life provokes some backlash in the form of jealousy, a topic that's covered in the film. But, I think she was a great casting choice, because she seems like a genuinely decent, open and honest person. Also, "females over 45" (i.e., moms and grandmothers) seem to show a strong dislike for this film, unfortunately mistaking their 1 star rating of the movie as a vote against Instagram.
(Also, had this come across as a planted campaign for Instagram-the way many celebrities and other corporations are using documentaries right now-I would've shut it off.)
Brexitannia (2017)
A piece to help you think
This movie is a fascinating collection of opinions and thoughts on the subject of the Brexit vote, delivered straight to the camera from people living in Britain, post-vote. It also adds an interesting mix of "expert" opinion to the end of the film.
I felt this documentary really succeeded at capturing passionate and persuasive opinions from many angles. I really liked this approach. There were people who I agreed with and disagreed with on both sides of the issue. I could also feel my own opinion shift around a bit as I watched.
The film doesn't hide from the complexity of the situation, so as a result many ideas come into play. This makes it more interesting, but it also makes it harder to come to a simple resolution of your own. (Not a bad thing in my opinion.)
The last quote in the film is really interesting. I had to watch it twice to make sure I got it. It reinforced to me the careful approach that the film took-and the priority it made of helping to generate understanding (in place of its agenda or criticisms). Definitely recommended for those interested in the nature of Brexit- and in politics as they exist today.
The Trade (2018)
Skillfully crafted and insightful
I've seen a lot of documentaries on drugs and addiction, and this series belongs at the top with the best of them.
Mathew Heineman (who also directed Cartel Land and City of Ghosts) delivers more evidence of his incredible talent for capturing difficult stories in dangerous places-while delivering perspectives from people caught right in the middle of it all.
At times this documentary series reminded me of the movie Traffic, with its dramatic ability to bring to life vastly different points of view inside the drug trade. (But this being non-fiction.) Growers, traffickers, law enforcement, drug users and many others are given time in this fascinating look into the many, many sides of the ongoing opioid epidemic.
Unlike a lot of recent documentaries that feel forced into a "series" format, The Trade brilliantly uses the time and space that its five-episode format provides. Also, drama doesn't feel forced or constructed, the characters are unique and memorable, and the editing is top notch.
Dana Carvey: Straight White Male, 60 (2016)
Great set. Especially for a 60 y/o white guy.
I recently saw Dana Carvey on Seinfeld's car-and-coffee-themed talk show, and he was hilarious. I loved Carvey growing up so I decided to see what he'd done since. I found his 2008 standup act (the one with "Monkeys" in the title) and it blew me away. The level of intensity in that special is superhuman.
Having caught up a bit, I decided to watch Straight White Male, 60. In this special he comes across with the energy you might expect from a normal adult, which is fine. I thought this routine was solid and his impersonations spot on.
I'm neither here nor there when it comes to politics, and I'm a couple decades younger than Carvey, but his material was so well done that I was laughing with him from his point of view. That said, it's hard to understand why 20 percent of voters so far have given this special a "1."
I don't know if it was Trump fans who were triggered by his (very well done) Trump impersonation, or if Millennials were triggered by the couple jabs he took at their generation- but either way, it was all light hearted- and more importantly, funny. If you can't laugh at yourself a little bit then standup might not be your thing. I don't know. But this special is definitely worth watching if you're a Dana Carvey fan, or just getting acquainted.
Take Your Pills (2018)
Like it was made on while on Adderall- by users who don't know much about the drug
Unfortunately, this documentary is all over the the place. In fact, it's so needlessly hyped up and sensationalized that it almost feels like a commercial for Adderall until a third of the way through. A few years ago all the major television networks and news magazines covered the "Adderall: Everyone's Doing It... And It's Out of Control!" angle that this documentary adopts as its main storyline.
What's left here are some haphazard anecdotes that really don't go very far into the major downsides of using this drug, along with a never ending panel of talking heads that do little more than reinforce the hype and headlines.
This could have been a much more meaningful document of Pharma's lightly policed stimulant free-for-all, and it could've focused on the large scale toll this drug takes on society. Some suggestions (or human examples) of ways to deal with today's lifestyle without the use of these super potent CNS stimulants would've been helpful. Unmasking the corporate army behind the big drug push could've also done some good. Instead, it's more of an alarmist, late to the party, collage of hype and unhelpful (shocking!) opinions.
Do Donkeys Act? (2017)
It's not really about the poetry...
First off, this is an experimental documentary. So it's likely that someone looking for the dumbed down, NatGeo-ish 'What Are Donkeys All About?' "documentary" may be disappointed. This movie has a unique way of presenting its story, and if you can cut the poetry a break, it does quite a good job of it. The movie uses long takes- a technique I really appreciate- and has its own pace and personality. I went in knowing very little about donkeys, and when it ended I practically wanted to adopt one.
Dafoe's voiceover is powerful and well read. The poetry can reach a bit too far at times (as was thoroughly dissected in other reviews) but if you just roll with it, the perspective you're granted is unique, substantive, and worth while. Even if the poetry was Shakespearean in its quality, the movie would still be quite the same experience. If you can attempt to understand what the directors have done, and turn of the armchair poetry critic inside your mind, there is a very beautiful film here.
Magicians: Life in the Impossible (2016)
What's with these "reviews"?
This is a solid documentary. As long as you don't expect it to explain tricks like an episode of Myth Busters (which it doesn't claim to do) and you come to this subject with general knowledge (an average viewer), then I can fully recommend the film. It covers 4 to 5 main subjects --which is a lot to handle-- so critiques that the doc didn't go "deep enough" aren't relevant when considering the scope, and this movie has plenty of depth to it. More than I expected. It seems that the sour reviewers here mirror some of the very same jaded and cynical traits that they criticize.
I thought what this movie showed was brave. It felt like an honest, real edit. There are plenty of scenes that would never make it into a reality TV show because they don't fit into TV's simple dramatic themes. There are issues that are both dark and subtle (that don't necessarily have a satisfying made-for-TV resolution). But that's what sets apart a good documentary from a cheap TV show. The filmmakers couldn't have known how each character's life was going to play out, and they seemed to represent it honestly.
The reviewer who rated this movie a "1" is doing an even larger disservice to the film than the reviewers he suspects are fake (which are few). And his history is more biased than these supposed "fake reviewers" as well, given that a "1" is his third most common score (after a "10" and a "9" respectively).
It's such a shame that the message boards were taken away. I've seen several movies since then that I would've really liked to discuss (not tweet about).
Capturing the Friedmans (2003)
I had to come to IMDb after this
Though I hate the name-calling and **** that goes on here I had to talk to someone about this movie-- it deeply affected me. I don't cry often but near the end of the film I couldn't help but want to-- identifying with the sadness of a family falling apart, the tragedy that is spelled out so well in gray, rather than black and white (which I think is the foundation of a truly great documentary). Seeing the love, the caring, the best intentions of the father (and the family together as a whole)-- mixed with the crippling upbringing of the father and the devastating results of his actions. Like other documentaries that I find brilliant, this one gives you incredible insight into the dark, the beautiful, the sad, the happyall the overwhelming emotion that makes the story worth telling.
Le peuple migrateur (2001)
Amazing and little eccentric
(Spoilers) I thought this movie was incredible. The scenery shot from the air (and ground) was stunning. By far, the most beautiful picture I have ever seen. This movie knew no boundries. It captured scenery from all over the world. There were shots taken in mid-flight across Siberia and Greenland. As mentioned, there is no ridged storyline. The movie kind of meanders-- but I think this is okay. What made this movie eccentric was the music and timing of events. The music (if done right) could have been amazing, but instead it was a bit depressing and weird. Enya would have fit perfectly if you ask me. As far as timing goes, I was shocked once the first bit of violence struck. And after that point it was sporadic- which left me feeling uneasy and sad. I sort of wish the negative elements of this film were lumped together so that I could enjoy the positive moments (near the end) a little more. Definitely not a polished gem, but one of the most beautiful and precious gems I have come across in a long time.