I didn’t get a chance to catch this one at this year’s Hot Doc’s film festival, which is too bad because i simply LOVE steroids. Luckily, my insatiable appetite for body enhancing druggery has been temporarily quenched with the trailer for Bigger, Stronger, Faster. The film is quite obviously from the producers of the Michael Moore films. The lead character’s narration could pass for a bizzaro-world Moore, and the comedic style of the film is definitely inspired by Supersize Me and Sicko’s of the non-fiction world. Should be an interesting watch. Check it out below.

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The Rise and Fall of the Grumpy Burger
Director - Matt Gallagher

Hot Docs Synopsis:

Filmmaker Marshall Sfalcin is Canada’s answer to Ed Wood and Russ Meyer. His no-budget monster movies are works of fantasy, favouring big scares and bigger boobs to truth and authenticity. With his latest film, Sfalcin is determined to tell the “serious” story about his family history and their bold claim that they, and not McDonald’s, are the rightful inventors of fast food. Along to capture the making of Sfalcin’s masterpiece is fellow filmmaker and childhood buddy Matt Gallagher. As Sfalcin’s vision of his film changes due to a barrage of obstacles, Gallagher’s documentary morphs from straightforward “making-of” film into a complex mediation on truth and fiction, where the lines are always blurred. The Rise and Fall of Grumpy Burger is that rare treat of a film that entertains and captivates with its outrageous story and brash characters while, at the very same time, asking the audience to question everything they are seeing.
-Alan Black

The Rise and Fall of the Grumpy Burger was the last in a long day of documentary screenings for me, and I was hoping for a relaxing, fun time in which I could just sit back and be entertained. Although the film is definitely some pretty light fair, I actually found myself having some difficulties getting into this story of one man’s mission to make a low budget film about his family-owned fast food restaurant which, according to him, predates McDonalds. There were some entertaining moments, but the heavily staged atmosphere of the film was a total distraction.

We’re introduced to Marshall Sfalcin, a Windsor, Ontario native who’s a self proclaimed b-movie filmmaker. Actually, according to Marshall, he doesn’t make ‘films’, but rather ‘movies’. Films are for the pretentious artsy-fartsy crowd. I wonder how he feels about a film about a movie-maker screening at a documentary film festival? Anyways, we’re given a quick overview of his low budget process as we sit in on a dialogue recording session in which Marshall’s brother is attempting to perform some sort of creepy voice over. This eventually leads to a yelling fit between the two (one of many in the film) that for me, seemed quite obviously put on and a desperate attempt to recreate the comedic magic of other ‘making of films’ like American Movie. Unfortunately, Grumpy Burger failed pretty hard for me. …

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The English Surgeon
Director - Geoffrey Smith

Hot Docs Synopsis:

When British brain surgeon Henry Marsh first visited the KGB Hospital in Kiev in the early 1990s, he was appalled by the conditions. Patients were dying from simple tumours left untreated. Since then, Marsh has been on a mission to create a viable brain surgery clinic, salvaging discarded equipment from British hospitals, second-hand drills from flea markets and any other tools that may be fashioned to do the job. Geoffrey Smith’s exceptional documentary follows the maverick neurosurgeon on his latest trip to the Ukraine, as he once again encounters patients for whom he is their last chance. Marian is among them. Stricken by an enormous, life-threatening brain tumour, we follow Marian through his harrowing brain surgery. As Marsh tackles increasingly risky cases, he is haunted by the memory of a young Ukrainian girl whose operation went fatally wrong. Tense, heartbreaking and at times humorous, this is an extraordinary documentary. Musical score composed and performed by Nick Cave and Warren Ellis.
-Sarah Whitehous

I ended up checking out The English Surgeon simply because I needed to kill some time between two screenings I had planned to attend. I didn’t know much about the film other than the fact that it had a pretty awesome poster and apparently featured some graphic brain surgery footage. BONUS! As it turns out, The English Surgeon is looking to be my favourite film at this year’s Hot Docs Festival.

Director Geoffery Smith follows English surgeon Henry Marsh as he attempts to bring some much needed help and experience to a small hospital in the Ukraine. The KGB owned medical facility is run by Ukrainian neurosurgeon Igor Kurilets, one of the most charming and utterly watchable non-fiction characters I’ve seen in a long time. Together, Henry and Igor attempt to make a dent in the impossibly large number of mis-diagnosed and un-diagnosed patients in the the town of Kiev. Igor closely watches Henry and learns from him, hoping to utilize this knowledge in his own medical centre, which he hopes to build in the near future. I’ve got to tell you, this duo was completely entertaining. There’s a great scene where the two of them go shopping at a local street market, scavenging for parts for their medical equipment. Their comedic timing is impecable. But their most inspired scenes are those dealing with the patients. In one horribly awkward moment, Henry scans over a 23 year old woman’s x-rays, eventually coming to the conclusion that she has less than five years to live. The woman sits in silence, a language barrier hiding the fact that right in front of her, Ivan and Henry are having a conversation about how to appropriately handle the situation. Ivan, completely desperate, says ‘I don’t know what to tell her’. …

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I absolutely loved the first season of This American Life. One of my main goals for my upcoming trip to NYC is to hit up a Borders book store and pick it up on DVD. (For some lame reason, it’s only available IN STORE through this American chain) I’m very excited for the premiere of season two, which is right around the corner. May 4th to be exact. A trailer has just popped up on YouTube, and it looks to be more of the same great stuff. Check it out.

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Betrayal (Nerakhoon)
Director - Ellen Kuras, Thavisouk Phrasavath

Hot Docs Synopsis:

During the U.S. military’s covert operations in Laos in the early 1970s, Thavisouk Phrasavath’s father was recruited to help the CIA. But when the Americans withdrew and the communist regime gained power, Phrasavath’s father and thousands of others were declared enemies of the state and imprisoned. At the age of 12, Phrasavath made a harrowing escape from Laos to Thailand and eventually to New York City, where the hardships of an immigrant’s life forced him, his eight siblings and his resilient mother to face an entirely different kind of war. The directorial debut of acclaimed cinematographer Ellen Kuras (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Neil Young: Heart of Gold), Betrayal is a lyrical film that fluidly incorporates archival footage, cinema vérité, revealing personal interviews and visually poetic montages. Beautifully filmed over the course of 23 years, it offers a stirring portrait of life in exile, of the far-reaching consequences of war and the unbreakable bonds of family.

So I pretty much went into this one blind, other than the fact that I was familiar with Ellen Kuras’ work as a cinematographer. Having said that, she sets up some pretty complex framework in this, her directorial debut. Betrayal (Nerakhoon) is a film that at first glance seems to be about a war, but actually ends up focusing on a smaller, but equally compelling, piece of pure human drama.

Kuras is probably best known for her work as a cinematographer. Her resume includes such indie hits as Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and Be Kind Rewind, but she’s also had some pretty heavy documentary experience. Most recently she was one of the many cinematographers involved in Martin Scorsese’s Rolling Stones flim ‘Shine a Light’, and she served as cinematographer on Jonathan Demme’s Neil Young: Heart of Gold. With all of that experience, it’s no wonder that Betrayal looks about as beautiful as any piece of dramatic fiction. Kuras chooses to avoid the cinema verite approach, instead relying on dream like imagery expressed in pastel colours and soft lighting that successfully supports the thematic heart of this film: memories. This seems pretty perfect for someone who’s worked with Michel Gondry on more than one occassion. (I guess a long lasting working career with Spike Lee doesn’t hurt either.) …

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Shot in Bombay
Director - Liz Mermin

Hot Docs Synopsis

Director Liz Mermin’s fast-paced, multilayered and captivating doc about shooting a blockbuster gangster movie in Bombay/Mumbia is packed with more drama and action than the movie itself. Following a cast of charismatic and often surreal characters, the doc goes beyond the tinselly glamour of Bollywood to explore some of the industry’s darker sides. With unprecedented behind-the-scenes access to a star-studded cast, Shot in Bombay tells three intertwined stories: the rise of the city’s underworld in the 1990s, narrated by a no-nonsense ex-police chief known as “Bombay’s Dirty Harry”; the tribulations of superstar Sanjay Dutt, on trial for alleged involvement in India’s largest terrorist attack; and a young director’s dogged quest to master the delicate art of making a Bollywood blockbuster. With three and a half weeks before the movie wraps, the lead star actor is held up in legal battles. Without the star the entire production is a flop. Shot in Bombay is a high-octane adventure.
-Sarah Whitehouse

Liz Mermin’s Shot in Bombay joins a long line of great ‘making of’ documentaries detailing the always stressful and often humurous process of filmmaking. Immediately comparable to such great films as American Movie, Lost in La Mancha, Overnight and Operation:Filmmaker; all of which are great docs that look at the filmmaker’s struggle against the elements, the studios, ‘acts of god’, and themselves. It’s schadenfreude in the truest sense of the word.

“Shootout at Lokhandwala”, the film within this film, is a big-budget, balls-to-the-wall action extravaganza and the third film helmed by hot shot Bollywood director Apoorva Lakhia. The story is inspired by a real life gunfight between a group of gangsters and the Mumbai Anti-Terrorist Squad, lead by India’s self-proclaimed real-life ‘Dirty Harry’, A.A. Khan. The poster tagline reads ‘Based on True Rumours’, and Lakhia describes the film’s depiction of events as ‘faction’. He’s obviously heavily inspired by the Michael Bay’s and Tony Scott’s of American filmmaking, and seems pretty easy to please, proclaiming every take as ‘fucking mind-blowing!’. Lakhia’s excitment and rock-star attitude definitely scores the most laughs in the film. In fact, I couldn’t believe how much laughter Shot in Bombay received from the audience. It sort of made me realize that the entire filmmaking process is, in itself, pretty ridiculous. All of the behind the scenes mayhem and do-it-yourself effects (most memorably a cleverly hidden man passing bags through a fake airport x-ray machine) were seemingly pretty standard fair, yet elicited an uproarious response from the crowd. Unfortunately, I seemed to be missing out on some of the humour because to be quite honest, I was having some trouble understanding some of the people on screen. This isn’t something I normally have a problem with, but the speed at which some people were talking mixed with the hollow acoustics of the theatre had me struggling to catch everything. I wonder if the filmmaker’s have considered subtitles? …

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American Teen

After a successful performance at Sundance, there’s some massive buzz behind American Teen, and it looks like director Nanette Burstein (The Kid Stays in the Picture, On the Ropes) has created a film that celebrates non-fiction filmmaking while embracing a mainstream accessibility that just might make this high school doc one of the top grossing non-fiction films of the year. Here’s the synopsis:

In this biting cinema verte, director Nanette Burstein follows a group of four Indiana high school seniors as they navigate the social mazes of adolescence, prepare for graduation, and generally deal with the often surprising and strange situations that arise simply from being 17. Incorporating intimate footage, interviews, and animation, Burstein reveals all the gritty details about life as a teenager in Midwestern America, from drugs, alcohol, and peer pressure, to cliques, first love, and heartbreak. ~ Cammila Albertson, All Movie Guide

One of the smartest marketing decisions is exploiting the traditional elements of the classic fictional teen movie; ‘the jock, the geek, the rebel, the princess…who were you?’. This trailer, along with a clever movie poster (pictured above) successfully exploits our weakness for nostalgia. I’m a big fan of coming of age high school movies, and based on the reactions to this film, I don’t think I’ll be disappointed. It’s just too bad the high school students of today aren’t as cool as the high school students of twenty years ago.

Glass: A Portrait of Philip in Twelve Parts

Normally I don’t think I’d be very interested in a film like this, but I simply can’t resist the chance to see Philip Glass in action. He’s one of the best living composers of our time and has provided many great film scores throughout his career. And of course, his working relationship with Errol Morris is definitely an interesting aspect of this film.

Filmmaker Scott Hicks (SHINE) documents an eventful year in the career and personal life of distinguished composer Philip Glass as he interacts with a number of friends and collaborators, including Chuck Close, Ravi Shankar and Woody Allen.

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As I’ve mentioned in the past, I have a sort of love/hate relationship with blogging. I love the idea of connecting with other like-minded folks and providing my own commentary on films and filmmakers, however I’ve never been able to consistently uphold the level of dedication that seems to come so naturally to other bloggers. Sometimes it’s laziness, other times I just don’t have much to talk about. Having said that, I’m ALWAYS watching films, and usually it’s a good doc that inspires me to load up the ol’ wordpress page and share my deepest, most personal feelings with you all.

In this case, I thought I’d share some thoughts on the whole process of writing documentary reviews. First off, I am in no way an authority on this topic. In fact, I’m exactly the opposite. Sometimes I find it difficult to sum up and sort out my thoughts on what are some of the most challenging films I’ve seen. The topics can be pretty heavy, the information dense, and the technique inconsistent. How do these critics do it? Well apparently many of them don’t. AJ Schnack recently posed the question ‘Do Print Film Critics Matter Anymore When It Comes to Documentary?’ This is in reference to an article by Gregg Goldstein of the Hollywood Reporter, pointing out the fact that many major newspapers aren’t reviewing docs upon their theatrical release. Not that surprising I suppose. Maybe they find it as difficult as I do? If so, maybe they’ll appreciate my list of things to be mindful of when reviewing docs.

Being Critical.

For some reason it can be tough to be critical when it comes to documentaries. It’s pretty easy to get caught up in films that are topical, but in my opinion, controversial or socially relevant subject matter does not automatically make a good film. As for filmmaking technique, people simply don’t know what to look for. Most people have a certain idea of what a documentary SHOULD look like. It’s somewhere between a 20/20 segment and Cops. (I love Cops.) Personally, I love a great non-fiction film that challenges those expectations, but I know I’ve had many discussions with people who think that brilliant cinematography cannot exist within a documentary film.

Is it shallow to pick apart the technical aspects of a film that explores important social issues or tragic events? Last year I reviewed a film called ‘Marshall University: Ashes to Glory’. It looked at the horrible death of the Marshall University football who parished in a plane crash. The story is tragic but inspiring and has been made into TWO documentaries (as far as I know) and a feature film adaptation by none other than McG. Unfortunately, I ended up giving ‘Ashes to Glory’ one star out of four based entirely on technique. At first I felt sort of guilty for slamming a film that clearly set out to pay tribute to the victims of this horrible accident. Unfortunatley, as I watched this uninspired, dreadfully paced and painfully cheesy film, I couldn’t help but think that the story deserved better. A commentor named ‘herdcrazy’ left me a message:

“…please realize Deborah Novak did not have a Hollywood budget to work on. She had to scratch and crawl for funds. The music was originally composed and recorded on the spot. I agree with some of your remarks, but you really don’t understand the documentary genre. Documentaries are not made with a Hollywood flare. Their made for truth and honesty. Deborah Novak and John Witek and(sic) very good filmmakers and I applaud them for ASHES and the upcoming documentary about Marshall’s greatest coach, CAM HENDERSON.”

The first point of interest is the commentor’s name, ‘herdcrazy’. An implied reference to the Marshall football team, otherwise known as ‘The Herd’. Obviously this story hits close to home for this person, and therefore my concern for craft comes across as petty. I applaud the filmmakers for telling this story and congratulate them on finishing a film. That’s a very tough thing to accomplish. However, it doesn’t mean I have to like the film.

Knowing Your Subject Matter.

In the span of one week, I’d received two copies of films dealing with illegal immigrants looking for work in small town America. After reviewing one of them (Farmingville, read my review here) I really didn’t know what to say about the second. Suddenly my movie review becomes an editorial about my thoughts on illegal immigration, something I know very little about. (Aside from what I’d learnt from the film.) I find this happens pretty often. I’ll watch a documentary about a certain subject, be it abortion, bull riding, evangalism…suddenly I’m writing a universit paper on the migratory habits of penguins. Some films simply don’t leave much room for the analyzation of technical craft. This is why it’s such a thrill when a documentary manages to combine non-fiction elements with a cinematic approach. (Manda Bala most recently comes to mind.) The non-fiction world can be pretty notorious for multiple films dealing with similar subjects. Off the top of my head, The Lost Boys of Sudan and God Grew Tired of Us. (Don’t even get me started on the Iraq and Global Warming films.) What’s going to seperate these films for me? The presentation of the subject matter, not the subject matter itself.

Style Wars.

Just to expand upon this idea a little more; style can be just as important in the non-fiction world as it is in dramatic filmmaking. Whether the approach is slick or sloppy, there’s a dependence upon accomplished filmmaking to capture a story properly. I’m totally blown away by Robert Richardson’s cinematography in the trailer for Errol Morris latest film, ‘Standard Operating Procedure’. Morris has always been breaking down barriers in terms of style in doc filmmaking. His consistent use of Hollywood cinematographers has given his films a distinct look.

Creative use of music is also another major plus that is sometimes ignored in the non-fiction world. Again, Manda Bala automatically comes to mind with it’s crazy-good 60’s and 70’s Brazillian pop score. I was blown away by Paul Matthew Moore’s brilliant score for Robinson Devor’s Zoo. I also remember being 100% sold on the film Rank, simply because of the epic church organ score that so perfectly accompanied the rodeo footage.

I suppose it comes down to deciding if a film could have benefited from these elements. Afterall, not all documentaries will benefit from a rock score and flashy cinematography.

Genre Bending and the Importance of Truth.

Personally, I try not caught up in the definition of documentary. Lately there’s been a wave of films pushing the boundaries of non-fiction filmmaking, subsequently re-writing the definition of documentary. Films like Zoo, Touching the Void and Manda Bala have been blurring the lines between fiction and non-fiction, refusing to shy away from dramatic techniques in telling their stories. Personally, I love this new sense of creativity, but others might be put off by the ambiguity of it all. Critics who sense something is amiss will most likely spend the rest of the film trying to figure out what has been staged rather then letting themselves become absorbed by the story. For me, it’s a case by case basis. If I think I’m being manipulated in order to serve the filmmaker’s own political agenda, I’m certainly put off. However, I’m always open to interpretation and I think some creative filmmaking can work wonders for helping a viewer get into the minds of their subjects. Do I care that the interviews in Errol Morris’ ‘A Brief History of Time’ were conducted on soundstages, recreating the subjects offices? No. How is it any less honest than sitting someone in front of a marble backdrop?

The best examples of a documentary blurring the fiction-non-fiction lines is of course, Errol Morris’ ‘The Thin Blue Line’. The film investigates the murder of a cop and the subsequent arrest and prosecution of Randall Dale Adams, whom Morris believed was falsely accused and wrongly convicted. The evidence was revisited and re-examined with extreme attention to detail as the film utilized re-enactments to portray the different points of view. If you’re reading this site, you’re obviously aware that the film is held in high regard as one of the best documentaries of all time. Oddly enough, it didn’t qualify for a Academy Award nomination thanks to its dramatized elements. Morris has recently discussed his use of re-enactments in great detail on his New York Times blog. You can read more about it here.

Anyways, there’s a little taste of what sorts of things go through my head as I’m trying to share my thoughts on some of my favourite, and not so favourite, documentary films.

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Errol Morris is set to do a few in-store appearances at a small number of Apple Store’s in the United States of A. Even if I was anywhere near any one of the three announced locations, I don’t think I’d be rushing out to this thing. I’m sure it would be an interesting experience, but I’m not sure I’d have much to say in the middle of an Apple Store. This is part of the reason why I don’t seek out interviews. I don’t want to meet a filmmaker I really respect and have them turn out to be a total ass. (Not that I’m saying Morris would be an ass.) You can check out the dates and locations below. If you end up checking this out, leave us a comment and tell us how it went. Morris’ Standard Operating Procedure is slated for release this summer. (Source: Cinematical)

April 11, 7 p.m., Third Street Promenade (Santa Monica) Apple store.

April 23, 6:30 p.m., SoHo Apple store.

April 30, 7 p.m., San Francisco Apple store.

Trailer: Standard Operating Procedure

Plexifilm Goes Blu

Now that Blu Ray has officially won the format war, we’re starting to see some of the smaller distribution companies planning some hi def releases. I was very excited to hear that horror/exploitation connoisseurs Blue Underground are currently working on a slate of HD releases, and today I’ve noticed that Plexifilm have announced a May 6th release date for last years doc-hit, ‘Helvetica’. Here’s a word from Gary Hustwit, director of Helvetica and president of Plexifilm:

“Helvetica was shot in high-definition digital video, but there were only a few events during last year’s screening tour where we had access to (extremely expensive) HD projection gear. So only a handful of people have seen the film in its “native” crystal-clear HD format. This Blu-ray disc has twice the resolution as the normal DVD, so it’s gratifying that you’ll be able to see the film’s cinematography presented the way it should be.”

I’ve just pre-ordered my copy and you can do the same by heading over to the Plexifilm website. Also, make sure to check out the limited edition Blu Ray release…a graphic designers wet dream.

Helvetica documentary clip - Erik Spiekermann

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Two great trailers to talk about here. First off, a much awaited look at Errol Morris’ ‘Fog of War’ follow-up, ‘Standard Operationg Procedure’. Here’s the synopsis:

Is it possible for a photograph to change the world? Photographs taken by soldiers in Abu Ghraib prison changed the war in Iraq and changed America’s image of itself. Yet, a central mystery remains. Did the notorious Abu Ghraib photographs constitute evidence of systematic abuse by the American military, or were they documenting the aberrant behavior of a few “bad apples”? We set out to examine the context of these photographs. Why were they taken? What was happening outside the frame? We talked directly to the soldiers who took the photographs and who were in the photographs. Who are these people? What were they thinking? Over two years of investigation, we amassed a million and a half words of interview transcript, thousands of pages of unredacted reports, and hundreds of photographs. The story of Abu Ghraib is still shrouded in moral ambiguity, but it is clear what happened there. The Abu Ghraib photographs serve as both an expose and a coverup. An expose, because the photographs offer us a glimpse of the horror of Abu Ghraib; and a coverup because they convinced journalists and readers they had seen everything, that there was no need to look further. In recent news reports, we have learned about the destruction of the Abu Zubaydah interrogation tapes. A coverup. It has been front page news. But the coverup at Abu Ghraib involved thousands of prisoners and hundreds of soldiers. We are still learning about the extent of it. Many journalists have asked about “the smoking gun” of Abu Ghraib. It is the wrong question. As Philip Gourevitch has commented, Abu Ghraib is the smoking gun. The underlying question that we still have not resolved, four years after the scandal: how could American values become so compromised that Abu Ghraib—and the subsequent coverup—could happen?

There’s a few things that immediately excited me about this trailer:

1. 2.35 Aspect Ratio
2. Robert Richardson
3. Glorious B-Roll
4. Danny Elfman Score

Morris’ is truly the king of b-roll and re-enactments. He even puts Rescue 911 and Unsolved Mysteries to shame. I can’t say the Iraq subject matter is immediately attention grabbing for me (It hasn’t even been a year since I saw The Ghosts of Abu Ghraib) but a Morris film is an event and I’m really interested in his approach here. Standard Operating Procedures seems to be a great companion piece to his recent blog entries over at The New York Times, analyzing truth in photography. Definitely excited for this. Follow the link below and check it out in full 1080p HD!

Link: Apple Trailers - Standard Operating Procedure

Surfwise is the latest from Doug Pray, probably best known for ‘Hype!’ and ‘Scratch’. Here’se the synopsis:

Like many American outsider-adventurers, Dorian “Doc” Paskowitz set out to realize a utopian dream. Abandoning a successful medical practice, he sought self-fulfillment by taking up the nomadic life of a surfer. But unlike other American searchers like Thoreau or Kerouac, Paskowitz took his wife and nine children along for the ride, all eleven of them living in a 24 foot camper. Together, they lived a life that would be unfathomable to most, but enviable to anyone who ever relinquished their dreams to a straight job. The Paskowitz Family proved that America may be running out of frontiers, but it hasn’t run out of frontiersman.

I really like films that take advantage of people with obsessive tendencies for self documentation. This trailer reminded me of ‘Into the Wild’, except these people are travelling in a bus rather than dying in one. This is what would happen if The Partridge Family decided to go off the grid and live the life of a Hannah-Barbera style surfing cartoon family. For some reason I seem to gravitate toward these traditional family adventures. (I’m a big fan of The Danielson Famile and The Trachtenburg’s) So i’m definitely on board for this one. However, I must say I’m more interested in checking out Pray’s ‘Big Rig’, a documentary about long haul truck driver’s.

Link: Apple Trailers - Surfwise

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